Kristin Bilyeu is a Research Molecular Biologist with the USDA/ARS Plant Genetics Research Unit and an adjunct Professor in the Division of Plant Sciences at the University of Missouri. Her research focus has been to increase the value of soybean by utilizing variant alleles of genes to improve seed composition, and ultimately plant performance. Her expertise is in the translation of basic research to applied challenges utilizing biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, and genomics to increase the efficiency of plant breeding and development of improved soybean varieties. Dr. Bilyeu has an active field and laboratory research program that utilizes natural and induced genetic variation to determine the optimum allele combinations to improve soybean traits that provide value to crop production and nutritional enhancements to our food supply in the US and developing countries.