PFG – Plant Functional Genomics

The Plant Functional Genomics Group aims to pursue an integrated, systematic view on the physiological, cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for plant morphogenetic traits – Phenomics – aiming its understanding and the translation of fundamental science to applications (“lab-to-field” pipeline).

PFG is organized in four research teams, each headed by a PI. Two of these teams are based at FCUL, one at Univ Minho (UM) and one at UTAD. Each team explores inter-dependent scientific aims within the group’s overall research objectives, contributing towards the development of a coherent research program in the area of plant biology and biotechnology.

The research developed by the four teams can be clustered in four main topics to which all teams contribute: (1) Cell Signalling & Trafficking, (2) Molecular Cell Physiology, (3) Stress responses, (4) Green biotechnology.

Specific lines of interest are: (a) mechanisms of plant fertilization, (b) control of fruit ripening, (c) plant-pathogen and plant-ectomycorrizha interaction, (d) responses to organic and inorganic pollutants, (e) drought stress responses and (f) protein sorting and secretion.

PFG members are mainly associated with BioISI thematic line of Biotechnology but cooperative interactions for integrative research within the thematic lines of Biomedicine, Biophysics and Bioinformatics are part of the group’s aims and activities.

Research team

Group Leader: Rui Malhó rmmalho@fc.ul.pt

Ana Cristina Alves | Ana Margarida Fortes | Ana Rita Matos | Ana Rita Cavaco | Ana Teresa Alhinho | Anabela Silva | Andreia Figueiredo | Célia Miguel |  Daniela Costa | Diana Pimentel | Fernanda Leal Santos | Fernando Vaz Dias | Flávio Soares | Francisca dos Reis | Hamilton Chiango | Helena Gomes da Silva | Jorge Marques da Silva | José Brito | Maria João Gaspar | Maria Manuela Correia de Matos | Maria Manuela Costa | Maria Salomé Pais | Maria Teresa Neto | Maria Teresa da Costa Braga | Mónica Sebastiana | Paula Lopes | Pedro Correia | Rómulo Sobral | Rui Malhó | Rui Tavares | Rute Teixeira | Sara Laranjeira | Sónia Gomes | Susana Serrazina | Sweta Singh

Recent Publications

Untargeted Metabolomics Reveals Antidepressant Effects in a Marine Photosynthetic Organism: The Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum as a Case Study

Duarte B, Feijão E, Cruz de Carvalho R, Duarte I, Marques AP, Maia M, Hertzog J, Matos AR, Cabrita MT, Caçador I, Figueiredo A, Silva MS, Cordeiro C, Fonseca VF (2022) Untargeted Metabolomics Reveals Antidepressant Effects in a Marine Photosynthetic Organism: The Diatom Phaeodactylumtricornutum as a Case Study. Biology, 11(12), 1770. doi: 10.3390/biology11121770

Grapevine leaf MALDI-MS imaging reveals the localisation of a putatively identified sucrose metabolite associated to Plasmopara viticola development

Maia M, McCann A, Malherbe C, Far J, Cunha J, Eiras-Dias J, Cordeiro C, Eppe G, Quinton L, Figueiredo A, De Pauw E, Sousa Silva M (2022) Grapevine leaf MALDI-MS imaging reveals the localisation of a putatively identified sucrose metabolite associated to Plasmopara viticola development. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13, 1012636. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1012636

An in-planta comparative study of Plasmopara viticola proteome reveals different infection strategies towards susceptible and Rpv3-mediated resistance hosts

Figueiredo J, Santos RB, Guerra-Guimarães L, Leclercq CC, Renaut J, Malhó R, Figueiredo A (2022) An in-planta comparative study of Plasmopara viticola proteome reveals different infection strategies towards susceptible and Rpv3-mediated resistance hosts. Scientific Reports, 12, 20794. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-25164-8

In the trail of “Maçã de Alcobaça” protected geographical indication (PGI): Multielement chemometrics as a security and anti-fraud tool to depict clones, cultivars and geographical origins and nutritional value

Duarte B, Melo J, Mamede R, Carreiras J, Figueiredo A, Fonseca VF , Leão de Sousa M, Silva AB (2022) In the trail of “Maçã de Alcobaça” protected geographical indication (PGI): Multielement chemometrics as a security and anti-fraud tool to depict clones, cultivars and geographical origins and nutritional value. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, , . doi: 10.1016/j.jfca.2022.104976

Virulence-related metabolism is activated in Botrytis cinerea mostly in the interaction with tolerant green grapes that remain largely unaffected in contrast with susceptible green grapes

Soares F, Pimentel D, Erban A, Neves C, Reis P, Pereira M, Rego C, Gama-Carvalho M, Kopka J, Fortes AM (2022) Virulence-related metabolism is activated in Botrytis cinerea mostly in the interaction with tolerant green grapes that remain largely unaffected in contrast with susceptible green grapes. Horticulture Research, 9, uhac217. doi: 10.1093/hr/uhac217