The Villarreal lab is awarded a Research chair in symbiosis

Posted on November 3, 2019November 3, 2019 by villarreal-lab

The Villarreal lab has been awarded a Canada Research Chair in genomics and metabolomics of the symbiosis between tropical plants and microbes. The chair will allow us to study the microbiome, genomic underpinnings and chemical richness of the symbiosis between tropical gymnosperms, nitrogen-fixing bacteria and fungi. The chair will establish the core Symbiotic Microbial Group (SMG) that will continue close collaboration with leaders in the field and provide the students with the opportuni...

Kathleen Pryer visits Laval University, Oct. 31

Posted on October 28, 2019October 28, 2019 by villarreal-lab

Kathleen Pryer is visiting Laval University and the Louis-Marie Herber this week. Kathleen has an impressive career working on the phylogeny and evolution of seed-free vascular plants, especially ferns. A short list with some of her prominent papers: Eily, A.N, K.M. Pryer, and F.-W. Li. 2019. A first glimpse at genes important to the Azolla–Nostoc symbiosis. Symbiosis 77. Yang, E.J., C.Y. Yoo, J, Liu, H. Wang, J. Cao, F.-W. Li, K.M. Pryer, et al. 2019. NCP activates chloro...

One thousand plant transcriptomes and the phylogenomics of green plants

Posted on October 26, 2019October 31, 2019 by villarreal-lab

The onekp project is an international transdisciplinary consortium made up of 200 top scientists from all over the world and led by Gane Wong (U. of Alberta), Jim Leebens-Mack (U. of Georgia), Mike Barker (U. of Arizona) among many others. The project has generated large-scale transcriptomes for over 1200 plants (from glaucocystophytes, red algae and green plants). The oneKP initiative has published landmark papers on plant evolution (Wicket et al., 2014, PNAS), horizontal gene transfer (Li, Vi...

Fieldwork in Panama – an update

Posted on October 21, 2019October 21, 2019 by villarreal-lab

The Panama grant on cycads is taking shape with most collections being done by our great team. Lilisbeth has organized all the field trips and collected leaves and roots of many Zamia species. Lilisbeth is also doing molecular lab work. Gustavo Salado has done most of the metagenomic and population genetic work on two Zamia species. Omayra Meléndez has done all the culture work and we have a nice collection of endophytes from Zamia nana and Zamia pseudoparasitica. In the summer, Sandri...

Camille presented at the Journée de la recherche en Sciences et Génie 8e édition

Posted on October 4, 2019 by villarreal-lab

Camille presented today at the Journée de la recherche en Sciences et Génie 8e édition her work on the diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria associated with the "snow lichen" Stereocaulon sp. Nice job Camille!

New lab photo!

Posted on September 29, 2019September 29, 2019 by villarreal-lab

Standing (left to right): Dennis, Adriel, JC, Aurélie, Philip, Sandrine Sitting (left to right): Marta, Camille, Anthony, Loïc Credit: Loren Leport

Congratulations to Dennis Escolástico!

Posted on September 12, 2019September 12, 2019 by villarreal-lab

Dennis has successfully passed his doctoral exam and presented his PhD project. In his project: "Moss evolution and ecology in the Canadian tundra: An integrative approach", Dennis will be addressing the phylogeography, clonality and microbiome evolution of a charismatic nordic moss. Tune in for further results from his research. Congratulations Dennis!

Interested in studying arctic moss and lichens, read this

Posted on September 5, 2019September 5, 2019 by villarreal-lab

If you happen to be interested in doing arctic research and working on bryophytes and/or lichens.. there are excellent opportunities here: https://sentinellenord.ulaval.ca/fr/formation

Marta in #Botany2019, Tucson, Arizona, US

Posted on August 1, 2019August 1, 2019 by villarreal-lab

Marta attended the annual Botanical Society Meeting (#Botany2019) in Tucson, Arizona. Marta presented her work on the lichen Cladonia stellaris, an emblematic member of the lichen woodland in Eastern North America (for a timely review done by a colleague at Laval, see here). Marta has used population genomics tools to assess diversity and population dynamics of the southernmost lichen woodland in Eastern Canada, here the abstract.

Fieldwork in the subarctic (Hudson’s Bay)

Posted on July 30, 2019August 1, 2019 by villarreal-lab

Dennis Escolástico, with Kim Damboise and Catherine Boudreault (lichen specialists), spent nearly 2 weeks doing fieldwork in the Hudson's Bay, especifically in Kuujjuarapik and Umiujaq. They were still blocks of ice in the sea! The aim of the field trip was to continue the project of the Québec lichen flora (spearheaded by Serge Payette and Catherine Boudreault). Dennis had the opportunity to collect the woolly mos Racomitrium lanuginosum for his doctoral project. He will be dissecting th...