**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** WHEAT IS A MAJOR FOOD CROP IN THE US. WHEAT PRODUCTION HAS BEEN CONTINUALLY THREATENED BY VARIOUS BIOLOGICAL ANDENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES. THERE IS A CONSTANT NEED TO DISCOVER AND DEPLOY NEW GENES INTO WHEAT TO OVERCOME THE EMERGINGTHREATS. HOWEVER, THE NARROW GENETIC VARIABILITY OF THE WHEAT GENOME HAS MADE THIS A CHALLENGING TASK. IT IS ESSENTIAL TODIVERSIFY THE WHEAT GENOME AND EXPAND THE GENE POOL FOR WHEAT BREEDING. HERE, WE PROPOSE TO ENRICH AND UNDERSTAND THEWHEAT B GENOME, THE ANCESTOR OF WHICH REMAINS OBSCURE, BY GENOMICS-ENABLED CHROMOSOME ENGINEERING. GENOME-WIDEENGINEERING WILL BE PERFORMED TO INTRODUCE NOVEL DISEASE RESISTANCE AND SALT/WATERLOGGING TOLERANCE GENES FROM WHEAT-RELATEDWILD GRASSES INTO WHEAT BY INDUCING GENE EXCHANGE BETWEEN WHEAT AND THE WILD GRASSES. IN ADDITION, WE WILL DEVELOP ANEFFECTIVE CHROMOSOME ENGINEERING-BASED PIPELINE OF GENE FLOW FROM WILD GRASSES INTO WHEAT BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE RECENTADVANCES IN GENOMICS. THIS WILL IMPROVE THE EFFICACY AND THROUGHPUT OF CHROMOSOME ENGINEERING IN WHEAT BREEDING.MEANWHILE, THIS RESEARCH WILL ENHANCE UNDERSTANDING OF THE WHEAT GENOME, WHICH IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OFWHEAT. THE OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE WILD GRASS-DERIVED WHEAT GERMPLASM THAT CAN BE UTILIZED IMMEDIATELY FOR THEDEVELOPMENT OF SUPERIOR WHEAT VARIETIES AND A UNIQUE CHROMOSOME ENGINEERING-BASED GENOMIC FRAMEWORK USEFUL IN WHEATGENOME STUDIES. OVERALL, THIS RESEARCH WILL STRENGTHEN THE DEFENSE OF US WHEATS AGAINST THE BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTALSTRESSES AND SUSTAIN/IMPROVE WHEAT PRODUCTION UNDER THE EMERGING THREATS. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THE PROGRAM AREA PRIORITYPLANT BREEDING FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION.