Increases in global average temperatures can detrimentally affect heat sensitive plants. To address this, Dr. Rodrigo Reis is working to identify RNA structures that can better regulate plant responses to warm temperatures. View Halo Profile >>
About Rodrigo Reis
Dr. Rodrigo Reis is an Eccellenza Assistant Professor at the University of Bern. Reis is from Guiricema, Brazil and completed his PhD at the University of Sydney. He is involved with the Swiss Society of Plant Biology and the National Center of Competence in Research, RNA & Disease.
Tell us about your research.
It is estimated that for each 1°C increase in global temperature, up to 10% is lost in crop yield. Such mild temperature increases alter plant morphology via specific and coordinated molecular processes, which we only recently started to uncover. The main interest in my research group is to understand how plants regulate their response to warm temperatures. We develop and apply cutting-edge experimental and computational techniques to study the contribution of mRNA regulation in this process, with a focus on RNA structure.
Increase in global average temperatures—a main consequence of climate change—poses growing threat to crop production, in part because plants are sensitive to even small increases in ambient temperature.
Can you explain that to a non-scientist?
Increase in global average temperatures—a main consequence of climate change—poses growing threat to crop production, in part because plants are sensitive to even small increases in ambient temperature. My group studies how RNA structures regulate plant response to warm temperatures. RNA is central to life and the structure they form regulate all processes in their cellular live. In this new partnership with Bayer, we will identify structures that can potentially be targeted with small molecules to disrupt cellular activity.
Why did you choose this area of research?
I have always been fascinated by biology and its complexity. In my Biochemistry undergrad, I could have a glimpse on how organisms coordinate and perform near-miraculous processes that enable life and survival in the most diverse conditions. Then, it was just a matter of time for me to choose a topic and make that my life-career. My curiosity to understand how life is regulated at the molecular level brought me to study RNA—a central molecule that, among many other things, moderates the balance between what DNA is telling a cell to do (gene expression) and what effectively gets done (protein synthesis).
Together with Bayer, we will focus on those RNAs that form structures amendable to drug targeting for the development of herbicides with new mode of actions, active in broad temperature range, and safe for humans and wildlife.
What are some of the real-world applications of your work?
The understanding of fundamental processes that regulate plant response to warm temperatures is critical for us to effectively tackle the negative impacts of global warming and ensure food security. RNA plays central function in regulatory processes and my group is striving to identify and understand in sufficient detail the key role of RNA in plant perception and adaptation to warmer environments. Together with Bayer, we will focus on those RNAs that form structures amendable to drug targeting for the development of herbicides with new mode of actions, active in broad temperature range, and safe for humans and wildlife.