University of Saskatchewan PhD student Aaron Beattie is using the tools of modern biotechnology to find the genes that govern resistance to net blotch, a fungal disease that can cut yields in Canadian crops by up to 30 per cent.

Beattie’s work is being recognized with the Young Scientist Footsteps Award. Adjudicated by Genome Prairie and sponsored by the Council for Biotechnology Information, the award recognizes graduate research achievement in the field of plant biotechnology. He will be honoured at a reception at 4:00 p.m. on June 6 at the U of S Agriculture Building Atrium.

“Young people tend to leave Saskatchewan, but the opportunities to come home and do something positive are right here,” Beattie says.

By sorting through thousands of genes, Beattie is working to identify those that confer resistance to net blotch, a disease that affects barley crops every season. This knowledge will help plant breeders develop better resistant varieties. This promises to reduce or eliminate the need for fungicides, cut down on expensive inputs for farmers, and put less pressure on the environment.

After a decade of studying human and plant genetics across Canada, Beattie took a break in New Zealand at Southern Seed Technology Limited harvesting winter nursery plots of barley, wheat and oats. That’s where he discovered barley germplasm from the University of Saskatchewan undergoing extended tests in the southern hemisphere. 

It seemed natural to return to Saskatchewan and join prominent barley developer Dr. Brian Rossnagel of the Crop Development Centre to complete a PhD focusing on on the cereal crop. Beattie’s research on net blotch, which affects seed yield and quality, may also lead to new approaches to disease resistance in other crops.

About  Genome Prairie

Genome Prairie is a not-for-profit corporation operating in collaboration with Genome Canada and four other regional genome research centres.  Genome Prairie directs and funds research and development in the new field of genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and the related areas of ethics, legal and the social impact of genomic research.

About the Council for Biotechnology Information

The Council for Biotechnology Information is an organization founded by leading plant biotechnology companies in North America and around the world.  Its purpose is to share information about biotechnology with consumers, relying on scientific research, expert opinion and published reports as the basis for its communication.

About the Young Scientist Footsteps Award

The Council sponsors the award to recognize outstanding research across Canada in the area of plant biotechnology.  Each candidate has been nominated by their respective dean of agriculture or supervisor and judged by Genome Prairie.  The criteria for judging were: 

• State of professional development of the student, as demonstrated by their curriculum vitae

• Quality of plant biotechnology research

• Demonstrated consumer benefit of research

• Communications ability of the student

• Strength of the professor/mentor bond