PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

The Graduate Program in Plant Genetics and Improvement (PPGGM) is affiliated with the Department of Biology (DBI) at the Institute of Natural Sciences (ICN) of the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA).

The academic and administrative management of the PPGGM is aligned with the organizational structure of UFLA, and is carried out by the program's coordination and board, as well as by the Integrated Secretariat Coordination (CSI) and the Strategic Management Coordination (CGE) of the Institute of Natural Sciences (ICN). The CSI and CGE serve all graduate programs affiliated with ICN and are staffed with administrative technicians and collaborators. The offices are well-ventilated, well-lit, and equipped with desks, chairs, cabinets, shelves, phones, computers, printers, and internet access, along with space for public service.

The PPGGM has its own infrastructure that supports all administrative, academic, and research activities. The main physical spaces occupied by the PPGGM are described as follows:

FACULTY OFFICES

All faculty members involved in the PPGGM have offices of approximately 18 m², featuring good ventilation, lighting, desks, chairs, cabinets, phones, computers, printers, and internet access. These conditions are suitable for planning, organizing, and assisting students.

SUPPORT ROOMS FOR TEACHING AND STUDENT ASSISTANCE

The PPGGM has three rooms, each approximately 50 m², equipped with computers, multimedia resources, chalkboards or whiteboards, desks, and didactic-pedagogical materials for theoretical classes. Practical classes are held in laboratories equipped with all necessary items for the execution of the courses, as well as experimental field areas and greenhouses.

Among the aforementioned rooms, two are equipped with workbenches and power outlets to support courses or training sessions requiring the use of software, such as Bioinformatics and Biometry. The PPGGM encourages the use of open-source software (e.g., R Software), which is routinely employed in statistical analysis for various research projects and in classrooms.

The PPGGM also has a large amphitheater with an adjoining space for coffee breaks, with a capacity for 180 people. It is furnished with chairs and a table on the stage, equipped with air conditioning, a computer, and multimedia resources for seminars, lectures, and technical-scientific events. The program also has another smaller amphitheater with a capacity for 45 people, equipped with air conditioning, multimedia resources, and a video-conferencing system for small events and defense of theses and dissertations. The program further utilizes a spacious and well-lit room for board meetings and research group discussions, equipped with air conditioning, a computer, and multimedia resources.

Regarding equipment shared by students and faculty, the PPGGM owns notebooks, tablets, palm tops, cameras, graphics tablets, GPS devices, and drones, which can be used in both classes and research.

The PPGGM also has a room for graduate students, approximately 48 m² in size, with study workstations, computers, printers, good lighting and ventilation, individual study spaces, and internet access. This space is also designated for the Genetics Study Group (GEN). Additionally, there are areas available for individual and group study in the Cytogenetics, Molecular Cytogenetics, Molecular Genetics, and Plant Disease Resistance Laboratories.

LABORATORY INFRASTRUCTURE

The PPGGM boasts modern and adequate laboratory infrastructure that meets the demands of the research projects being developed. The program has three dedicated research laboratories (listed below) and other multi-user labs provided by UFLA. The Cytogenetics and Plant Disease Resistance laboratories were renovated in 2019/2020, and the Molecular Genetics laboratory was renovated in 2021/2022. These renovations included expansions and modernization of the structure and facilities, ensuring improved biosafety conditions.

MOLECULAR GENETICS LABORATORY

The Molecular Genetics Laboratory of the Genetics Department at DBI/UFLA is coordinated by Professor Evandro Novaes, with support from laboratory technician Rafael Pereira. The lab primarily supports the research areas of Genomics, Molecular Genetics, and Phytopathogens, as well as providing support to other research areas. The laboratory spans approximately 141 m² and is equipped with the essential tools for conducting molecular marker techniques in plant genetic and genomic analysis.

For bioinformatics analyses, the lab is equipped with a high-performance Linux server, the Dell PowerEdge R650xs, which features two Intel Xeon Gold processors with 48 cores and 96 processing threads, 512 GB of RAM, and 8 TB of storage. The server is housed in a secure server room managed by UFLA's Directorate of Technology and Information Management (DGTI), protected by biometric access control and fire protection systems. The server is connected to a 10 Gbit internal network and powered by a redundant electrical system supported by a backup generator.

