Emma Hovhannisyan

Genetic Variability and Disease Resistance Analysis of Grapevine from Armenia

Bio:

Emma Hovhannisyan recently graduated from American University of Armenia with a B.S. degree in Data Science, track of bioinformatics. After completing OMICSS-2022 summer school, she got involved in the research project about grapevine genome at Armenian Bioinformatics Institute. Emma is interested in utilizing machine learning techniques to better understand population genetics.

 

Description of the Talk:

The research project studies population structure and genetic variability of Armenian cultivated and wild grapevines. Armenian grapevine genetics is shown to be different from the worldwide population. Further, the study considers powdery mildew disease, as some Armenian wild samples have shown to be resistant to the disease. By conducting GWAS on the wild Armenian samples, the study reveals new genetic markers that are significantly associated with powdery mildew disease resistance. Using resistance-related loci in the DNA of grapevines to apply interbreeding or genetic engineering is a more beneficial and eco-friendly solution to the problem of fungal diseases.