Matthew
Blair

Biography

Practical and molecular marker oriented plant breeder with experience in amaranth, common bean, maize, melons, potatoes, rice, sorghum and soybeans. Molecular geneticist with experience in gene cloning, marker development, QTL analysis, association mapping and molecular breeding. In common bean I have developed germplasm that resulted in over 4000 advanced lines leading to more than 20 bush and climbing bean varieties released in Bolivia, Burundi, Colombia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Supervision of over 10 M USD in project funds over last 15 years as well as breeding (10) and laboratory (18) assistants. Advisor or co-advisor for graduate students, international trainees and undergraduate students (cumulative 28 Phd, 15 MSc, 38 BSc, 25 trainees, 10 fellowship). Extensive publication list (over 150 refereed, 75 non-refereed, 12 chapters) plus 120,000 Genbank entries and 4 Crop registrations in US and International journals. Collaboration with advanced research centers, national agricultural research programs and regional networks in Latin America, Africa, Europe and North America. Principal Investigator for nutritional improvement and bean genomics in Biofortification Challenge Program and Harvest Plus (2 phases), Canada Linkage Fund and Generation Challenge program grants. Additional projects in abiotic stress tolerance breeding with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Tropical Legumes – 2 phases) and BMZ-Germany. In rice and beans, I have worked with disease resistance and gene identification through RGA and gene tagging approaches. I have implemented or worked on methods of implementation of marker assisted selection in both crops. I have winter nursery experience in maize, sorghum and soybeans. I have also conducted basic research on nutritional quality evaluating biochemical and micro-nutrient traits and on physiological traits having to do with aluminum tolerance and drought resistance.

Projects