Current Funding: Z.-M. Cheng Characterization of transgenic aspen for wood production/quality DOE/CPBR. $31,048. Project period: 2003-2004. (P.I) Z.-M. Cheng. S. Rogers and P. Ayers. Exotic plant survey in the Obed wild and scenic river park. National Park Service. $10,000. Project period: 1/2004 - 9/2004 (P.I) Z.-M. Cheng. Genome-enabled discovery of carbon sequestration genes in poplar - genetic transformation of Nisqually-1. Department of Energy-Oak Ridge National Laboratory. $153,000. Project period: 5/2003-12/2006. (P.I) Z.-M. Cheng, Beth Mullin, and Neal Stewart. Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contamination by Metallohistins, a New Class of Plant Metal-Biding Proteins. The Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research / US EPA. $212,000. Project period: 11/2004-9/2007 (P.I) Gerald Tuskan, Zong-Ming Cheng, Ernie Retzel, Dan Rokhsar. VCA: The Populus Genome Curation. National Science Foundation. $1,385,382 project period: 8/1/2004-7/31/2006 (co-P.I) Z.-M. Cheng, F. Chen, and X. Yang. Down-regulating the DHS Gene and Translation Initiation Factor eIF-5A to Increase Poplar Biomass. The Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research /Department of Energy $70000. project period: 10/1/2006-9/30/2008 (P.I)