In the Melandri Lab we investigate physiological and biochemical mechanisms able to confer heat and drought stress tolerance to crops and we try to identify their genetic control. In doing so, we target a widened pool of genetic diversity for major crops, such as sorghum, durum wheat, and cotton, in the attempt to bring in the effect of novel alleles. Our research approach employs a mix of physiological phenotyping, omics analyses, predictive modeling, and genetic mapping that we apply to field trials conducted in the Arizona low desert.