PLANTS SYNTHESIZE COMPLEX MOLECULES FOR DEFENSE AND SIGNALING USING SPECIALIZED METABOLIC PATHWAYS. THESE PLANT NATURAL PRODUCTS ENHANCE PLANT FITNESS, AND, MOREOVER, MANY OF THESE MOLECULES HAVE BEEN USED WITH GREAT SUCCESS AS PHARMACEUTICALS TO TREAT A WIDE RANGE OF HUMAN DISEASES. FOR EXAMPLE, MADAGASCAR PERIWINKLE PRODUCES VINCA ALKALOIDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN USE IN THE CLINIC AS ANTI-CANCER AGENTS. DUE TO THEIR COMPLEX CHEMICAL STRUCTURES, THE VINCA ALKALOIDS ARE STILL EXTRACTED FROM LEAVES FOR COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS PRODUCTION PROCESS HAS LED TO SHORTAGES, SINCE THIS MOLECULE IS PRODUCED AS PART OF A COMPLEX MIXTURE, ITS BIOSYNTHESIS IS RESTRICTED TO SPECIFIC CELL-TYPES, AND IT IS PRODUCED IN SMALL AMOUNTS.GENETIC BREEDING HAS YIELDED CROPS WITH ENHANCED NATURAL PRODUCT PROFILES EXEMPLIFIED BY NUMEROUS CULINARY HERBS (BASIL, THYME), CANNABIS (CANNABINOID PROFILES), AND EUCALYPTUS (ESSENTIAL OIL PROFILES). WITH RESPECT TO PHARMACEUTICALS, ARTEMISIA ANNUA (SWEET WORMWOOD), BREEDING HAS LED TO IMPROVEMENTS IN THE YIELDS OF ARTEMISININ, AN ANTI-MALARIAL DRUG. IN THIS PROJECT, WE WILL USE GENETICS AND BIOTECHNOLOGY TO UNDERSTAND AND BEGIN TO IMPROVE VINCA ALKALOID PROFILES IN MADAGASCAR PERIWINKLE.