Attendance to the XXV Plant and Animal Genome Congress - San Diego, USA
Abstract
This travel bursary supported attendance at the XXV Plant and Animal Genome Congress (PAG) in San Diego, USA and visits with two researchers, Dr Seth DeBolt, University of Kentucky and Assoc Prof Dario Cantu, University of California Davis. Dr Rodriguez Lopez presented at PAG on grapevine epigenetics. Epienetics is the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself.
Dr Rodriguez Lopez presented on 1) the main drivers of epigenetic diversity across 22 Shiraz vineyards in five wine subregions of the Barossa Valley and 2) the role of DNA methylation in Botrytis virulence. The highlights from the conference relevant to Dr Rodriguez Lopez's research work in Australia were two workshops on the use of bioinformatics applications (GenGis and Self-organizing maps).
Summary
This travel bursary supported conference attendance and visits with two researchers, all related to the field of grapevine epigenetics. Epigenetics is the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself. Understanding how grapevines perceive and adapt to a changing environment through epigenetic changes may provide an insight to better manage fruit quality as the ‘plant’s perspective of its growing environment’ is captured.
Dr Rodriguez Lopez attended and presented work at the XXV Plant and Animal Genome Congress in San Diego, USA on 1) the main drivers of epigenetic diversity across 22 Shiraz vineyards in five wine subregions of the Barossa Valley and 2) the role of DNA methylation in Botrytis virulence. More information on these presentations is available in the report.
The highlights from the conference relevant to Dr Rodriguez Lopez's research work in Australia were two workshops on the use of bioinformatics applications (GenGis and Self-organizing maps). Both techniques have already been implemented by students in his group back in Australia .
Dr Rodriguez Lopez also visited 1) Dr Seth DeBolt, Agriculture researcher, University of Kentucky who is currently developing a research project that studies the implication of different agricultural systems (Organic vs Conventional) on vineyard microbiomes and their effects on consumer health, and 2) A/Prof Dario Cantu, University of California Davis, Department of Viticulture and Enology with whom Dr Rodriguez Lopez discussed the use of PacBio Sequencing for the analysis of whole vineyard microbiomes and disease diagnosis and treatment.