Breeding is the foundation of plant genetic improvements. While modern techniques like gene editing sometimes steal the spotlight, scientists need high quality plant varieties before they begin modifying crops with CRISPR or other recent genetic engineering tools.
Today, plant breeders are in high demand, both in industry and academia. Drs. Patricio Muñoz and Marcio Resende are two early-career plant breeders, working on blueberry and sweetcorn, respectively. Both implement the most modern genomics approaches to breeding and selection, with an eye toward accelerating production of new varieties. As relatively recent graduates, both provide their insights into the preparation necessary to find a fulfilling career in plant breeding.
Follow Dr. Patricio Muñoz on Twitter @BBerryBreeding. Website: Muñoz Lab, Blueberry Breeding at University of Florida
Follow Dr. Marcio Resende on Twitter @MarcioResendeJr. Website: Resende Lab, Sweet Corn Breeding at University of Florida
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