The Pearl Millet Genome

這本名為《珍珠小米基因組》的書籍是有關該作物的歷史、馴化、基因和基因組資源、傳統育種、基因多樣性、分子圖譜和重要生物壓力以及營養品質特徵的綜合性論述的首部作品。此外，還包括全基因組序列和比較基因組學、功能基因組學、基因轉化等方面的內容。書中還討論了珍珠小米在經濟、營養和健康方面的重要性。此外，還介紹了該作物的輸入利用效率和廣泛適應性。整本書共有10章，約200頁，由該作物相關領域的全球知名專家撰寫。這本書對於對該作物的遺傳學、病理學、分子遺傳學和育種、基因工程、結構和功能基因組學以及營養品質方面感興趣的學生、教師和科學家，以及相關的私營公司都非常有用。此外，種子和製藥行業也會受益於這本書。

Dr Rakesh K. Srivastava leads the pearl millet genomics and molecular breeding team at ICRISAT. He is extensively involved in the generation of cutting-edge genetic and genomic resources, mining, mapping, and deployment of QTLs/genes for various biotic, abiotic, grain and fodder quality-related traits in pearl millet as a global mandate. He contributed significantly to the platinum-grade pearl millet genome assemblies, pangenome analysis for heat tolerance and Milletdb-a multi-omics database platform on millets. He led a team comprising national and international partners to define the heterotic gene pools in pearl millet for the first time. He also led the pearl millet downy mildew genome sequence. He contributed significantly to the pearl millet genome sequence work including the development of resources such as the world association mapping panel, representing the global pearl millet genetic diversity, mapping population parents and mapping populations. He also contributed the world reference germplasm Tift23D2B1-PI-P5 for deep sequencing which now serves as a world reference genome for pearl millet. He is currently working on the development of new genetic stocks, functional genomic resources (such as TILLING), trait mapping (Fe/Zn, low glycemic index (GI), nitrogen use efficiency, fertility restoration, Striga, low P) and deployment of these traits. Rakesh obtained his Ph.D. degree in Genetics from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi in the year 2004. He worked with Syngenta Seeds for two years after his Ph.D. before joining ICRISAT in the year 2006. He has been with ICRISAT for the past 18 years and is currently working as a Principal Scientist (Genomics and Trait Discovery).

Dr C. Tara Satyavathi is a renowned pearl millet breeder. Tara Satyavathi is currently the Director of ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research. Earlier she served as Project Coordinator - All India Coordinated Research Project on Pearl Millet, ICAR, India. She has reoriented the pearl millet programme at IARI, developed hybrids and varieties, identified QTLs for downy mildew resistance, development and identification of high grain iron and zinc pearl millet lines, genetic stocks for high lysine, high tryptophan, white grain etc.

Prof Rajeev K. Varshney FRS is a globally-recognised agricultural scientist specialising in genomes, genetics, molecular breeding and capacity building in developing countries and engaging in discovering, developing and delivering innovative R&D solutions to issues facing global agriculture. Currently Director, Centre for Crop & Food Innovation (CCFI); Director, WA State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, and International Chair in Agriculture & Food Security at the Food Futures Institute at Murdoch University in Western Australia, Professor Varshney holds Adjunct/Honorary/Visiting Professor positions at 10 academic institutions in Australia, China, Ghana, Hong Kong and India. Earlier he served International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), a global agricultural research institute, for 17 years in various science and research leadership role including Research Program Director for various programmes, and Director, Center of Excellence in Genomics & Systems Biology.

Prof Varshney, a highly cited researcher for 10 consecutive years (2014-2023), is a highly prolific author and frequently invited speaker including TEDx speaker. Varshney has presented research and novel concepts related to food and nutrition security in several high-level fora such as: G8 International Conference on Open Data for Agriculture on Open Data in Genomics and Modern Breeding for Crop Improvement, organized by US and UK Governments in the World Bank (2013); Brainstorming session on Digital Revolution for Agriculture at Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in (2012); FAO's international conference on Agricultural Biotechnology in Developing Countries in Mexico (2010); FAO's Regional Conference on Agricultural Bio technologies in Sustainable Foods Systems and Nutrition in Asia-Pacific Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2017) etc.

Dr. Rakesh K. Srivastava在ICRISAT領導著小米基因組學和分子育種團隊。他積極參與小米的先進遺傳和基因組資源的生成，挖掘、定位和應用於小米的各種生物、非生物、穀物和飼料品質相關特性的QTL/基因。他對白金級小米基因組組裝、耐熱性的泛基因組分析以及小米的多組學數據庫平台Milletdb的貢獻非常重要。他帶領國內外合作夥伴的團隊首次定義了小米的異交基因庫。他還領導了小米霜霉病基因組序列的研究。他在小米基因組序列工作中做出了重大貢獻，包括開發了代表全球小米遺傳多樣性的世界關聯圖譜，定位群體父本和定位群體等資源。他還提供了世界參考種資源Tift23D2B1-PI-P5進行深度測序，現在它已成為小米的世界參考基因組。他目前正在開發新的遺傳股票、功能基因組資源（如TILLING）、特性定位（Fe/Zn、低升糖指數（GI）、氮利用效率、肥力恢復、Striga、低磷）以及這些特性的應用。Rakesh於2004年在印度農業研究所（IARI）獲得遺傳學博士學位。在獲得博士學位後的兩年內，他在農業種子公司Syngenta Seeds工作，之後於2006年加入ICRISAT。他在ICRISAT工作了18年，目前擔任首席科學家（基因組學和特性發現）。

Dr. C. Tara Satyavathi是一位著名的小米育種師。Tara Satyavathi目前擔任印度農業研究委員會-印度小米研究所的所長。之前，她曾擔任印度農業研究委員會的全印協調研究項目-小米項目協調員。她重新定位了IARI的小米計劃，開發了雜交種和品種，鑒定了抗霜霉病的QTL，開發和鑒定了高鐵和高鋅小米品系，以及高賴氨酸、高色氨酸、白色穀粒等遺傳股票。

Rajeev K. Varshney教授是一位全球知名的農業科學家，專門從事基因組、遺傳學、分子育種和發展中國家的能力建設，並致力於發現、開發和提供解決全球農業問題的創新研發解決方案。他目前擔任西澳大利亞州穀物和食品創新中心（CCFI）主任，西澳大利亞州農業生物技術中心主任，以及西澳大利亞州默多克大學食品未來研究所的國際農業和食品安全主席。Varshney教授在澳大利亞、中國、加納、香港和印度的10所學術機構擁有兼職/榮譽/訪問教授職位。之前，他在國際半乾旱熱帶作物研究所（ICRISAT）擔任了17年的職位，包括各種科學和研究領導職位，如各項研究計劃的研究項目主任和基因組學與系統生物學卓越中心主任。

Varshney教授是連續10年（2014年至2023年）高被引研究人員，是一位非常多產的作者，並經常受邀演講，包括TEDx演講。Varshney教授在許多高級會議上介紹了與食品和營養安全相關的研究和新概念，例如：由美國和英國政府在世界銀行舉辦的G8國際農業開放數據會議（2013年）；在比爾和梅琳達·蓋茨基金會舉辦的關於農業數字革命的頭腦風暴會議（2012年）；聯合國糧食及農業組織在墨西哥舉辦的發展中國家農業生物技術國際會議（2010年）；FA