To the Moon and Back: Perspectives from Basic and Applied Research

Dr. Max Feldman is a Research Geneticist with the USDA-ARS focused on potato germplasm enhancement breeding. Our ARS program spans continuum of basic to applied research with projects centered around trait discovery, genetic mapping, and predictive breeding in a trait introgression context. During his career, Dr. Feldman, has leveraged both forward and reverse genetics to better understand the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying plant traits. Much of this effort has focused on development and application of improved measurement strategies (image analysis, analytical chemistry) in combination with high-throughput genotyping, and bioinformatic analysis to generate and extract knowledge from large public datasets. Ultimately, our primary goal is to harness the power of quantitative genetics to breed more profitable and sustainable potato cultivars for our industry stakeholders in the Pacific Northwest and farmers around the globe.