Professor Graham King

Brief description

Graham King has wide experience in molecular and quantitative genetics, genomics and computational biology, and has developed and characterised a range of Brassica genetic and genomic resources underpinning crop improvement traits. These have including reference mapping populations, linkage maps and detailed analysis of QTL for physiological and developmental traits and fungal resistances.

He has led and been involved in physical mapping and sequencing of the Brassica genomes, and with colleagues at Wellesbourne initiated development of Diversity Fixed Foundation Sets (DFFS). Other work has included integration of information to allow navigation via comparative genomics from genetics loci to chromosome, development of crop genetics databases, leading analysis of resistance gene analogues and map-based cloning of an aphid resistance gene.

Current research is focused on understanding the relationship between epigenetic marks such as DNA methylation, chromatin structure (nucleosome positioning) and the regulation of trait loci in crop species of polyploid origin. His group have a particular focus on developmental biology of seed development, and also collaborate with colleagues at Rothamsted and elsewhere on the genetic and developmental basis of quantitative disease resistance and plant mineral nutrition.