Teaching
- PBio Journal Club (CBMG 699Y)
Graduate Program Affiliations
- BISI-Biological Sciences Graduate Program
Research Interests
Research in our group is focused on the development of integrated models of apical cell growth and morphogenesis, using the pollen tube as a biological model, ion dynamics as an experimental paradigm and theoretical modeling as an integrative tool. Pollen is the male gametophyte of plants, and therefore all the biological mechanisms we unravel can be integrated in terms of function and evolution and add to our understanding of Plant Reproduction. We use Arabidopsis, lily, tobacco and tomato as model species for higher plants, and the moss Physcomitrella as an evolutionary correlate of apical growth evolution.
On the path to develop models by which ion dynamics coreographies integrate spatial and temporal cues to coordinate cell biology, we have characterized novel ion channels and sensors involved in pollen tube growth and morphogenesis, and their up- and down-stream regulation. This was accomplished by a combination of imaging, electrophysiology, genetics and molecular biology. Furthermore, we unravelled some of the genetic and cellular mechanisms behind pollen tube guidance and fertilization in plants. Our group has provided novel insight into the transcriptional status of plant male gametes and its consequences for plant reproduction and improvement, namely at the epignetics level. We are also active contributers to the advance of cutting edge methods in imaging, transcriptomics and vibrating probe electrophysiology. We have active collaboration with theoretical, animal developmental, evo-devo and other groups in the US and 8 other countries over 4 continents.
Education
- Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Plant molecular systematics and plastid evolution
Awards
- Fellow of the Linnean Society of London (2009-present)
- Senior Fulbright Fellow, 1996
- National Forestry Prize (Portugal), 1992
- Prize of Portuguese Society of Biotechnology, 1989
Editorial Activities
- Molecular Plant (Editorial Board)(Oxford Univ.Press) (2011-present)
- Sexual Plant Reproduction (Editorial Board) (Springer-Verlag) (2005-2012)
- Biology Image Library (Editorial Board-Plant Biology/Cell Biology) (2005-present)
- Frontiers in Plant Physiology (Review Editor) (2011-present)
- Frontiers in Plant Biophysics and Modeling (Review Editor)
Education
- Ph.D., Cell Biology, Univ. Lisboa, 1995
- Aggregation, Univ. Univ. Lisboa, 2001