PLANT DISEASE RESISTANCE LABORATORY

The Plant Disease Resistance Laboratory at the Genetics Department of DBI/UFLA is coordinated by Professor Elaine Aparecida de Souza, with support from laboratory technician Miller Marani Lima. The lab covers an area of approximately 67 m² and includes a growth room with controlled light, temperature, and humidity (12 m²) and incubators for pathogen inoculation. The lab primarily supports research in molecular genetics and phytopathogens, along with other research lines.

CYTOGENETICS LABORATORY

The Cytogenetics Laboratory at the Department of Cell Biology, DBI/UFLA, is coordinated by Professor Vânia Helena Techio, with support from laboratory technician Felipe Fogaroli Corrêa. The lab covers approximately 150 m² and is equipped with two rooms: one for fluorescence microscopy (10 m²) and another for stock storage (12 m²). It primarily supports plant cytogenetics research and provides assistance to other research areas.

MOLECULAR CYTOGENETICS LABORATORY

The Molecular Cytogenetics Laboratory at the Department of Cell Biology, DBI/UFLA, is also coordinated by Professor Vânia Helena Techio, with technician Felipe Fogaroli Corrêa. The lab spans approximately 50 m² and supports research in plant molecular cytogenetics, along with other research areas. This laboratory is dedicated to developing molecular cytogenetics techniques (e.g., FISH, Fiber-FISH, GISH, ChIP, and immunolocalization).

MULTI-USER LABORATORIES

UFLA offers various multi-user laboratories and physical spaces that support the research lines of the program.

These spaces are of critical importance for enhancing the quality of research conducted by graduate students. One notable multi-user laboratory is the Electron Microscopy and Ultra-Structural Analysis Laboratory (LME), which is managed by Professor Eduardo Alves of the Department of Phytopathology. It has an area of 375 m² and is open to researchers from UFLA, EPAMIG, other regional educational institutions, and private companies. This laboratory is mainly used for research in plant cytogenetics, molecular genetics, and phytopathogens.

The PPGGM also has access to a Flow Cytometer, acquired with resources from the Pró-Equipamentos program in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, and a Pulsed Field Electrophoresis (CHEF) unit, shared with the Microbiology graduate program, acquired through CAPES funding.

Another important multi-user laboratory for the PPGGM is the Central Laboratory for Scientific Computing (LCC), established as part of UFLA’s PDI project (CT-INFRA). The LCC serves as a high-performance data processing center designed to advance research in various fields.

More information about these and other multi-user laboratories at UFLA can be found at http://multilab.ufla.br/.

FIELD INFRASTRUCTURE

EXPERIMENT PREPARATION ROOMS

The PPGGM has eight experiment preparation rooms, each approximately 200 m², equipped with balances, moisture analyzers, and facilities for field experiment preparation and post-harvest plot handling. The program also has three cold chambers used for crop improvement programs, set at 10°C with 50% relative humidity for storing orthodox seeds, and a cold chamber for potato germplasm storage at temperatures between 2°C and 5°C, with 80% relative humidity.

EXPERIMENTAL FIELD AREAS AND GREENHOUSES

The PPGGM utilizes a 35-hectare experimental field located at the UFLA Experimental Farm (Muquém – Center for Scientific and Technological Development in Agriculture), as well as an experimental area at the Center for Development and Technology Transfer (CDTT) of the Department of Agriculture at UFLA (https://dag.ufla.br/cdtt-ijaci). Research is primarily conducted in the areas of Plant Genetic Improvement, Genetics, and Biometry, while also supporting other research lines.

The program also collaborates with the research farms of the Agricultural Research Company of Minas Gerais (EPAMIG) for conducting research. Some dissertations and theses are developed in partnership with private companies (Suzano, Souza Cruz, Plantar, Klabin, Bela Vista) and public organizations (Embrapa Gado de Corte, Embrapa Gado de Leite, Embrapa Clima Temperado, Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, and Embrapa Arroz e Feijão), utilizing the infrastructure of these organizations for data collection. These partnerships contribute to the diversified qualification of students and their integration into the job market.

The PPGGM also has access to 12 greenhouses, each equipped with benches and irrigation systems, for maintaining and growing plants used in experiments. Some of these greenhouses are automated with temperature and humidity control, and one is equipped with a hydroponic system for producing botanical potato seeds.