1.Name: Dulce Maria Metelo Fernandes dos Santos 2. Degrees 2000 Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (Vrije Universiteit voor Brussel, Belgium) 1992 License degree in Applied Plant Biology (FCUL, Portugal) 3. Positions Jan. 1994 – Oct 1998 PhD Fellowship Reseacher, Vrije Universiteit voor Brussel (VUB) Jun 1999 – Feb 2000 Post‐doc Fellowship Researcher, IBET Jul 2000 – Jun 2003 Post‐doc Fellowship Researcher, ITQB Jan 2004 ‐ Dec 2005 Post doc Fellowship Researcher, IBMC Feb 2006 ‐ Feb 2009 Post‐doc Fellowship Researcher, ITQB March 2009 ‐ till present Assistant Researcher, IICT 4. Scientific area of research ‐ Molecular Biology ‐ studies of gene expression ‐ transcriptional and post‐transcriptional gene silencing in transgenic organisms; plant genetic engineering; functional analysis of promoters, analysis of signal transduction pathways and transcription factors ; post‐transcriptional regulation of gene expression by small RNAs ‐ Micro (mi)RNA regulation of gene expression in plants: the biological role of miRNAs in plant responses to environmental stresses as well as in development and genome maintenance ‐ Studies on gene expression regulation during stage conversion of the parasite Besnoitia besnoiti and during the process of infection of its host (bovine) ‐ regulation of gene expression by small RNAs 5. Supervision experience August 2008 till the present ‐ Scientific supervision of master student Cláudio Capitão (Laboratory of Plant Cell Biotechnology, ITQB) Jan 2008 – Co‐supervision (Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Manuel Pedro Fevereiro, Laboratory of Plant Cell Biotechnology, ITQB) of Inês Garcia de Oliveira Trindade SFRH/BD/40738/2007 "Short RNAs as modulators of water stress responses in Medicago truncatula" Sep. 2006 – July 2007: Co‐ supervision (Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Manuel Pedro Fevereiro) of the graduated student Inês Trindade during her training period to obtain the Master degree by the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon. Work entitled: “Transient expression of the glycoprotein from the capsid of the rabies virus in Medicago truncatula” July 2000 ‐ Co‐supervison (Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Manuel Pedro Fevereiro) of Ph.D. students at the Laboratory of Plant Cell Biotechnology, ITQB • Ana Sofia Duque (SFRH/BD/1164/2000) ‐ July 2000 • André Martinho de Almeida (PRAXISXXI BD/21270/99). Ph.D. Dissertation thesis entitled: “Using the Tps1 gene from Arabidopsis thaliana to increase abiotic stress tolerance in plants” (Jan 2000 – July 2005) • Susana de Sousa Araújo (SFRH/BD/5225/2001). Ph.D. Dissertation thesis entitled: “Expression of the ELIP‐like protein DSP22 in Medicago truncatula: an approach to improve the response of a legume plant towards water deficit” (July 2001 – March 2007) Oct. 1999 ‐ Oct 2000: Scientific supervision of the undergraduate student Susana de Sousa Araújo during the training year to obtain the degree in Applied Plant Biology by FCUL. Work entitled: “Tentativa de introdução em Medicago truncatula de um gene associado à tolerância à secura". 6. Participation in Projects 2009: PTDC/AGR‐GPL/098179/2008, Did you ask for something small? The microRNAs power in a Eucalyptus tension world! (the microEGo project), IBET 2009: PTDC/AGR‐GPL/099866/2008,Integration of transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomics profiles to understand the role of T6P in the water deficit response and recovery in Medicago truncatula, ITQB/UNL 2008 till the present : Researcher in PTDC/AGR‐GPL/66564/2006, GenEglobwq ‐ Scanning for candidate genes underlying a pulp yield QTL in Eucalyptus globules, IBET 2007 ‐ till the present: Researcher