The laboratory of Fangpu Han works on the functional genomics of wheat and maize, chromosome engineering of wheat breeding and plant artificial chromosome. The main research projects are wide hybridization breeding and genome evolution of polyploidy, molecular mechanism of plant meiosis, structure and function of plant centromere, plant artificial chromosome and specific genome modification.

1. Wide hybridization breeding and genome evolution of polyploidy

This project focuses on the mechanism and formation process of Triticum aestivum and Tritielytrigia as the polyploid crops. The targets are supposed to efficiently identify, transfer genes from other species and finally find the translocation lines with breeding value and the key genes included. Our group will explore the molecular mechanism of interaction and predomination of genomes in polyploids. To make, identify and evaluate small fragment translocation lines and sibling species with infiltration of whole other genome. To isolate and characterize of genes beneficial to high yield, high quality, resistance to disease and stress from wild species. Finally to breed new crop species with such characters. The founding for this project is from the 863 Major Projects of Ministry of Science and Technology.

2. Molecular mechanism of plant meiosis

The molecular mechanism of homologous chromosomes pairing initiation, recombination, orientation and separation in meiosis is the international research focus. We will address these issues by using special mutants in wheat and maize to isolate meiotic related genes and study their functions. This project is founded by the major research plan of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

3. Structure and function of plant centromere

This project focuses on the functional study of maize centromere. We study on the mechanism of epigenetic regulation on the “inactivation and activation” of maize centromere to explore the relationship between centromere function with DNA methylation, histone modification and small RNA. It is founded by the major project of National Science Foundation.

4. Plant artificial chromosome and specific genome modification

This project will construct plant artificial chromosome by different methods and optimize the transgenic vectors suitable for polygene or even a complete metabolic pathway. After maize genome sequencing finished, it is needed to develop an efficient way to perform site-directed mutagenesis according to known genome sequence. By this way, we can avoid position effect and identify the function of important genes. It is founded by the Special Found for Transgenic Plant from Ministry of Science and Technology.