FROM THE EVALUATION of plant stresses to the development of new products, Ohio State University biotechnology researchers are looking for ways to improve soybeans, one of the world's most important food crops.

John Finer, a crop scientist with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, focuses on soybeans in his research. "We introduce useful genes into soybeans for development and evaluation of useful products."

One research project Finer and his colleagues have been conducting is the introduction of various stress genes to determine if soybean plants express the introduced genes and if they show some resistance to those stresses.

"We are specifically looking at the introduction and characterization of genes associated with drought stress, cold tolerance and fungal invasion," said Finer. "We've got plants out in the greenhouse with these genes, and we are evaluating them to see if the gene is expressed and at what level they exhibit stress resistance."

Other research projects include modifying soybean amino acid components to nutritionally enhance soybean grain, developing an automated image collection system for understanding gene regulation in soybeans and improving the value of soybeans as a food additive.

"We've got one project going in the lab to introduce a mussel adhesive protein into soybeans. There's a lot of interest in soy adhesives," said Finer. "We want to introduce that protein into soybeans to produce a water-soluble, high-strength glue."

Finer's work is funded by the Ohio Soybean Council and through the United Soybean Board check-off program.