in ERA‐PG/0001/2006 Genome‐wide analysis of short RNAs as modulators in dehydration stress tolerance using tolerant and genetic model systems, ITQB Jan 2004 ‐ Dec. 2005 ‐ Post‐doc fellowship researcher in the project SAPIENS nº 48290: “Regulation of the biosynthesis of alfa‐3’,4’‐anidrovinblastine in Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don) plants” in the group of Prof. Dra. Mariana Sottomayor, IBMC 7. Publications Thesis Ph.D. Dissertation Thesis ‐ Dulce Santos (2000): "Isolation of Arabidopsis thaliana regulatory mutants: the pitfalls of gene suppression" Ph.D. dissertation thesis, Vrije Universiteit Brussel Dissertation to obtain the degree in Applied Plant Biology ‐ Dulce Santos (1992): "Agrobacterium‐
mediated transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana: two approaches. Analysis of transformants", VUB and FCUL Book chapters 1. Iantcheva M, Atanassov A, Duque AS, Araújo S, Santos DMM, Fevereiro P (2006) “Cell suspension cultures of Medicago truncatula”. in Medicago truncatula Handbook Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation (http://www.noble.org/MedicagoHandbook/) 2. Araújo S, Duque AS, Santos DMM, Fevereiro P (2006) “Transformation and regeneration through embryogenesis using the Jemalong genotype M9‐10a.” in Section A2: Agrobacterium tumefaciens‐mediated transformation and in vitro plant regeneration of M. truncatula ‐ Medicago truncatula Handbook Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation (http://www.noble.org/MedicagoHandbook/) 3. Almeida AM, Cardoso LA, Santos DM, Torné JM, Fevereiro P (2005) The increase of water deficit tolerance in plants through genetic engineering of the trehalose metabolism, a review. Genetic Resources and Biotechnology III, edited by D. Thangadurai, Regency Publications, New Delhi (India) Peer reviewed articles 1. Trindade I, Capitão C, Dalmay T, Fevereiro P, Santos DM (2009) Differential expression of conserved miRNAs in Medicago truncatula response to water deficit. Accepted for publication in Planta 2. Szittya G, Moxon S, Santos DM, Jing R, Fevereiro P, Moulton V, Dalmay T (2008) High‐
throughput sequencing of Medicago truncatula short RNAs identifies eight new miRNA families BMC Genomics 9:593 (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471‐2164/9/593) 3. Almeida AM, Villalobos E, Araújo S, Alfaro‐Cardoso L, Santos DM, Santos A, Fevereiro P, Torné JM (2007) “Electroporation of maize embryogenic calli with the trehalose‐6‐phosphate synthase gene from Arabidopsis thaliana” Acta Physiol Plant 29: 273‐281 (http://www.springerlink.com/content/b536t652625k6000/) 4. Duque AS, Araújo S, Cordeiro MA, Santos DM, Fevereiro MP (2007) “Use of fused gfp and gus reporters for recovery of transformed somatic embryos of Medicago truncatula without selective pressure” published online 24th July 2007 (http://www.springerlink.com/content/ch90u07880067228/fulltext.pdf) 5. Almeida AM Cardoso LA, Santos DM, Torné JM Fevereiro P (2007) Trehalose and its applications in plant biotechnology. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology ‐ Plant 43: 167‐
177. 6. Almeida A, Santos M, Villalobos E, Araújo S, van Dijck P, Leyman B, Cardoso LA, Santos DM, Fevereiro P& Torné JM (2007) “Immunogold localization of trehalose‐6‐phosphate synthase in leaf segments of wild‐type and transgenic tobacco plants expressing the AtTPS1 gene from Arabidopsis thaliana”. Protoplasma 230: 41‐49, (http://www.springerlink.com/content/3jg87010580210p8/fulltext.pdf) 7. Almeida A, Silva AB, Araújo S, Cardoso LA, Santos DM, Torné JM, Silva JM, Paul MJ, Fevereiro P (2006) “Responses to water withdrawal of tobacco plants genetically engineered with the AtTPS1 gene: a special reference to photosynthetic parameters” Euphytica 154:113–126 (http://www.springerlink.com/content/n45wk85275017354/fulltext.pdf) 8. Duque AS, Pires S, Santos DM, Fevereiro P (2006) Efficient somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from long‐term cell suspension cultures of Medicago truncatula cv. Jemalong. In Vitro Cellular and Development Plant Biology: 42: 270‐273. