Johan Zicola

Post-doc

I am working on the role of small RNAs (sRNAs) in hybrid vigor (heterosis) using as plant models Arabidopsis, rapeseed, and maize. I use transcriptomic (mRNA and sRNA) and phenotypic (yield) data to identify heterosis-associated sRNAs and the potential mRNA they can regulate via RNA interference. I share my time between bioinformatics analyses, library preparations, and other lab work. My previous toy subjects were gene regulation via cis-regulatory elements in maize and Arabidopsis (Franziska Turck, MPIPZ Cologne) and GWAS on epigenetic variation in wild Arabidopsis populations (Angela Hancock, MPIPZ).

maize_heterosis

Model of interactions between genomes mediated by small RNAs.

Publications