Quercus Research for Improvement and Protection: From Field and Greenhouse Experiments to Biotechnology and Molecular Analysis

Dear Colleagues,

Quercus (oak) species are dominant woody angiosperms in the Northern Hemisphere that are threatened by environmental cues and climate change conditions. Biotechnology should take a pivotal role in facing this problem and proposing sustainable management and conservation strategies. Tree breeding by exploiting natural biodiversity and selecting “elite” genotypes is the most unique plausible strategy. For that, it is necessary to investigate the biology of Quercus and to delve deep into the existing knowledge of genetic bases of phenotypes of interest, as well as select molecular markers. Acorn seeds could be considered as a source of nutritional compounds, justifying their use as secondary human foods. The existence of bioactive compounds in acorns would add value to this genus and would spark a change in its perception.

The current literature on these species (2910 references found at WoS in the last ten years) is diseminated and dispersed. The current Special Issue intends to bring together ongoing studies into the applications of morphological, ecophysiological, classical biochemistry and the most recent -omics approaches, as well as their integration in Systems Biology. The proposed editors group has 15 years of experience on the proposed topic, with 25 WoS publications during this period, and 5 nationally and internationally granted research projects.

Dr. María-Dolores Rey
Prof. Dr. Jesus V. Jorrin Novo
Dr. María Ángeles Castillejo
Guest Editors

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