Sergio Gustavo Atienza Peñas

GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF CULTIVATED SPECIES

My line of research focuses on the study of the genetic basis of traits of interest for breeding. The main crops in which we work are durum wheat and tritordeum (including the wild species Hordeum chilense as a parental of tritordeum), although we maintain active collaborations in other crops such as beans and olives.

The development of this line is based on the use of existing genetic diversity and the application of a multidisciplinary approach with the application of classical breeding, genetic mapping and transcriptomic techniques for the study of genetic diversity and improvement.

The study of carotenoids in grains has an important role in this line because of their relationship with quality (in collaboration with Dr. Dámaso Hornero-Méndez of the Inst. de la Grasa -CSIC-). Likewise, active collaboration is maintained with the cereal genetic improvement group of IFAPA-Centro Alameda del Obispo.

E-mail: sgatienza@ias.csic.es
IAS Main Building – Office 14 first floor
Telephone: 957 49 92 60

Outstanding contributions

Avila, C.M.; Palomino, M.C.; Hornero-Méndez, D.; Atienza, S.G. 2019. Identification of candidate genes for lutein esterification in common wheat (Triticum aestivum) using physical mapping and genomics tools. Crop & Pasture Science, 70: 567- 574.TAG Theoretical and Applied Genetics 133: 283-295.
Rodríguez-Suárez, C.; Bagnaresi, P.; Cattivelli, L.; Pistón, F.; Castillo, A.; Martín, A.C.; Atienza, S.G.; Ramírez, C.; Martín, A. 2020. Transcriptomics, chromosome engineering and mapping identify a restorer-of-fertility region in the CMS wheat system msH1. TAG, Theoretical and applied genetics, Theoretische und angewandte Genetik, 133: 283 – 295.
Mattera, M.G.; Hornero-Méndez, D.; Atienza, S.G. 2020. Carotenoid content in tritordeum is not primarily associated with esterification during grain development. Food Chemistry, 310: 125847. Crop and Pasture Science 70: 567-574.