Humanity depends on primary production to survive. To guarantee the production and productivity of food and renewable materials we need crops varieties, commodities and forest trees adjusted to the ever changing edafo-climatic conditions.
Our laboratory uses and develops molecular tools to shorten the time needed to identify desired genotypes in selection or breeding programs and to alter a specific genotype to cope with a specific challenge: a disease or an environmental stress. To select a new trait, or to identify a modification, we must understand the characteristics of the varieties from which we depart. Also, we need to understand how different crops respond to specific environmental conditions. For that we characterize the physiological and molecular responses of the varieties under study. Also we need to know how the allelic variants of genes influencing a specific characteristic are spread in populations.
We utilize genomic – DNA arrays, qRT-PCR, Genotyping (SNPs and SSRs) and Southern and northern blots – and proteomic – 2D electrophoresis and Mass spectrometry – tools to identify genes and alleles involved in plant adaptation to specific conditions and to understand the regulations of their expression either at the transcriptional or at the post-transcriptional level. We employ in vitro culture and DNA recombinant technologies – cloning, sequencing and genetic transformation – to modify the expression of genes or to introduce new genes in specific crops.
We have a special interest in legumes and their adaptation to environmental conditions. We take advantage of Medicago truncatula as a model plant and we apply our knowledge to the study of traditional grain legumes. Attention is also being given to grapevine and olive, aiming the analysis of molecular diversity of cultivated and wild populations as well as the association of phenotypic and genotypic markers through linkage disequilibrium analysis.
Finally, mainly through the cooperation with CiB (Center for Biotechnology Information – www.cibpt.org) we develop science communication strategies to explain Biotechnology to the public.
Usamos e desenvolvemos ferramentas moleculares para reduzir o tempo na identificação de plantas em programas de melhoramento e desenvolvemos métodos para modificar plantas para resistir a stresses ambientais. Para seleccionar uma característica nova, ou identificar uma modificação, precisamos compreender as características originais das variedades. Precisamos também compreender como as diferentes culturas respondem às condições ambientais. Para tal caracterizamos as respostas fisiológicas e moleculares das variedades em estudo. Também queremos saber como é que as variantes alélicas dos genes que influenciam uma determinada característica se distribuem nas populações. Das técnicas que utilizamos ressaltam as ferramentas genómicas – “chips” de DNA, qRT-PCR, genotipagem (SNPs eSSRs) e Southern e northern “blots” para identificar genes e alelos envolvidos na adaptação a condições específicas e para compreender a regulação da sua expressão, ao nível da sua transcrição e ao nível pós-transcripcional.
