This seminar features the PGC hosted Balik Scientist Dr. Nomar Waminal who will be presenting his talk on “Cytogenetics in Plant Breeding: Conservation and Evolution in the Post-Genomics Era”. Dr. Waminal is currently serving as a Research Professor under the Chromosome Research Institute at Sahmyook University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. He was a Samsung Global Scholar and received his Ph.D. in Crop Science and Biotechnology from Seoul National University.

Plant cytogenomics in the post-genomics era
The release of the first human reference genome in 2003 marked the beginning of the post-genomics era when genetics progressed beyond gene-centered analyses to a myriad of omics approaches. Genome sequencing technologies have advanced dramatically from Sanger, second/next-generation, to third-generation sequencing platforms. Also, genome assembly methods and tools have evolved contemporaneously, resulting in a dramatic drop in genome assembly cost. Consequently, more than 360 plant species’ genomes have been assembled ever since the first plant genome, Arabidopsis thaliana, was published in 2000.

“Oh, my Genes”: Lessons from Plant Genetics and Genomics for Trait Improvement
In recent years, genetics and genomics has played an important role in facilitating the genetic improvement of plants. Different tools have been developed to examine the structure, function, and properties of genes controlling complex traits. The genetic diversity of germplasm found in existing gene banks through different breeding populations such as core collections, nested association mapping panels, mutants, recombinant inbred lines, and multiparent advance generation intercross populations in germplasm banks served as sources of desirable alleles for plant breeding.

Cracking the genomes of marine & non-model organisms: novel approaches for correcting, assembling and scaffolding genomic data using de Bruijn graphs and Hi-C contact maps
For a very long time, most bioinformatic tools for handling genome data have been geared toward haploid (or diploid but nearly homozygous) organisms such as humans, bacteria and laboratory strains of model species. As a result, these tools often perform very badly on highly heterozygous diploid or polyploid organisms, which is the case of many non-model and/or marine species.

Genomics on the road: From Agriculture to Health and Beyond
The seminar will focus on genomics applications in Agriculture, Health, and Forestry. Topics include Agrigenomics, Entomopathogenomics, Shrimp Pathogenomics, Forest tree genomics, and more.

Lessons from the Eye and the Race to Finding a Cure for Alzheimer’s Disease
A talk by Dr. Nora B. Caberoy from Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada.

Development of a functional screen for bacterial gene clusters involved in the biosynthesis of fungicides
The Marine Science Institute with NIMBB and PGC is hosting a talk on August 3, Friday, by Dr. Albert Flavier a Balik Scientist from the University of Houston.

Establishment and Management of BRCs/Biobanks: A Case of KNRRC
From establishing to sustaining a biobank, Dr. Kyungsook Ahn, education and research head of Korea National Research Resource Center (KNRRC) will share their journey, learnings and conquests, in establishing KNRRC ten (10) years ago.

Medical Records in the Genomic Era
Dr. de Castro has a PhD in Biochemistry and Genetics (University of Texas Medical Branch), but also trained in the Neurosciences (California Institute of Technology, The Burnham Institute). His current work and interests lie in Cancer Immunology (3R Biosystems), and an advocacy for equitable access to health technologies (UnEMR). He is a Biomedical Informatics consultant of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a Balik Scientist under a joint research informatics project between UP Manila and UPLB. He has an B.S. MBB degree from UP Diliman.

CHEMICAL KINETIC SYSTEMS: where Digraphs, Matrices, Groups and Differential Equations Meet
The Institute of Mathematics is hosting a seminar on January 19, Friday, by Prof. Eduardo R. Mendoza, PhD, from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry Munich, Germany.