Beyond the Genome: Opportunities for a New Concept of Viticulture – A Research Overview
Thursday, June 21
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Dr. Riccardo Velasco 

Dr. Riccardo Velasco, Head of the Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology at the Istituto Agrario San Michele all’Adige (IASMA), Italy, will present an overview based on his research team’s recent accomplishment in completing the grape genome sequencing in Pinot noir grapes. This research will allow the development of vines better adapted to difficult climatic conditions and more resistant to plant diseases and pests and a corresponding reduction in the use of pesticides.

Velasco has a PhD in plant molecular biology from the University of Florence and is a senior scientist at IASMA. Many of his main research projects have been in collaboration with other universities and include both grape and apple genome work. He has served as a reviewer for many refereed publications, including the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture.