AGROFORESTRY AND PLANT BIOCHEMISTRY, PROTEOMICS AND SYSTEMS BIOLOGY. AGR-164

The Research Group “Agroforestry and Plant Biochemistry, Proteomics and Systems Biology“ (PAI AGR-164) is integrated into the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the University of Córdoba, located at the Severo Ochoa building on the Rabanales Campus.

It was created in the beginning of the 70s under the name of “Plant and Agricultural Biochemistry“ by Prof. Manuel Tena Aldave, its Director until 2010. Since then it has been directed by Prof. Jesús V. Jorrín Novo.

Until 2000, it was linked to the “Higher Technical School of Agricultural Engineers and Forestry (ETSIAM)“; then the move to the newly built “Campus de Rabanales”“ meant integration with other Faculties, especially Faculty of Sciences.

The group joined the Andalusian Research Program (PAI) in 1988, being considered a Consolidated Group by theAndalusian Research Council in 1997.

The current name reflects the evolution of the group, from Classical Biochemistry to Systems Biology through Proteomics and other -omic approaches.

Belonging to the University, the group has a double objective: research and teaching, being the Research at the service of the Academy our slogan. The two basic purposes of the University come together precisely with the supervision of Undergraduate, Master’s and Doctorate Theses.

The professors of the group teach in different Degrees:

• Biochemistry
• Agricultural and Forest Engineering
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Masters and PhDs in the Agroforestal and Biotechnology area

Since its creation, the group’s research has focused mainly on plant species, including model systems (Arabidopsis), crops (legumes, sunflower), weeds and forest species (holm oak and other Quercus and Pinus species). Special emphasis has been placed on orphan species of environmental and food interest in our region (e.g. oak). Basic and applied studies of different aspects of biology have been approached, among the most important:

• Responses to combined biotic and abiotic stresses of particular incidence in a climate change scenario (pathogens, drought, high temperatures)
• Development (germination of seeds and early growth of seedlings, recalcitrant species)
• Biodiversity
• Bioactive compounds (secondary metabolites)
• Food traceability
• Allergens

The research has been conducted using mainly biochemical and molecular biology techniques, including classical in vitro techniques aimed at the extraction, purification and characterization of different biomolecules (nucleic acids, proteins, metabolites).

In recent years we have fine-tuned techniques for -omic analysis and molecular markers of DNA, focusing our research in the direction of Systems Biology.

The results are transferred to plant breeding programs and the productive sector in an attempt to contribute to the sustainable management of agricultural and forest ecosystems.

The group’s research is funded by different agencies and programs of the University of Córdoba, the Junta de Andalucía, Spanish Government and the EU, as well as by public and private organizationsthrough research contracts.

The group is an international reference pioneer group in the field of plant proteomics.Our group has an international projection having established active collaborations with groups from several countries. Among them, we must highlight those carried out with Latin American. The group frequently receives Master’s, Ph.D. students and young postdocs from the aforementioned Central and South American countries.