THE DEMAND FOR NATURAL FOOD COLORANTS, SUCH AS ANTHOCYANINS, IS GROWING WORLDWIDE, WITH THE U.S. AS A MAJOR PRODUCER AND CONSUMER. HOWEVER, USING ANTHOCYANINS FROM NATURAL SOURCES CAN BE CHALLENGING BECAUSE THEY ARE LESS STABLE, COSTLY TO PRODUCE, AND SOMETIMES HARD TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED COLOR. RED CABBAGE IS A PROMISING SOURCE BECAUSE IT CAN PRODUCE MORE ANTHOCYANINS PER ACRE, OFFERS A RANGE OF COLORS, AND IS MORE STABLE. YET, ITS USE IS LIMITED BY A BITTER TASTE AND ODOR CAUSED BY CERTAIN NATURAL COMPOUNDS CALLED GLUCOSINOLATES. CURRENT METHODS TO INCREASE ANTHOCYANINS AND REDUCE GLUCOSINOLATES ARE NOT VERY EFFECTIVE.THIS PROJECT AIMS TO IDENTIFY THE GENETIC FACTORS THAT CONTROL THE LEVELS OF ANTHOCYANINS AND GLUCOSINOLATES IN CABBAGE. UNDERSTANDING THESE GENETIC INFLUENCES WILL ENABLE THE DEVELOPMENT OF CABBAGE VARIETIES THAT PRODUCE MORE ANTHOCYANINS FOR NATURAL FOOD COLOR WHILE REDUCING GLUCOSINOLATES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO BITTERNESS AND UNDESIRABLE TASTE.TO ACHIEVE THIS, THE PROJECT WILL: 1) STUDY DIFFERENCES AMONG CABBAGE VARIETIES FOR ANTHOCYANIN AND GLUCOSINOLATE LEVELS AND EXPLORE HOW THESE TRAITS ARE RELATED; 2) EXAMINE GENETIC PATTERNS AND STRUCTURE AMONG CABBAGE ACCESSIONS TO IDENTIFY MOLECULAR MARKERS THAT GUIDE BREEDING; AND 3) PERFORM GENETIC MAPPING TO FIND GENES LINKED TO HIGH-ANTHOCYANIN AND LOW-GLUCOSINOLATE TRAITS.THE OUTCOMES WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF IMPROVED RED CABBAGE VARIETIES, PRODUCING NATURAL COLORANTS WITH BETTER STABILITY AND TASTE, HELPING MEET THE GROWING DEMAND FOR SAFE, NATURAL FOOD COLOR INGREDIENTS.