I graduated from the University of Goettingen, Germany, in 2000 (Msc.). Besides, I did further postgraduate studies in plant and animal genetics starting from January 2001 by attending several courses, laboratory practices and seminars in which I have tried to deepen my knowledge in applied molecular genetics. Since March 2003, I am employed in the department of crop science, section of plant genetics at the University of Goettingen, Germany. I am working in one of GABI (Genome Analysis for Biological System) http://www.gabi.de/ research project: genome analysis in oilseed rape (GARS). The project started in 1999 with the financial support of German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the GABI program (Grant no. 0312286C). Since 2002, four German breeding companies namly: Deutsche Saatveredelung (DSV), Nord Deutsche Pflanzen Zucht: Hans-Georg Lembke KG (NPZ), KWS SAAT AG and Seed Hadmersleben GmbH (SH) are funding the project including my salary. The above companies conduct also field experiments and we conduct the field trials at location Goettingen

The research project:

Several methods are currently available to map QTL using a segregating population of F2, BC (Backcross), RILs (Recombinant Inbreed Lines) relaying on statistical method. However, the precision of estimating the number and effect of the QTL using the above populations and analytical methods is very low (Kearsey and Hyne 1994; Melchinger et al. 1998). Moreover, the effects of those few detected QTL can also be overestimated and strongly biased as the population size used for the QTL mapping decreases. Additionally, small QTL effects are not usually identified and effort to detect requires large population of upto 1000 lines leading to high costs of genotypic and phenotypic characterisations. Alternative to a segregating population QTL mapping can be applied in substitution lines carrying a single well defined segment of the donor parent in the pure genetic background of the recurrent genome (Eshed and Zamir 1994; 95). I am applying backcrossing (BC) approach and Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) to develop intervareital substitution lines from four varieties of oilseed rape. Intervarietal substitution lines or sometimes called near isogenic lines (NILs) are a set of lines with a complementary donor segments that are genetically identical except at one or a few loci of the donor parent. Therefore, in QTL mapping, genetic background interference can be avoided and the pure effect of those few loci can be estimated