Cassava starch variation offers new opportunities for renewable bioenergy systems. In collaboration with researchers from CIAT, CIRAD (France), the University of Montpellier, and Hanoi University of Science and Technology, this study investigated specialized cassava starch mutants—including amylose-free and small-granule starch types—for bioethanol production. 

Biofortified cassava varieties enriched in provitamin A are critical for addressing micronutrient deficiencies in tropical regions. In collaboration with scientists from IITA Nigeria, CIAT, Texas A&M, the University of Hawaii, Cornell University, and the IITA Zambia hub, this study evaluated the effectiveness of KASP and DArTseq marker systems for diversity analysis, quality control, and trait selection in biofortified cassava breeding populations.

Cassava breeding has traditionally relied on highly heterozygous parents, limiting the efficiency of trait introgression and genetic improvement. In this study, our team proposed a transformational breeding strategy based on inbred-parent hybrid systems, similar to the revolution that transformed maize breeding. By leveraging self-compatibility, doubled haploids, and genomics-enabled selection, this framework enables the purging of deleterious mutations and systematic exploitation of heterosis.