CORN (ZEA MAYS) IS THE MOST WIDELY CULTIVATED GRAIN CROP IN THE UNITED STATES AND IS EXTENSIVELY CONSUMED IN THE AMERICAN DIET. BECAUSE OF CORN'S PROMINENCE AS A STAPLE GRAIN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, THE NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF CORN HAS RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL ATTENTION. THE METAL MICRONUTRIENT CONTENT OF CORN, ESPECIALLY IRON AND ZINC, IS OF CONSIDERABLE INTEREST SINCE BREEDING FOR IMPROVED MICRONUTRIENT CONTENT AND AVAILABILITY WOULD HAVE SUBSTANTIAL IMPACTS ON HUMAN HEALTH. UNFORTUNATELY, MAIZE HASNATURALLY LOW LEVELS OF IRON IN GRAIN, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO BREED MAIZE LINES THAT HAVE ADEQUATE IRON FOR HUMAN NUTRITION.IN THIS PROJECT, WE WILL LEVERAGE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT IRON SIGNALING AND IRON MOVEMENT TO ADDRESS THE POSSIBILITY OF ENHANCING IRON ACCUMULATION IN MAIZE KERNELS BY MANIPULATING GENE EXPRESSION ARTIFICIALLY.OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO PRODUCE FOOD CROPS WITH IMPROVED IRON NUTRITION FOR HUMAN AND ANIMAL CONSUMPTION.