Research group
Anthony Hall Group
Bridging the gap between model and crop species
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Group activities.
We strive to develop next-generation computational approaches to bridge the gap between model (Arabidopsis) and crop species (primarily wheat) with the aim of understanding the genes/networks and genetic variance that underpin key agricultural traits.
To meet this goal we currently have a number of projects investigating the genes and networks underpinning yield robustness under drought and heat stress (India and UK) and enhancing photosynthesis (Mexico, Australia and the UK). We also have projects on the wheat epigenome characterising the epigenome in bread wheat, the variation of the epigenome across a global diversity panel and the role of the epigenome during genome shock (Germany, USA and UK).
We are interested in addressing fundamental biological questions with a focus on the circadian clock, with ongoing projects modelling clock networks with single-cell resolution in collaboration with James Locke (The Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge). In the future we aim to extend this work but also address the role of clock function during domestication and whether the clock is an important agricultural trait.
Projects.
Team members.
Publications.
Related reading.
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12 August 2019
Learning
FEATURE
| 5 min READ
Bread and butter: decoding wheat
Integral to the international effort that brought us the bread wheat genome, decoding this complex, hexaploid crop - from sequence to assembly, annotation and even mapping the epigenome - has been at the heart of what we do at Earlham Institute.
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13 October 2021
Science
Technology
FEATURE
| 8 min READ
Hybrid Wheat Initiative: the ‘holy grail’ of wheat breeding
Connecting academia and the wheat industry to resolve the critical challenge of hybrid wheat and shape the future of crop research.
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11 August 2016
Science
FEATURE
| 5 min READ
Wheat Side Story
We are proud to boast an increasing number of PhD students at EI. Here, we focus on the work of Pilar Corredor-Moreno, who is working on wheat yellow rust - but from wheat’s side of the story.
24 October 2022
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Circadian clock insights could be key to increased wheat yields
New research carefully measuring the influence and regulation of the circadian clock in wheat could help breeders improve key agricultural traits in one of the world’s most important crops.
10 January 2023
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Exotic wheat DNA could help breed ‘climate-proof’ crops
Wheat containing exotic DNA from wild relatives benefits from up to 50 per cent higher yields in hot weather compared with elite lines lacking these genes.
26 July 2022
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Machine learning tech that hunts for plant biomarkers awarded UKRI funding
An Earlham Institute team that has developed machine learning technology to find genetic markers for important traits in plants has been awarded £25,000 of funding from UKRI.
25 November 2020
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Global wheat diversity mapped in huge international collaboration
Earlham Institute researchers have applied expertise in genomics and bioinformatics to give us the most detailed insight into wheat genetics yet. The findings, published in Nature, will help ensure food security for years to come.
16 August 2018
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Earlham Institute helps to finally crack the wheat code
Improving the sustainability of the world’s most widely cultivated crop
09 November 2015
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The Earlham Institute (EI) announces an important milestone in wheat research
A more complete and accurate wheat genome assembly is being made available to researchers, by EI on 12 November 2015. This landmark resource builds on international efforts in this area and will help wheat breeders accelerate their crop improvement programmes and researchers to discover genes for key traits such as yield, nutrient-use and bread making quality.
18 April 2017
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Sat nav for bread wheat uncovers hidden genes
Scientists have created the most accurate navigation system for the bread wheat genome to date – allowing academics and breeders to analyse its genes more easily than ever before.
15 April 2019
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Linkage is a drag: first wheat gene to rapidly convert defective traits for new
EI researchers identify first ever gene associated with gene conversion in plants to improve future wheat breeding.
18 December 2020
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Plants can be larks or night owls just like us
Plants have the same variation in body clocks as that found in humans, according to new research that explores the genes governing circadian rhythms in plants.