description
- The mini-project to be done at Rothamsted will focus on training the student in methods essential to the main project. This will include headspace collection of volatile organic compounds from wheat plants, bioassays to study aphid responses to resistant and susceptible lines of T. monococcum, and molecular techniques. 1) The headspace volatiles from resistant and susceptible lines of T. monococcum will be collected using air entrainment in which the volatiles are collected on a porous polymer (Porapak Q50 mg), eluted with redistilled diethyl ether and then analysed using gas chromatography (GC) and GC mass spectrometry. 2) Samples from headspace collections will be used to study behavioural responses of alate R. padi to the volatiles from resistant and susceptible T. monococcum using a four-arm olfactometer. The length of time spent in the treated arm is recorded and compared to control arms. Individual aphids are observed over a 16 minute period in each replicate. 3) DNA from individual plants will be extracted using the DNeasy Plant Kit (Qiagen). The quantity and quality of DNA will be assessed by electrophoresis on a 0.8% agarose gel. The molecular weight of DNA in samples will be determined by comparing them to markers of known weights.