Faster plant breeding and improved mosquito surveillance are among the 11 projects collectively awarded $261,723 by the UF/IFAS Dean for Research Office to solve practical problems via artificial intelligence.
To foster research collaborations in AI for agricultural systems, natural resources and human systems, the office created a program called “Launching Innovative Faculty Teams in AI” or LIFT AI.
A panel including UF/IFAS faculty and members of the UF/IFAS AI advisory board selected the winning projects from nearly two dozen proposals submitted by teams of scientists.
NVIDIA, which provided UF faculty with HiPerGator — the largest university owned computer in the world — will mentor the LIFT AI faculty teams on how to use HiPerGator to analyze data.
“UF/IFAS is committed to unlocking the transformational potential of artificial intelligence to address grand challenges faced by Florida and the world,” said Robert Gilbert, dean for UF/IFAS Research and director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station. “The AI research projects represented by these awards are innovative examples of the AI research frontier and the breadth of UF/IFAS research programs. There are opportunities for us across departments to advance our mission and help stakeholders.”
LIFT AI research will help in many areas, including plant-breeding and improving food flavor.
Genetics hold the key to plant breeding. Faculty in many disciplines – including microbiology and cell science, horticultural sciences and agricultural and biological engineering – will work to breed crops that can survive climate-related issues such as heat and rain as well as pests and diseases.
Scientists also will establish models to solve many other practical problems, such as mosquito control, said Damian Adams, UF/IFAS associate dean for research.
Projects selected for funding come from 10 UF/IFAS academic departments as well as five research and education centers across Florida:
- Title: Advancing Precision Mosquito Control Applications Through Deep Learning and Stakeholder Knowledge
PI: Lindsay Campbell (Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory – Vero Beach / Entomology and Nematology)
Co-PI: Robert Guralnick (Florida Museum of Natural History)
Research Funding: $15,000
- Title: Understanding the Role of Host Genetics and Gut Microbiome in Autoimmune Diseases Using Artificial Intelligence
PI: Raquel Dias (Microbiology and Cell Science)
Co-PI: Luiz Roesch (Microbiology and Cell Science)
Research Funding: $26,133
- Title: I.-Powered Prediction of Gain-of-Function Mutations for Enhanced Protein Function
PI: Raquel Dias (Microbiology and Cell Science)
Co-PIs: Matias Kirst (Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences)
Marcio Resende (Horticultural Sciences)
Research Funding: $26,976
- Title: DeepFlavor: using Artificial Intelligence to predict and understand flavor preferences
PI: Felipe Ferrao (Horticultural Sciences)
Co-PIs: Raquel Dias (Microbiology and Cell Science)
Patricio Munoz (Horticultural Sciences)
Marcio Resende (Horticultural Sciences)
Charles Sims (Food Science and Human Nutrition)
Denise Tieman (Horticultural Sciences)
Research Funding: $14,900
- Title: AI-based animal behavior analysis using computer vision and environmental sensors
PI: Daniel Hofstetter (Agricultural and Biological Engineering – ABE)
Co-PIs: John Boney (Animal Sciences – Penn State University)
Henry Medeiros (ABE)
Research Funding: $20,000
- Title: Dissecting genetic controls of plant root and shoot architecture using AI methods
PI: Jeongim Kim (Horticultural Sciences)
Co-PIs: Thomas Colquhoun (Environmental Horticulture)
Haipeng Yu (Animal Sciences)
Research Funding: $24,025
- Title: Real-time automated strawberry yield prediction system using color imaging and artificial intelligence (AI)
PI: Wonsuk Lee (ABE)
Co-PIs: Shinsuke Agehara (Gulf Coast Research and Education Center – Balm / Horticultural Sciences)
Yiannis Ampatzidis (Southwest Florida REC – Immokalee / ABE)
Natalia Peres (Gulf Coast REC – Balm / Plant Pathology)
Research Funding: $24,718
- Title: AI-driven Phenomics to Advance Plant Breeding in Florida
PI: Changying Li (ABE)
Co-PIs: Heqiang Huo (Mid Florida REC – Apopka / Horticultural Sciences)
Sam Hutton (Gulf Coast REC – Balm / Horticultural Sciences)
Henry Medeiros (ABE)
Patricio Munoz (Horticultural Sciences)
Barry Tillman (North Florida REC – Quincy / Agronomy)
Xu “Kevin” Wang (Gulf Coast REC – Balm / ABE)
Research Funding: $34,984
- Title: Fusing symbolic and sub-symbolic AI to lift the ceiling of predictability in breeding systems
PI: Carlos Messina (Horticultural Sciences)
Co-PIs: Diego Jarquin (Agronomy)
Henry Medeiros (ABE)
Research Funding: $20,000
- Title: Visualization of Flavor for Breeding Premium Quality and Consumer Liked Fruits
PI: Yu Wang (Citrus REC – Lake Alfred / Food Science & Human Nutrition)
Co-PIs: Fred Gmitter (Citrus REC – Lake Alfred / Horticultural Sciences)
Xu “Kevin” Wang (Gulf Coast REC – Balm / ABE)
Vance Whitaker (Gulf Coast REC – Balm / Horticultural Sciences)
Research Funding: $30,000
- Title: Integrating High-Throughput Phenotyping into Genomic Evaluation to Advance Northern Quahogs Mercenaria mercenaria Breeding
PI: Huiping Yang (Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatic Sciences)
Co-PIs: Xu “Kevin” Wang (Gulf Coast REC – Balm / ABE)
Haipeng Yu (Animal Sciences)
Research Funding: $24,987
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ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
About AI at UF
The University of Florida is making artificial intelligence the centerpiece of a major, long-term initiative that combines world-class research infrastructure, cutting-edge research and a transformational approach to curriculum. UF is home to the most powerful, university-owned supercomputer in the nation, according to 2021 rankings released by TOP500, contributing to innovative research and education opportunities.
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