Nestor Kippes

Position: 

Postdoctoral Researcher

Education: 

 
  • PhD in Agronomic Sciences, School of Agriculture, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina [2010-2015]
  • BS/MS. Biotechnology, National University of San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina [2010]

     

Bio: 

​I completed my undergraduate studies in the University of San Martin (Argentina) with emphasis in Biotechnology in 2010. The same year I joined the Dubcovsky lab at UC Davis to apply different genetic approaches to understand the regulation of the vernalization requirement in wheat. I received my PhD from the University of Buenos Aires in 2015 under the supervision of Jorge Dubcovsky. ​I am especially interested in the discovery and deployment of genes controlling relevant aspects of development and their utilization to produce improved ​crop varieties. ​

VERNALIZATION 4 gene identification

This project was focused on flowering regulation in wheat, principally understanding the gene networks controlling the vernalization requirement. VRN-D4 is one of the major vernalization genes in wheat and the first aim of this project was to develop a fine map in the VRN-D4 gene region to facilitate the positional cloning and study its interactions with other flowering and photoperiod genes. Ultimately, a better understanding of this regulatory pathway will improve the knowledge of wheat adaptation to different environments. More..

​In the news:
UC Davis Plant Sciences Department
Kansas State University
Yahoo News India
The Tribune India 
Milling Journal
​India Times
Gordon and Betty Moore Fundation

Publications: 

  1. Effect of PHYB and PHYC loss-of-function mutations on the wheat transcriptome under short and long day photoperiods. Kippes N et al. BMC Plant Biol 2020

  2. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in a regulatory site of VRN-A1 first intron are associated with differences in vernalization requirement lenght of winter wheat. Kippes N et al. Mol Genet Genomics 2018

  3. RNA-seq studies using wheat PHYB and PHYC mutants reveal shared and specific functions in the regulation of flowering and shade-avoidance pathways. Pearce S et al. BMC Plant Biol 2016

  4. Development and characterization of a spring hexaploid wheat line with no functional VRN2 genes. Kippes N et al. Theor Appl Genet 2016

  5. Genetic and physical mapping of the earliness per se locus Eps-Am1 in Triticum monococcum identifies EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3) as a candidate gene. Alvarez MA et al. Funct Integr Genomics 2016

  6. Identification of the VERNALIZATION 4 gene reveals the origin of spring growth habit in ancient wheats from South Asia. Kippes N at al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2015

  7. Fine mapping and epistatic interactions of the vernalization gene VRN-D4 in hexaploid wheat. Kippes N et al. Mol Genet Genomics 2014