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1079/IVP2006775) 9. Almeida AM Villalobos E, Araújo S, Alfaro‐Cardoso L, Fevereiro P, Leyman B, van Dijk P, Torné JM & Santos DM (2005) Transformation of tobacco with an Arabidopsis thaliana gene involved in trehalose biosynthesis increases tolerance to several abiotic stresses. Euphytica 146: 165‐176 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10681‐005‐7080‐0) 10. Duque AS, Araújo S, Santos DM & Fevereiro P (2004) Optimisation of a selection scheme using kanamycin to improve Medicago truncatula transformation. Plant Cell Tissue & Organ Culture 78(3): 277‐280 (http://www.springerlink.com/content/p356641337202pw8/fulltext.pdf) 11. Araújo S, Duque AS, Santos DM & Fevereiro P (2004) An efficient transformation method to regenerate a high number of transgenic plants using a new embryogenic line of Medicago truncatula cv Jemalong. Plant Cell Tissue & Organ Culture 78(2): 123‐131 (http://www.springerlink.com/content/g3441j204r463813/fulltext.pdf) 12. Almeida A, Araújo S, Cardoso LA, Fevereiro P, Torné JM & Santos DM (2003) Genetic engineering of maize towards desiccation tolerance: electroporation with the trehalose gene. Genetika 35(2): 111‐12 13. Santos DM, Duque S., Araújo S, Fevereiro P (2003) Reverse Transcription‐PCR Assay to Verify Gene Integrity within Plasmid Constructs for Plant Transformation. Plant Cell Tissue & Organ Culture 74: 293‐296 (http://www.springerlink.com/content/j37n6t3830j53612/fulltext.pdf) 14. Santos DM, Rijo J, Jacobs M, Dennis ES and Dolferus R (2003) Isolation of Arabidopsis ADH1 regulatory mutants using allyl alcohol selection. Russian Journal of Plant Physiology 50: 762‐773 (http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/maik/rupp/2003/00000050/00000006/00479061) 15. Santos DM, Fevereiro P (2002) Loss of DNA methylation affects somatic embryogenesis in Medicago truncatula. Plant Cell Tissue & Organ Culture 70:155‐161 (http://www.springerlink.com/content/j679322cxx0rgv87/fulltext.pdf) 16. Santos DM, Dolferus R, Dennis ES and Jacobs M (2001) Genetic manipulation: the pitfalls of gene silencing. Revista Melhoramento nº 37, 179‐189 (http://www.fao.org/agris/search/display.do?f=./2005/PT/PT0403.xml;PT2004000399) 8. Communications in Conferences Oral communications (invited) 1. Santos DM (2000) Genetic manipulation: the pitfalls of gene silencing. Oral communication at Symposium in Plant Biotechnology "From potentialities to reality", Évora, April 27‐28 2. Panel communications 1. Trindade I, Santos DM, Dalmay T, Fevereiro P (2009) Characterization of conserved microRNAs differentially expressed in response to drought stress in Medicago truncatula. Plant Abiotic Stress Tolerance Congress, 8th‐11th February, Vienna Austria 2. Araújo S, Duque AS, Marques da Silva J, Santos DM, Bernandes da Silva AR and Fevereiro P (2007) Medicago truncatula plants expressing the ELIP‐like DSP22 showed improved capacity to recover from a severe water deficit. 