The Wheat Genome

Kellye Eversole is a pioneer in agricultural genomics, biotechnology, and the development of international, pre-competitive, industry-academic research. Since 1994, she has led consortia and projects to obtain reference genome sequences for agriculturally important crop, livestock, and poultry species. She leads, since 2005, the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium, the international, public-private consortium that obtained the reference sequence of the bread wheat genome and, since 2016, the International Alliance for Phytobiomes Research which is pioneering a holistic, systems approach to understand the complex interactions between the biological and geophysical components of agricultural production systems and support the development of novel, site specific products for enhanced sustainability. In addition to her work in genomics and convergent systems, Kellye advises public and private entities on their scientific strategies and regulations related to agricultural biotechnology/genetic engineering, microbial products, and plant protection products. Kellye also assists venture capital firms in due diligence of start-up companies in the agricultural space. She was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for her work in plant and microbial genomics and has published widely in top tier journals including multiple articles in Science and Nature. Kellye grew up in Oklahoma in a farming and ranching family, the early agricultural foundation of which led her to pursue a career of service in support of the agricultural enterprise. She founded Eversole Associates in 1991 following professional training in political science and philosophy (Oklahoma State University, George Washington University, and Georgetown University) and working as a professional staff member in the US Senate. She co-owns a wheat & cotton farm in southwestern Oklahoma.

Rudi Appels carried out his first DNA preparation onleaves from rye, bread wheat and triticale in 1977, with WJ Peacock in CSIRO Division of Plant Industry with the aim of isolating molecular probes for rye chromosomes in wheat-rye translocation lines and new triticales. The success of this research (pre-DNA cloning) was followed up during his 27 years in CSIRO in isolating many economically important genes from wheat. Rudi started to make research visits to Beijing, through a project with Xin Zhiyong, in 1988 which culminated in a successful, large, Australia-China proposal with Prof. Zhonghu He in 2013. He moved to take up a joint appointment in Murdoch University/Dept of Agriculture WA, in 2001, to work more closely with wheat breeders and from 2004/5 was (and continues to be) active in founding and co-leading the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium. Since 2015, he has taken up honorary appointments with the University of Melbourne and Agriculture Victoria and is based in Melbourne.

Dusti Gallagher is a leader in plant genetic research and crop development. She is the President and CEO of Heartland Plant Innovations, an advanced plant breeding services company; and President and CEO of Fritz Consulting, a Kansas-based agricultural consulting firm. She has 25 years of experience in hands-on research, research management, organizational leadership and management, employee recruitment, staff and board development, strategic and financial planning, project management, goal initiation and execution, as well as in public policy related to agriculture. Gallagher also serves as an associate of Eversole Associates and, in this capacity, she provides leadership and project management for collaborative initiatives including the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium, the International Alliance for Phytobiomes Research and the U.S. Culture Collections Network. A native of Oklahoma, Dusti received bachelor's and master's degrees in Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State University. Dusti currently resides in Wamego, KS, USA, with her husband Paul and two children, Maya and Nathanael.

Catherine Feuillet received her PhD in plant biotechnology in 1993 followed by 10 years of postdoctoral studies and serving as an assistant professor at the University of Zurich. While in Zurich, she developed research projects aiming at the isolation of disease resistance genes and a better understanding of the genome structure and evolution of wheat and barley. In 2004, she was appointed by INRA in France as a research director to lead wheat genomics projects in support of wheat improvement. In 2013, Catherine joined Bayer CropScience as the head of Trait Research where she served until April 2018 when she joined Inari, a start-up aiming at transforming plant breeding, as the Chief Scientific Officer. Catherine has coordinated several large national and European projects and is one of the founders of the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium. She was elected the French "golden woman of the year for research" in 2008. Then, for her achievement in wheat research, she received in 2009 the "Prix Foulon" from the French Academy of Sciences. She received the French Legion of Honour in 2010, was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2011, and received the "Prix J. Dufrenoy" from the French Academy of Agriculture in 2012. Catherine has supervised the work of more than 30 masters, doctoral, and postdoctoral scientists and published more than 120 scientific papers in peer reviewed journals and books.