Objectives

Developing modern genomic, genetic and bioformatic tools to facilitate sweetpotato improvement for food nutrition and income security in sub-Sahara Africa.

1. Development of the core genomic and genetic resources required for sweetpotato improvement including:
   1. whole genome sequencing of NCNSP-0323, a homozygous diploid sweetpotato progenitor of cultivated sweetpotato I batatas;
   2. transcriptome profiling of multiple tissues of the sequenced NCNSP-0323 for genome annotation;
   3. development of diploid mapping populations for high density single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genome sequence anchoring and quantitative trait loca (QTL) mapping; and
   4. sweetpotato genome browser development to ensure that this information is available to the global sweetpotato genomics and breeding communities
2. Establishment of a GBS-based SNP genotyping, bioinformatics, and analytical environment for hexaploid sweetpotato
3. Population development and multi-location phenotyping and marker assisted breeding studies
4. Traditional and web based training and capacity development efforts to incorporate MAB tools in sweetpotato breeding programs in Africa
5. Effective project management and communication processes to ensure project success and dissemination of new resources to the sweetpotato and scientific communities