2007 World Stress Conference, Budapest, Hungria, 23‐26 August 3. Araújo S, Duque AS, Cordeiro MA, Santos DM, Fevereiro P (2007) “Methods for Selection and recovery of transgenic somatic embryos and plants using the M910a genotype of Medicago truncatula cv Jemalong” ‐ Annual Congress International Conference "Plant Transformation Technologies February 4‐7, 2007, Vienna ‐ Austria (http://www.univie.ac.at/planttranstech/frameset.html) 4. Almeida AM, Villalobos E, Araújo S, Alfaro‐Cardoso L, Santos DM, Torné JM and Fevereiro P. (2006) Expression of trehalose‐6‐phosphate synthase gene from Arabidopsis thaliana in transgenic tobacco: a strategy to increase temperature stress tolerance. The 4th Recombinant Protein Production Meeting: a comparative view on host physiology, Barcelona, Spain. 21–23 September. 5. Almeida AM, Araújo S, Villalobos E, Alfaro‐Cardoso L, Fevereiro P, Torné JM, Santos DM (2005) "A trehalose biosynthesis gene of plant origin used to increase drought tolerance in plants: genetic engineering of the model plant Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) and crop plant Zea mays (maize)". Poster In: InterDrought‐II ‐ 2nd International Conference on Integrated Approaches to Sustain and Improve Plant Production Under Drought Stress, Rome, Italy, Sept 24‐28 6. Araújo S, Almeida AM, Fevereiro P, Santos DM (2005) "Expression of an ELIP‐like Dsp22 gene from Craterostigma plantagineum in Nicotiana tabacum". Poster In: InterDrought‐II ‐ 2nd International Conference on Integrated Approaches to Sustain and Improve Plant Production Under Drought Stress, Rome, Italy, Sept 24‐28 7. Duque AS, Araújo SS, Marques da Silva A, Bernardes da Silva A, Santos DM, Fevereiro P (2005) "Transformation of the model legume Medicago truncatula with Adc gene from Avena sativa to improve drought tolerance". Poster In: InterDrought‐II ‐ 2nd International Conference on Integrated Approaches to Sustain and Improve Plant Production Under Drought Stress, Rome, Italy, Sept 24‐28 8. Duque AS, Araújo SS, Marques da Silva A, Bernardes da Silva A, Santos DM, Fevereiro P (2005) "Transgenic manipulation of polyamine biosynthetic pathway: an approach to increase drought tolerance in Medicago truncatula".Poster In Book of abstracts of the Model Legume Congress 2005, Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, CA, USA, June 5‐9 9. Almeida AM, Araújo SS, Alfaro Cardoso L, Fevereiro P, Torné JM, Santos DM (2004) Transformation of tobacco with an Arabidopsis thaliana gene involved in trehalose biosynthesis as a model to increase drought resistance in crop plants. Poster Proceedings of the 17th EUCARPIA General Congress, Tulln, Austria, Sept 8‐11 10. Almeida AM, Araújo SS, Alfaro Cardoso L, Fevereiro P, Santos DM (2004) Attempts to establish an embryogenic callus culture in two Portuguese maize (Zea mays) landraces using leaves and mature embryos. Poster Proceedings of the 17th EUCARPIA General Congress, Tulln, Austria, 8‐
11 Sept 8‐11. 11. Duque ASRL, Araújo SS, Santos DM & Fevereiro P (2003) Transgenic approaches to increase drought‐stress tolerance in Medicago truncatula. Poster In: Book of abstracts of the BIOTEC’ 2003 ‐ X Congresso Nacional de Biotecnologia, IPIMAR, Algés, Portugal, Dec 6‐8 12. Araújo S, Santos DM, Fevereiro P (2001) Genomic approaches to improve Medicago truncatula resistance to stress. Poster 4th Workshop on Medicago truncatula, Madison, Wiscosin, EUA., July 7‐10 13. Duque S, Santos DM, Fevereiro P (2001) Transformation with oat Adc to manipulate polyamines levels in Medicago truncatula. Poster 4th Workshop on Medicago truncatula, Madison, Wiscosin, E.U.A., July 7‐10 14. Duque S, Santos DM, Fevereiro P (2000) "Studies on the role of polyamines in somatic embryogenesis of Medicago truncatula". Poster Symposium in Plant Biotechnology "Present and Past Achievements", Oporto, Portugal, September 14‐15. 