Guest Editors
Ana Marta Pereira
Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Ciências
Ana Marta Pereira dedicates her work to studying the cellular and molecular processes involved in Sexual Plant Reproduction. She was awarded her PhD (2015, University of Porto) in Plant Reproduction, with the main goal of understanding the roles of Arabinogalactan Proteins (AGPs) during the reproductive process in Arabidopsis. To pursue the scientific topic of her interest, she moved to Milan (Italy) and carried out her first Post Doc (2017-2020). With a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship working to understand better the roles of AGPs and epigenetics regulating male-female crosstalk towards fertilization in Arabidopsis. Ana Marta currently works as an Invited Associated Professor at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal, lecturing on Plant Biology and Developmental Biology. She is still engaged in her research on plant reproduction and AGPs in Arabidopsis. She is now starting to lead a new research line aimed at crossing the interface of plant reproduction and abiotic stress tolerance, using Arabidopsis and tomato plants at her Lab.
Marta Mendes
Universita degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Bioscienze
Marta A. Mendes dedicates her research to a series of developmental processes like female germline identity acquisition, ovule development and fertilization in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana. She has been awarded a Doctoral degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Milan (2013) working on the molecular control of the fertilization process. Part of her scientific formation was developed abroad, at Oxford University. Marta currently works as a Senior tenure track at the University of Milan and is an assistant professor, lecturing on Plant Developmental Biology. At present, Marta has several ongoing projects in the lab dealing with the control of ovule development and female germline differentiation both at the transcriptional and epigenetic levels. Furthermore, she also studies the role of the phytohormones auxin and cytokinin during gametogenesis and fertilization.
Mara Cucinotta
Universitá degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Bioscienze
Mara Cucinotta has focused her research on the molecular basis of differentiation and development of reproductive structures in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana. She obtained a Doctoral degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Milan (2011-2015), where she worked on the role of the hormones auxin and cytokinins in ovule development. She completed her Masters at Utrecht University and her graduation at Langebio-CINVESTAV, Mexico. Mara currently works as a junior tenure track at the University of Milan, lecturing on Plant Developmental Biology. Her more recent research activities are focused on the molecular mechanism controlling the process of megasporogenesis and the switch between sexual and asexual reproduction in Apomictic species.
Sílvia Coimbra
Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Ciências
Sílvia Coimbra is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Science, University of Porto. She is the founder and the PI of SPREDLab - Sexual Plant Reproduction and Development Laboratory - which currently integrates the Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV), part of the Network of Chemistry and Technology (REQUIMTE), in Porto, Portugal. Her main research interests have always focused on Arabinogalactan Proteins and other cell wall associated molecules involved in the plant reproductive processes. Her research benefits from a multidisciplinary approach, from transcriptomics and bioimaging to molecular and cell biology. All the work she has been developing and established over more than a decade in her lab, sustains stable steps towards the future, with a strategy supported by a young, motivated and dynamic team.
Collection Overview
The reproductive process in flowering plants is rather complex, encompassing several different steps such as megasporogenesis, microsporogenesis, megagametogenesis, and microgametogenesis, the successful establishment of pollen – pistil interactions, the double fertilization process, and seed development. Most of these processes are rather difficult to analyze since most of the structures to be analyzed are deeply embedded in other tissues, such as sporophytic tissues, as is the case of the female gametophyte. Many protocols have been established and optimized over the years to allow a deep study of these processes. Some of the classical methods are, the analysis of knock-out or knock-down mutant lines, methods for sperm cells and gametophytic cells isolation (single-cell RNA-seq analysis), embryo isolation for transcriptomic and other omics analysis, pollen tube growth assays (in vitro, semi–in vivo and in vivo), many bioimaging techniques, etc. Research in plant reproduction plays a vital role in impeding the impact of global food shortages caused by climate change.
This Methods Collection main goal is to provide detailed state-of-the-art protocols and procedures currently in use to study plant reproduction. We believe that this sharing of knowledge will improve the outcome of research in plant reproduction and increase the array of currently available technologies in this field.
