I am Dr. Evangelia Avramidou, Principal Researcher at the Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems of ELGO-DIMITRA. I was invited by the Chinese Academy of Forest Sciences in Beijing and had the privilege of staying in China for two months. During my visit, I gave lectures on forest science, forest genetic resources, and forest epigenetics at 22 universities, research centres, and forestry organisations across China. I visited 17 cities, covering long distances in each direction, and was immensely impressed by their forest genetic resources, gastronomy culture, and hospitality.
If you’re interested in seeing my experiences, you can easily access the YouTube links below:
- Forest Genetic Resources https://youtu.be/RSRImJRs1ok?si=HxEkrv9MCMyDcimN
- Food – Gastronomy https://youtu.be/lnhtbAgTu2Q?si=YB6VyjKCk-0TS8Dx
- Culture https://youtu.be/ZaF5CoWcde8?si=v9t4pZLuoUw13SI2
- Beijing Sightseeing https://youtu.be/CmJ19uJAQsU?si=tTtb-L1HI7KMaMgB
- Foreign Expert Tour https://youtu.be/lu4dxydQ4Lc?si=CNSBJkQ8k-Qk5HRJ
During my stay in China, I collaborated with Chinese colleagues on an interesting article published in the Agriculture journal, titled: “Potential Role of WIP Family Genes in Drought Stress Response in Rubus idaeus.” You can read the article https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/11/2047.
The highlights of our research are summarised below:
- Three WIP genes (RiWIP1, RiWIP2, RiWIP3) were identified in Rubus idaeus.
- Conserved WIP domains and gene structure were confirmed through phylogenetic analysis.
- Promoter analysis revealed stress- and hormone-related regulatory elements.
- RiWIP2 was uniquely up-regulated in roots under drought stress, indicating its role in drought response.
- Our findings provided valuable targets for developing drought-resistant raspberry cultivars.
Additionally, a special issue was announced in collaboration with Professor Yongqi Zeng in Frontiers Journal, titled “Genetics and Epigenetics Analysis on Forest and Woody Plants in the Era of Climatic Change.” You are welcome to submit your interesting articles at https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/68559/genetics-and-epigenetics-analysis-on-forest-and-woody-plants-in-the-era-of-climatic-change
My collaboration with Chinese scientists has been incredibly fruitful, and we are continuing to work together on submitting mutual research proposals focused on the resilience of forest genetic resources in the context of climatic changes.
