Daniel Tolhurst

Edinburgh Innovation Fellow

Research summary

I lead the biometrics for breeding group, which comprises an international network of biometricians, quantitative geneticists and breeders who develop data-driven tools and resources for improving the productivity and sustainability of breeding programmes amid climate change. Our research focuses on the complex interplay between genetics and the environment, with three key areas: 

(i) Experimental design and analysis of breeding data through novel linear mixed model approaches which integrate genomic and environmental data for improving predictive breeding.

(ii) Crossing and selection tools, through the unification of multi-environment and multi-trait index selection for improving breeding decisions within the population improvement and product development components of breeding programmes.

(iii) Up-skilling academia, industry and the public sector through workshops and the dissemination of open-source software and resources.

While we mainly focus on plant breeding, our tools and resources are currently being applied within terrestrial and aquatic animal systems.

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