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Pre-breeding/biotech research at thefaculty of forest sciences

Ove NilssonDirectorUmeå Plant Science Centre

Umeå Plant Science Centre

Collaboration between SLU and UmU

Board, Director (Ove Nilsson) and Chairman (Catherine Bellini)appointed by both universities

Formed in 1999Co-localization in 2001

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Umeå Plant Science Centre

>200 researchers of 45 nationalities

One of the strongest research centers in Europe forexperimental plant research and plant biotechnology.

Umeå Plant Science CentreCa. 200 people of 45 nationalities – 40 PI’s

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Umeå Plant Science Centre

Developmental BiologyProf. Catherine BelliniProf. Rishikesh BhaleraoProf. Ulrika EgertsdotterUrs FischerProf. Karin LjungProf. Ewa MellerowiczProf. Thomas MoritzTotte NiittyläProf. Ove NilssonProf. Markus SchmidProf. Björn SundbergHannele Tuominen

Cell BiologyLaszlo BakoProf. Stefan BjörklundStephanie Robert

EcophysiologyBenedicte AlbrechtsenJudith FeltenCatherine CampbellUlrika GanetegProf. Annika NordinProf. Torgny NäsholmProf. Erling ÖgrenProf. Anita Sellstedt

GeneticsProf. Bengt Andersson Anders FriesRosario García-GilProf. Xiao-Rhu WangProf. Harry X Wu

Photosynthesis/metabolism/signallingMaria E ErikssonProf. Christiane FunkProf. Per GardeströmProf. Petter GustafssonJohannes HansonProf. Vaughan HurryProf. Stefan JanssonOlivier KeechProf. Leszek KleczkowskiProf. Wolfgang SchröderProf. Göran SamuelssonProf. Åsa StrandProf. Gunnar Wingsle

BioinformaticsTorgeir R HvidstenNathaniel Street

Adjunct Professors (20-30%)Bengt AnderssonUlrika EgertsdotterBjörn Sundberg

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Transgenic trees

Breeding

Basic Research

Wood fibermodifications

Plant health and growth

Clonal forestry

Proteomics

Transgene facility

FT-IR

General mass spectrometry

NIR

NMR

UPSCs Bioinformatic group

Databases: - Populus DB -EST sequences . UPSC Transcript profiles . UPSC Metabolic profiles - The new multilayered database for this programme

Technical Platforms

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UPSCs model systems

Populus Arabidopsis

Norway spruce

2000 2006 2013

Genome sequences

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The Swedish Spruce Genome Project 2010-2013

UPSC (UmU/SLU)KTHKI

SciLifeLab

How can we utilize the genome sequences?

Molecular GeneticsGenes are identified and their function is determined

Genetic modificationThe gene’s activity is changed and the modified gene is returned to the plant

Efficient breedingBetter selection, fasterbreeding cycles

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UPSCBerzelii Centre for Forest Biotechnology

UPSCBerzelii Center

”Applied” ProjectsFertilizers – seeding technologyClonal forestryAspen/Poplar/Eucalypt plantationsPine weevilTree breeding

WorkshopsKnowledge exchange

Transgenic treesand genes

Industrial graduate studentResearch school

UPSCBerzelii Centre for Forest Biotechnology

Task Force 1Prof. Torgny NäsholmProf. Vaughan Hurry

(17 research groups)

Tree Growthand Productivity

Task Force 2Prof. Ewa MellerowiczDr. Hannele Tuominen

(16 research groups)

Wood Formationand Wood Properties

Task Force 3Dr. Maria Eriksson

Prof. Rishi Bhalerao

(7 research groups)

Seasonal andEnvironmental Control

of Tree Growth andDevelopment

Centre Director: Ove NilssonVice directors: Stefan Jansson, Catherine Bellini

Scientific Secretary: Ulrika Ganeteg

BOARD

Chairman: Carl Kempe, Holmen ABLena Sammeli-Johansson, Sveaskog; Erik Normark, Holmen Skog;

