Welcome to the Cantu lab page!

Our Research

Research

Our projects bring together many disciplines including population genetics, haplotype-aware genomics, but also (a)biotic stressors screenings and wine aromas profiling. Our overall aim is to better understand plant genome evolution and facilitate breeding in the context of climate change.

For more details, please see our principles and check out our most recent publications.

Genomics/Genetics

Our research group employs genomics and genetics to study grapevine traits, evolution, and environmental interactions.

Pathogens/Diseases

Our focus areas include resistance to fungal and bacterial diseases, wood diseases, susceptibility to wildfire smoke, etc.

Domestication traits

We also study many traits of agronomical interest such as sex determination, wine aromas and microbiome associations.

Community

We provide data and ressources to the community. We host a website for grape genomes including blast and genome browser tools. Find out more on grapegenomics.com.

Timeline

A selection of our recent work.

  • December 2023

    North American wild grapes | Pangenomics

    We constructed a super-pangenome to represent and analyze North American wild species of the Vitis genus. The assembly of phased diploid genomes for the nine selected species was a fundamental starting point to ensure an accurate representation of genetic variations that occur within and between genomes. We were able to navigate through different layers of information integrated within the pangenome graph from large structural variations to single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Read the article.

  • November 2023

    Grape trunk pathogens | Pangenomics

    We sequenced fifty isolates from viticulture regions worldwide and built nucleotide-level, reference-free pangenomes for each species. Through examining genomic diversity and pangenome structure, we analyzed intraspecific conservation and variability of putative virulence factors, focusing on functions under positive selection, and recent gene-family dynamics of contraction and expansion. Read the article.

  • October 2022

    Release of three rootstock genomes | HiFi genomics

    we report the diploid chromosome-scale assembly of three widely used rootstocks derived from these species: Richter 110 (110R), Kober 5BB, and 101–14 Millardet et de Grasset (Mgt). Read the article.

  • June 2022

    Diploid genome scaffolding | Tool release

    We developed HaploSync, a suite of tools that produces fully phased, chromosome-scale diploid genome assemblies, and performs extensive quality control to limit assembly artifacts. Read the article.

  • February 2021

    Trayshed genome release | Phased genomics with hybrid scaffolds

    We report the phased, chromosome-scale assembly of Trayshed, which was produced improving the previous SMRT assembly with the introduction of the optical maps in a hybrid scaffolding approach and consensus genetic map from multiple wild and cultivated grape species. Read the article.

  • June 2020

    The genetic basis of sex determination in grapes | Chromosome-scale genomics

    We report an improved, chromosome-scale Cabernet Sauvignon genome sequence and the phased assembly of nine wild and cultivated grape genomes. By resolving twenty Vitis SDR haplotypes, we compare male, female, and hermaphrodite haplotype structures and identify sex-linked regions. Read the article.

  • December 2019

    Zinfandel clonal diversity

    The purpose of this study was to better appreciate clone diversity and involved defining the nature of somatic mutations throughout the genome. Fifteen Zinfandel winegrape clone genomes were sequenced and compared to one another using a highly contiguous genome reference produced from one of the clones, Zinfandel 03. Read the article.

  • Grapegenomics.com release

    Release of our community resource website grapegenomics.com with blast and genome browser tools.

  • May 2019

    Carménère genome release

  • March 2019

    Cabernet Sauvignon Iso-seq | Full-length transcriptomics

    We used single molecule-real time sequencing (SMRT) to sequence full-length cDNA (Iso-Seq) and reconstruct the transcriptome of Cabernet Sauvignon berries during berry ripening. Read the article.

  • 2019

    The Grape Genome | Book release

    Read the book.

  • February 2017

    Red blotch characterization | Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics

    We integrated genome-wide transcriptional profiling, targeted chemical and biochemical analyses, and demonstrated that grapevine red blotch disrupts ripening and metabolism of red-skinned berries. Read the article.

  • Grapevine trunk pathogens transcriptomics | Metatranscriptomics

    Using naturally infected field samples expressing a variety of trunk disease symptoms, we show that our approach provides quantitative assessments of species composition, as well as genomewide transcriptional profiling of potential virulence factors, namely cell wall degradation, secondary metabolism and nutrient uptake for all co-infecting GTPs. Read the article.

  • December 2016

    Cabernet Sauvignon genome release | Phased genomics

    Vitis vinifera cv. Cabernet Sauvignon was selected as a perenial plant model for the release of Falcon and Falcon-Unzip. Read the article.

  • December 2015

    Noble rot characterization | Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics

    We integrated transcriptomics, metabolomics, and enzyme activity assays to characterize the impact of noble rot on the development and metabolism of white-skinned grape berries under field conditions. Read the article.

  • June 2015

    Grapevine trunk pathogens genomics | Comparative genomics

    This study describes the repertoires of putative virulence functions in the genomes of ubiquitous grapevine trunk pathogens. The integration of RNA-seq, comparative and ab initio approaches improved the protein-coding gene prediction in T. minima, whereas shotgun sequencing yielded nearly complete genome drafts of Dia. ampelina, Dip. seriata, and P. chlamydospora. Read the article.

  • December 2014

    Powdery mildew genomics | Comparative genomics

    A shotgun approach was applied to sequence and assemble the genome of five E. necator isolates, and RNA-seq and comparative genomics were used to predict and annotate protein-coding genes. Read the article.

Our Team

The People behind the Science.

Dario Cantù

Professor of Systems Biology and Louis P. Martini Endowed Chair in Viticulture
Executive Director, UC Davis Chile Life Sciences Innovation Center
Chair, Viticulture and Enology Graduate Group
Chancellor's Fellow

Rosa Figueroa-Balderas

Specialist and Lab Manager

Mélanie Massonnet

Assistant Project Scientist

Noé Cochetel

Staff Research Associate

Manon Paineau

Postdoc

Jerry Lin

PhD Candidate

Jadran García Navarrete

PhD Candidate

Mirella Zaccheo

PhD Candidate

Join Us

Interested in joining our group?

Students and researchers at any level in their career (postdoc, PhD, MSc, BSc) and with outstanding training in genetics, plant molecular biology, or bioinformatics are invited to contact us to discuss possible projects. The Cantu lab is accepting MSc students from Viticulture and Enology and PhD students from Plant Biology, Plant Pathology, Integrative Genetics and Genomics, and Horticulture and Agronomy.

Contact

dacantu[at]ucdavis.edu
University of California Davis
Department of Viticulture & Enology
595 Hilgard Lane
Davis, CA 95616
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