Genetics and genomics of Neotropical trees

In this project our goal is to sequence the genome and transcriptome of Neotropical tree species, generate genomic resources, such as probes for SNP genotyping, perform population genomics analyses to understand the different roles of natural selection and genetic drift in population evolution, and test whether phenotypic plasticity explains the current geographical distribution of Neotropical trees. The development of genomic resources is also needed to better understand and conserve the diversity of the species, to empower forensic identification of the origin of timber, and to identify genes for important metabolic compounds. Our main focus is on timber and fruit tree species. We already develop resources for the Bignoniaceae timber species Handroanthus impetiginosus, H. serratifolius, H. ochraceus, T. aurea, T. roseoalba ad we are now developing resources for the fruit tree Hancornia speciosa (Apocynaceae).

RESEARCHES