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CapitalPress.com
July 29, 2016
‘Cyber breeder’ improves wheat varieties
Zhiwu Zhang sorts through field,
molecular data to help breeding
By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press
PULLMAN, Wash. —
Zhiwu Zhang rarely actually
touches wheat, but his work
helps put better varieties of
the popular grain into grow-
ers’ hands.
As a statistical geneticist
— he calls himself a “cyber
breeder” — at Washington
State University in Pullman,
Zhang combines information
from wheat breeders and re-
searchers who identify molec-
ular markers.
Wheat farmers are most
concerned with yield, quality
and production cost, all traits
determined by how genetics
and the environment interact,
Zhang said.
“There are hundreds and
even thousands of genes as-
sociated with yield,” he said.
“Gathering favorite genes to-
gether takes time. Fortunate-
ly, DNA sequencing technol-
ogies provide the opportunity
to pinpoint where those genes
are on the genome.”
Zhiwu Zhang
Title: Assistant professor, Washington State University; Washing-
ton Wheat Distinguished Professorship for Statistical Genetics
Age: 55
Current location: Pullman, Wash.
Hometown: Shulan, China
Education: Bachelor’s degree in animal science and master’s
degree in animal breeding and genetics, Jilin Agriculture Univer-
sity, Changchun, China; Ph.D. in animal breeding and genetics,
Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China; Ph.D. in statistical
genetics, Michigan State University
Family: Married; son James, 26; daughter Joia, 14
Website: http://css.wsu.edu/zhiwu-zhang/
Deoxyribonucleic acid —
called DNA — is a molecule
that carries the genetic in-
AI.OW16-4/#8
structions within most living
organisms. Attributes such as
drought tolerance are located
at speciic spots on the lat-
tice-like structure of DNA.
“We’re trying to get them
together, turn this big data
into some knowledge,” he
said. “Then ield breeders can
turn it into a variety that can
really increase the income of
the farmer.”
Zhang is developing the
computer programs and da-
tabases necessary for wheat
breeders to sort through mil-
lions of data points associated
with genetic markers and gene
sequences, said Rich Koenig,
associate dean of the College
of Agricultural, Human and
Natural Resource Sciences,
director of WSU Extension
and interim chairman of the
crop and soil sciences depart-
ment.
“The explosion of data has
created a need for ‘genetic
software engineers’ to enable
breeders to sort through all
of these data and make good
breeding and selection deci-
sions,” Koenig said.
Zhang’s work should help
breeders better select lines
that have the potential to
outperform other cultivars in
the ield, WSU winter wheat
breeder Arron Carter said.
“Effectively, we are test-
ing better material under ield
conditions, which should have
higher yield potential, better
disease resistance and better
Matthew Weaver/Capital Press
Washington State University assistant professor Zhiwu Zhang
stands in the middle of his lab in Pullman. As a statistical geneti-
cist, Zhang compiles information from ield breeders and molecular
DNA sequencing to enable wheat breeders to improve the varieties
they develop.
end-use quality,” Carter said.
“It will speed up the process
a little bit, but mainly helps us
get the best material out to the
ield as a starting point.”
Breeders will still have
to do years of ield testing to
ensure stability across loca-
tions and years, Carter said.
Zhang’s work helps identify
the best wheat lines early in
the process, allowing breed-
ers to begin making crosses
sooner.
Zhang has an agricultural
background. He raised ani-
mals and worked in the ield
from childhood in China, and
got his bachelor’s degree in
animal science. He went on
to study genetics, statistics
and computer science in get-
ting his master’s degree and
Ph.D.s and postdoctoral train-
ing.
His irst job was predicting
breeding values, helping beef
breeders select bulls for better
yield, carcass quality and less
calving dificulty.
Zhang’s second job was
to develop statistical meth-
ods and computing tools to
dissect the genetic architec-
ture of key complex traits in
maize. Zhang developed a
compressed model that re-
duced computing time from
weeks to hours.
Jobs such as Zhang’s did
not exist a decade ago, Koe-
nig said. Now, they are in
high demand among modern
breeding programs.
“Zhiwu has an interna-
tional reputation and is rec-
ognized for developing lead-
ing platforms to process and
screen genetic information,”
Koenig said.
Zhang hopes his work
will increase farmers’ net in-
come and be environmentally
friendly and sustainable.
Sequencing wheat vari-
eties is currently limited by
cost. The wheat genome is
ive times bigger than the
human genome, with many
gaps, Zhang said.
“Mathematically and ac-
curately illing those gaps
is critical to transform DNA
sequencing into a useful
tool for wheat breeding,” he
said.
The story irst appeared
Jan. 1, 2016.