**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** DEMAND FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF STRATEGIC CROPS THAT CAN SERVE AS A SOURCE OF CRITICAL MICRONUTRIENTS AND BIOACTIVE PHYTOCHEMICALS HAS GROWN IN PARALLEL WITH THE NEED TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS. SORGHUM REPRESENTS A STAPLE GRAIN WITH TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL FOR BOTH NUTRITIONAL ENHANCEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION. CAROTENOIDS REPRESENT A CLASS OF PHYTOCHEMICALS WITH DUAL FUNCTION AS BIOACTIVES/MICRONUTRIENT AND POTENTIAL AS A FOOD COLORANT/ANTIOXIDANT INGREDIENT. LEVERAGING SORGHUM AS A SOURCE OF BIOACTIVE CAROTENOIDS HAS BEEN LIMITED BY LOW CONCENTRATIONS IN BREEDING MATERIAL AND LITTLE RESEARCH ON APPROPRIATE BIOFORTIFICATION STRATEGIES. OUR RESEARCH GOAL IS TO IDENTIFY THE GENETIC FACTORS CONTROLLING SORGHUM GRAIN CAROTENOID SYNTHESIS, STORAGE, AND BIOAVAILABILITY IN ORDER TO INFORM BREEDING EFFORTS AIMED AT INCREASING CAROTENOID CONCENTRATION AND BIOAVAILABILITY.SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES TOWARDS THIS GOAL ARE TO:1. DETERMINE HOW SORGHUM GENES AND THE GROWING ENVIRONMENT INTERACTTOIMPACT CAROTENOID CONTENT AND ACCUMULATION,2. CHARACTERIZE THE GENETICSOF SORGHUM GRAIN CAROTENOID BIOACCESSIBILITY,3. IDENTIFY GENES THAT ARE EXPRESSED DIFFERENTLY IN VARIETIES WITH HIGH CAROTENOID CONCENTRATIONS AND HIGH BIOACCESSIBILITY VERSUS AND LOW CONCENTRATIONS ANDBIOACCESSIBILITYDURING GRAIN DEVELOPMENT.RESULTS FROM THIS RESEARCH WILL HAVE AN AGRONOMIC AND ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE U.S. SORGHUM INDUSTRY BY GENERATING KNOWLEDGE AND DEVELOPING TOOLS TO MORE QUICKLY AND COST-EFFECTIVELY BREED LINES WITH HIGH CAROTENOID CONCENTRATIONS AND BIOAVAILABILITY FOR HIGH-VALUE SPECIALTY CROPS.