15. Santos DM and Fevereiro P (2000) Somaclonal variation in Medicago truncatula, Poster Symposium in Plant Biotechnology "Present and Past Achievements", Oporto, Sept14‐15 16. Santos DM, Jacobs M (1997) Study of the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH1) gene expression in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Poster Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry, 105, Abstract B12, Brussels. Oral communications 1. Almeida AM, Santos DM, Araújo S, Fevereiro P, Santos M, Villalobos E and Torné J (2007) Immunolocalisation of trehalose‐6‐phosphate synthase in leaf segments of genetically engineered tobacco plants expressing the AtTPS1 gene. Oral communication by Almeida in Annual Main Meeting of Society of Experimental Biology, Glasgow, Scotland, 31March‐4April 2. Almeida AM, Villalobos E, Araújo SS, Alfaro‐Cardoso L, Fevereiro P, Torné JM, Santos DM (2005) "Transgenic tobacco plants expressing a trehalose synthesis gene of plant origin show tolerance to osmotic stress". Oral communication by Almeida In: Society for Experimental Biology ‐ Annual Main Meeting, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain, July 11‐15. Abstract published in the Special Issue of Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A 141 (2005) S337‐ S348. 3. Araújo SS, Duque AS, Bernardes da Silva, Marques da Silva J, Santos DM & Fevereiro P (2005). Improving tolerance to water deficit in the model legume plant Medicago truncatula cv Jemalong: expression of the stress‐related Dsp22 gene from Craterostigma plantagineum. Oral communication by Araújo in: Model Legume Congress, Asilomar Conference Grounds Pacific Grove, California, USA, June 5‐9. 4. Duque AS, Pires AS, Santos DM, Fevereiro MP (2004) Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from suspension cultures of Medicago truncatula cv. Jemalong. Oral communication by Duque, COST Action 843, Working Group 1, Heracklion, Greece, Nov 18‐21 5. Almeida AM, Araújo SS, Villalobos E, Alfaro‐Cardoso L., Fevereiro P, Torné JM, Santos DM (2004) "Increasing abiotic stress tolerance in plants through genetic engineering with a trehalose biosynthesis gene: experiments with tobacco and maize". Oral communication by Almeida In: II Jornadas de Fisiologia Vegetal: Noves Percepcions i Estratègies en la Fisiologia Vegetal. Societat Catalana de Biologia, Barcelona, Spain, Nov 12. 6. Almeida AM, Araújo S, Cardoso LA, Fevereiro P, Torné JM & Santos DM (2003) Genetic manipulation of maize with a trehalose phosphate synthase gene: an approach to increase drought tolerance. Oral communication by Almeida In: Book of abstracts of the BIOTEC’ 2003 ‐ X Congresso Nacional de Biotecnologia, IPIMAR, Algés, Portugal, Dec 6‐8 7. Almeida AM, Araújo S, Cardoso LA, Fevereiro P, Torné JM & Santos DM (2003) Genetic Engineering of maize towards desiccation tolerance: electroporation with the trehalose gene. Oral communication by Almeida In: Book of abstracts of the XIX International Conference on Maize and Sorghum – EUCARPIA ‐ Genomics and Breeding, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain, June 4‐7 8. Almeida AM, Araújo S, Cardoso LA, Fevereiro P, Torné JM & Santos DM (2003) Increasing desiccation tolerance through genetic manipulation of maize with the trehalose synthase gene. Oral communication by Almeida In: Book of abstracts of the Workshop of Plant Stress Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, June 18‐21.pp 9. Araújo S, Santos DM & Fevereiro P (2003) Expression of an early light‐induced gene in plants: a way to enhance their drought tolerance. Oral communication by Araújo In: Book of abstracts of the Workshop of Plant Stress Biology, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, June 18 – 21 10. Duque S, Santos DM, Fevereiro P (2001) Transformation with oat Adc to manipulate polyamines levels in Medicago truncatula. Oral communication by D. Santos at COST Action 843, Working Group 1, Rome, Italy, October 18‐21