Börje Pettersson, Bergvik Skog; Johan Lindman, Stora Enso; Carl Gustaf Löf, STT;Annika Nordin, SLU; Bengt Andersson Gull, Skogforsk; Marianne Sommarin, UmU

ScientificAdvisory

Board

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Mechanisms driving plant development and acclimationFrom the molecule to the ecosystem

Biological modelling

A snapshot of the S-fac group leaders and their research

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Karin LjungThomas MoritzMetabolomic control of shoot elongation and wood formation

Root development and shoot/root communication

Stephanie RobertDiscovery of novel plant growth regulators

HORMONE PHYSIOLOGY/METABOLOMICS

Vaughan Hurry

Plant adaption to sub-optimal environments

Ulrika GanetegMolecular physiology of plant nitrogen nutrition

Annika NordinEcophysiological forest management

Torgny NäsholmEcophysiology and molecular biology of plant organic N nutrition

ECOPHYSIOLOGY

Judith FeltenTree-fungus interactionsMychorizza

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Plant stress

What happens in the plant cell during the acclimation process?

23C

5C

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Tree pathogen and pest interactions

Pine weevil

Spruce root rot

Göran NordlanderJan Stenlid

Malin Elfstrand

(Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala)

(Ecology, Uppsala)

Urs Fischer

Totte Niittylä

Ewa Mellerowicz Björn Sundberg

Gunnar WingsleRegulatory proteins in the lignocellulosic pathway in wood studied by proteomics

Wood formationGenetic regulation of wood formation

Wood matrix polysaccharides:Biosynthesis and modification

Carbohydrate metabolism and cell wall biosynthesis

WOOD FORMATION

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How is wood formed?

Can we manipulate wood properties?

• Alteration of cellulose chrystallinity –effect on bioprocessing

• improving the separation of xylan from lignin and cellulose

• Lignin levels/polymerisation – effect on bioprocessing S3

S1

PM

S2

CML

Before lignification

rosette

After lignification

MF

xyloglucan

cellulosa

pectin

xylan

lignin

mannan

Ewa Mellerowicz

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Carbonallocation

Wood biology

Cambialactivity

Selected lines

Cutting, milling, and sieving

Hydrolysate Solid residue

Fermentation

Ethanol, butanol, other products

Pretreatment liquidSolid residue

Enzymatic hydrolysis

Pretreatment

Bioprocessingproperties

Tension woodformation

Cell wallbiosynthesis

Hormonal and Transcriptional

regulation

Cell death

FLOWERING/PHENOLOGY

Rishi BhaleraoTree dormancyRegulation of cell elongation

Ove NilssonControl of flowering time and meristem identity.Tree phenology

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Tree phenology and flowering

Rosario Garcia-GilForest tree genetics and breeding

Harry X WuQuantitative genetics and tree breeding

Anders FriesGenetic regulation of wood and fibre traits and influence on growth and stability in field

Ulrika Egertsdotter(adjunct prof.)

Somatic embryo-genesis (SE) in conifers

Bengt Andersson(adjunct prof.)

Integrating genomic research and operational tree breeding

GENETICS

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UPSC plant transformation and growth facilityThousands of transformations Large scale gene mining program

Since 2010: Transgenic field trials in southern Sweden– 50 genes controlling growth, wood quality and phenology

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-Poplar -Eucalyptus-Spruce

New trees for“fibre farming” and as bioenergy crops

-New improved plant material with dramatically increased growth rate and cellulose production.

-“Tailormade” trees:

- Changed lignin composition- Increased wood density- Improved fiber properties

VIB-UPSC-STT Collaboration on Comparative and Functional Genomics for Identification of Genes Controlling Growth

Forestry-Agriculture

Slides/Presentations

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33

106 samples from four trees

28,2

94 g

enes

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

PhloCam DevXylCamExp MatXyl

P

PhloemCambium

ExpansionLignification

New Automatic Tree Phenotyping Platform

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