Support to agriculture

Physiological studies to support water-saving in agriculture: genotypes with increased water use efficiency, and adequate water management (e.g.: deficit irrigation) while maintaining yield and increasing fruit/seed quality.

Plant products and biomass production

Tools for clonal propagation
Wood formation and other developmental and growth traits
Cork formation and quality
Bioactive compounds

Food and health

Food compositions, nutritional quality and safety (antinutritional factors, GMO safety, content in proteins and other compounds)

Bioactive compounds and potential beneficial effects of food metabolites

Genes and strategies responsible for stress resistance/tolerance to:

Biotic factors (eg.: pinewood nematode, fungal and bacterial diseases)
Abiotic factors such as water deficit, salinity and temperature stress

Genomics tools

Genome sequencing (cork oak, pine…)
Transcriptomics and proteomics for functional analyses
Identification and characterization of new gene regulators
Assessment of available biodiversity
Molecular markers (for marker-assisted selection, quantitative genetics, and correlation with agronomic traits)

Breeding for development of better varieties

Use of various strategies, including marker-assisted selection, for economical recovery of traditional varieties of high organoleptic quality

At present, major efforts are being invested in:

Forest species: maritime pine (Pinus pinaster), cork oak (Quercus suber), eucalypt (Eucalyptus globulus), poplar (Populus sp.)
Fruit species: grapevine (Vitis vinifera), almond (Prunus dulcis)
Cereals: rice (Oryza sativa), maize (Zea mays)
Legumes: lupin (Lupinus albus), barrel medic (Medicago truncatula)
Aromatic and medicinal species: (various species)
Biodiesel plant: purging nut (Jatropha curcas)

Blackberry (Rubus sp.), raspberry (Rubus idaeus), blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), strawberry tree fruit (Arbutus unedo)

 
For further information please visit the ITQB laboratory websites of the: