The Advanced Support for Innovative Research Excellence (ASPIRE) Program is one of the university's primary internal funding mechanisms to support research by USC faculty at all levels, across all campuses. 

Congratulations to Dr. Mingli Xu on her new ASPIRE grant  that will support sutides on the mechanisms of fruit diversity.

Fruit diversity is critical for global food security, nutritional health, and ecological sustainability. Variations in fruit size and shape influence consumer preferences, transportation, and storage efficiency, making these traits agriculturally significant. While traditional breeding practices have generated a wide range of fruit types, the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying this diversity are only beginning to be understood. To investigate these mechanisms, The Xu lab has developed a transgenic FRUITFUL::ZINC FINGER PROTEIN1 (FUL::ZP1) line, which exhibits shorter fruits compared to wild-type (Col) and produces four carpels instead of two, leading to altered fruit shape. Mingli's research seeks to uncover the genetic and molecular pathways regulating fruit size and carpel number. This research will enhance our understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying fruit diversity. Findings from this research could inform future breeding strategies for developing fruits with optimized sizes and shapes tailored to consumer preferences, transportation needs, and storage requirements.