GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE CAN BRING ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS SUCH AS DROUGHT WHICH CAUSESEVERE NEGATIVE IMPACTS ONCROP HEATH AND PRODUCTIVITY. THISREDUCEDCROP OUTPUTRESULTS IN ECONOMIC LOSS FOR PRODUCERSAND CHALLENGES THE FOOD SECURITY OFOUR GROWING POPULATION. THE ABILITY OF A CROP PLANT TO EFFICIENTLY UPTAKE WATER AND ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS FROM THE SOIL USING ITS ROOT SYSTEM OFTEN DICTATES ITS ABILITY TO WITHSTAND ABIOTIC STRESSORS AND AID IN MAXIMIZINGYIELD POTENTIAL. ROOT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT ARE REGULATED IN PARTBY THE PLANT GROWTH HORMONE AUXIN, ALTHOUGHT THERE ISLITTLE KNOWN ABOUT THE GENETIC BEHIND THIS PHENOMENA.WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THE AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR, ZMARF27 TO BE A POSSIBLE KEY REGULATOR OF ROOT STRUCTURE INMAIZE.THROUGH THE USE OF MOLECULAR-BASED TECHNOLOGIES I AIM TOCHARACTERIZE THIS GENE TO UNCOVER AUXIN'S ROLE IN ROOT DEVELOPMENT. I PROPOSE TO IDENTIFY BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS AND DOWNSTREAM (BOTH DIRECT AND INDIRECT) TARGETS OF THIS GENETIC REGULATOR AS WELL AS IDENTIFY INTERACTING PROTEINS CRUCIAL FOR ITS FUNCTIONALITY. THE USE OF SEQUENCING-BASED TECHNOLOGY WILL ALLOW ME TO NOT ONLY QUANTIFIABLY MEASURE FLUCTUATIONS IN KNOWN GENETIC PATHWAYS BUT ALSO IDENTIFY AND DISCOVER NEW ELEMENTS CONNECTING AUXIN SIGNALING AND ROOT FORMATION.THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ESTABLISH A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MAIZE ROOT AND AUXIN AND LAY THE GROUND WORK FOR FUTURE STUDIES. UNDERSTANDING THEIR CONNECTION AND HOW TO HARNESS THEIR CAPABILITIES WILLALLOW SCIENTISTS AND PLANT BREEDERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GENERATE MORE STRESS TOLERANT AND HIGHER YIELDING VARIETIES.