Eleusine coracana Raw sequence reads

With osteoporosis becoming an increasing threat to human health, this project is directed towards finding aninexpensive solution to this problem using crop genetics. Biofortification of human diet with food that are naturally rich inCalcium (Ca) is proposed. Among all cultivated cereals, finger millet (Eleusine coracana), an annual small millet of Africaand Asia, has been found to have the highest concentration of Ca (350mg/100g) in its grains. This proposal aims toinvestigate the genetic variations of Ca accumulation in finger millet germplasm using chemical phenotyping andgenomics, and to use this knowledge in further improving the concentration of this micronutrient in finger millet andother staple crops. The project will identify genes involved in Ca accumulation in crops and the prospects of theirbreeding into new varieties through plant breeding. Such crop varieties will benefit the smallholder farmers who willgrow them (by adding value to their food products) and also provide valuable, superior raw material to industries fordeveloping functional food rich in Calcium. Availability of such food and food products will increase Ca consumption andreduce the health and economic impacts of osteoporosis.