SEEFRUIT is a first-rate international project that focuses on training of young Italian promising scientists
in the field of plant science. A Dutch researcher, Dr. Ruud de Maagd, a world-wide recognized prominent
researcher in the field of plant metabolism and biotechnology, will lead this innovative research project.
The host of Dr. de Maagd is Dr. Simona Masiero, who has been recently appointed as assistant professor at
the University of Milan. At the present she is setting up her own research group. In the last years Dr.
Masiero was mainly interested to uncover the genetic and hormonal networks regulating ovule and embryo
development. In the frame of SEEFRUIT, together with Dr. De Maagd, she will try to exploit the crosstalk
between developing embryos and fruits. SEEFRUIT will create in Milan a condition of excellence, since
these two highly motivated researchers will collaborate on complementary research topics. Furthermore,
it will further enhance the establishment of a durable collaboration between the groups in Italy and
Netherlands promoting and stimulating the internalisation processes undergoing at the University of Milan.
In Netherlands Dr. de Maagd works in one of the leading European Institute for plant research (PRI, PLANT
RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, Wageningen The Netherlands). At PRI, there are several modern and update
facilities, among them an update genomics platform, wide area reserved to greenhouse and growth
chambers to grow plants under tightly controlled conditions. Students working with the frame of this
project will make visits to the group of Dr. de Maagd for their specific research activities, which will of
course enhance the international impact of the project. The presence of Dr. de Maad in Milan will have an
even broader impact since he will actively be involved in Master student teaching courses (Advanced
Methodology in plant research) and he will be part of the PhD school for which he will also give seminars.
SEEFRUIT focuses on fruit development and quality. Fruits are a major evolutionary acquisition of
Angiosperms. Fruits likely evolved to protect the developing seeds and to ensure seed dispersal, for this
aim they adopted a huge morphological and functional diversity, greatly responsible for the success of
flowering plants during evolution. Fruits represent the edible part of many crops, including those used as
dessert fruits (apples, strawberries, grapes), as vegetables (cucumbers, beans, tomatoes), as sources of
culinary oils (olive, oil palm), or for other culinary products (vanilla). Fruits are also important for seed
production (canola, cereals) and many non-edible substances (cotton, industrial oils), and can be adapted
to the production of many other products, including pharmaceuticals. The yield and quality factors
associated with fruits are thus of key importance to agricultural production. Significant future
improvements of fruit characteristics will depend on deep knowledge of the mechanisms that control fruit
development. SEEFRUIT aims to understand how fruit metabolite contents (i.e. fruit quality) is influenced
by the developing embryos. Together, Dr. de Maagd and Dr. Masiero, will investigate fruit metabolite
content in two model species Arabidopsis, as representative of dry fruits, and tomato as representative of
fleshy fruits. Metabolites are the small chemical components present in every cell. Major traits such as
food quality, taste, nutritional value, toxicity, allergenicity etc are all directly correlated with the
presence or absence of specific combinations of metabolites. Importantly, this combination of
metabolites, rather than the presence of individual compounds, has a key biological relevance. In
particular, complex
in the field of plant science. A Dutch researcher, Dr. Ruud de Maagd, a world-wide recognized prominent
researcher in the field of plant metabolism and biotechnology, will lead this innovative research project.
The host of Dr. de Maagd is Dr. Simona Masiero, who has been recently appointed as assistant professor at
the University of Milan. At the present she is setting up her own research group. In the last years Dr.
Masiero was mainly interested to uncover the genetic and hormonal networks regulating ovule and embryo
development. In the frame of SEEFRUIT, together with Dr. De Maagd, she will try to exploit the crosstalk
between developing embryos and fruits. SEEFRUIT will create in Milan a condition of excellence, since
these two highly motivated researchers will collaborate on complementary research topics. Furthermore,
it will further enhance the establishment of a durable collaboration between the groups in Italy and
Netherlands promoting and stimulating the internalisation processes undergoing at the University of Milan.
In Netherlands Dr. de Maagd works in one of the leading European Institute for plant research (PRI, PLANT
RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, Wageningen The Netherlands). At PRI, there are several modern and update
facilities, among them an update genomics platform, wide area reserved to greenhouse and growth
chambers to grow plants under tightly controlled conditions. Students working with the frame of this
project will make visits to the group of Dr. de Maagd for their specific research activities, which will of
course enhance the international impact of the project. The presence of Dr. de Maad in Milan will have an
even broader impact since he will actively be involved in Master student teaching courses (Advanced
Methodology in plant research) and he will be part of the PhD school for which he will also give seminars.
SEEFRUIT focuses on fruit development and quality. Fruits are a major evolutionary acquisition of
Angiosperms. Fruits likely evolved to protect the developing seeds and to ensure seed dispersal, for this
aim they adopted a huge morphological and functional diversity, greatly responsible for the success of
flowering plants during evolution. Fruits represent the edible part of many crops, including those used as
dessert fruits (apples, strawberries, grapes), as vegetables (cucumbers, beans, tomatoes), as sources of
culinary oils (olive, oil palm), or for other culinary products (vanilla). Fruits are also important for seed
production (canola, cereals) and many non-edible substances (cotton, industrial oils), and can be adapted
to the production of many other products, including pharmaceuticals. The yield and quality factors
associated with fruits are thus of key importance to agricultural production. Significant future
improvements of fruit characteristics will depend on deep knowledge of the mechanisms that control fruit
development. SEEFRUIT aims to understand how fruit metabolite contents (i.e. fruit quality) is influenced
by the developing embryos. Together, Dr. de Maagd and Dr. Masiero, will investigate fruit metabolite
content in two model species Arabidopsis, as representative of dry fruits, and tomato as representative of
fleshy fruits. Metabolites are the small chemical components present in every cell. Major traits such as
food quality, taste, nutritional value, toxicity, allergenicity etc are all directly correlated with the
presence or absence of specific combinations of metabolites. Importantly, this combination of
metabolites, rather than the presence of individual compounds, has a key biological relevance. In
particular, complex