UNF researcher receives NSF sub-award to explore genetic diversity in plants

Dr. Indika Kahanda, University of North Florida School of Computing associate professor, has received a National Science Foundation sub-award for a four-year collaborative project with researchers from the National Center for Genome Resources, Montana State University and DePaul University that aims to develop AI machine learning tools for synthesizing and analyzing large genomic datasets.

As climate change worsens, plants need to adapt to survive. A wide range of genetic diversity helps them become more resilient to changing conditions, but harsher climates may cause many plants to die, reducing this diversity. Understanding genetic differences is key to identifying vulnerable plants and keeping ecosystems healthy.

New advances in DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence now make it easier to analyze genes across many plants of the same species. This project will develop software that links gene variations to successful growth in different climates, helping scientists to study genetic diversity in various species.

Given the urgent need to protect food security and plant survival, this project will create a tool to identify genetic elements that affect how plants respond to climate changes. By using a novel graph model and AI innovations, Kahanda and his partners aim to improve the study of plant genomes and discover the genetic factors that help plants adapt.

The researchers will use publicly available plant data to test the tool, focusing on those most important for agriculture and ecosystem health. This study will enable researchers to thoroughly analyze genetic diversity and how it impacts plant adaptation.