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

Recent Publications

Quinoa variety identification based on fatty acid composition and multivariate chemometrics approaches

Duarte B, Goessling JW, Fonseca VF, Jacobsen SE, Matos AR (2022) Quinoa variety identification based on fatty acid composition and multivariate chemometrics approaches. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 114, 104798. doi: 10.1016/j.jfca.2022.104798

Effect Biomarkers of the Widespread Antimicrobial Triclosan in a Marine Model Diatom

Duarte B, Feijão E, Cruz de Carvalho R, Matos AR, Cabrita MT, Novais SC, Moutinho A, Lemos MFL, Marques JC, Caçador I, Reis-Santos P, Fonseca VF (2022) Effect Biomarkers of the Widespread Antimicrobial Triclosan in a Marine Model Diatom. Antioxidants, 11(8), 1442. doi: 10.3390/antiox11081442

The influence of bioclimate on soil microbial communities of cork oak

Costa D, Tavares RM, Baptista P, Lino-Neto T (2022) The influence of bioclimate on soil microbial communities of cork oak. BMC Microbiology , 22, 163. doi: 10.1186/s12866-022-02574-2

High-throughput phenotyping of physiological traits for wheat resilience to high temperature and drought stress

Correia PMP, Westergaard JC, da Silva AB, Roitsch T, Carmo-Silva, E, da Silva JM (2022) High-throughput phenotyping of physiological traits for wheat resilience to high temperature and drought stress. Journal of Experimental Botany , erac160, . doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac160

Uncovering the role of DNA methyltransferases in grapevine – Plasmopara viticola interaction: from genome-wide characterization to global methylation patterns

Pereira G, Pereira H, Santos RB, Figueiredo A (2022) Uncovering the role of DNA methyltransferases in grapevine - Plasmopara viticola interaction: from genome-wide characterization to global methylation patterns. Gene, , . doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146693

SNP Detection in Pinus pinaster Transcriptome and Association with Resistance to Pinewood Nematode

Modesto I, Inácio V, Novikova P, Carrasquinho I, Van de Peer Y, Miguel CM (2022) SNP Detection in Pinus pinaster Transcriptome and Association with Resistance to Pinewood Nematode. Forests, 13(6), 946. doi: 10.3390/f13060946