"Integrated modelling of the primary metabolism of the developing barley endosperm as influenced by hormonal modulations"
(GABI SysSEED)

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GABI SysSEED is a research project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the GABI-Future framework (module “Basis”, i.e. basic research) for the years 2007 - 2010. Eight research groups from three research institutes and one university are involved.

The scientific goal of the project is the systems-oriented analysis of the developing barley grain with a clear focus on yield and grain quality parameters. The project takes advantage of the combination of three modelling approaches:

1. spatial-temporal (3D/4D) models to illustrate and communicate expression gradients and metabolite fluxes within the framework of the reconstructed developing barley grain
2. structural models to visualise and compare transcriptional and metabolic networks in the barley endosperm, and to qualitatively analyse central metabolic processes
3. kinetic models to establish a semi-quantitative network of assimilate fluxes and predict the influence of genetic changes

The combination of the three modelling approaches will result in prototypic models of primary metabolism at different levels of detail. Developing grains of mutants, and transgenic model plants changed in their primary metabolism and in hormonal regulation of storage product accumulation will be analysed to validate and refine these models.

GABI SysSEED aims at a validated prediction of developmental changes, and of changes of grain composition and yield that can be traced back to knowledge-based modifications of the barley genome.