Dr Joana Amaral
Senior Research Associate Plant PhysiologistResearch Overview
I am a postdoc researcher in Professor Elizabete Carmo-Silva’s lab at Lancaster Environment Centre (Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK), which focuses on photosynthesis research.
My research interests include understanding plant responses to their surrounding environment and enhancing plant performance under different scenarios.
I have worked in several projects focused on understanding forest trees/woody species response to biotic and abiotic stresses using an integrated approach – from physiology to Omics.
Recently, as part of the CAPITALISE project, I studied strategies to improve photosynthesis for higher yielding crops based on Rubisco regulation by Rubisco activase.
I am currently working in the Delivering Sustainable Wheat (DSW) project, aiming to understand Rubisco synthesis and degradation and its impact on photosynthetic efficiency and Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) in wheat.
COST Action CA24152: Epitranscriptomics and ncRNAs for climate-change-resilient and sustainable crops
30/10/2025 → 29/10/2029
Research
BBSRC Institute Strategic Programme: Delivering Sustainable Wheat (DSW) Partner Grant
01/04/2023 → 31/03/2028
Research
Combining Approaches for Photosynthetic Improvement to Allow Increased Sustainability in European Agriculture
01/01/2022 → 30/11/2024
Research
Halotolerant rhizobacteria for enhanced tolerance of Olea europaea to saline stress and infection
29/03/2021 → 28/03/2024
Research
UnRaveling hostpathoGEn iNteracTions in pine pitch canker disease
01/06/2016 → 30/11/2019
Research
Improving biofuel production by the regulation of central metabolism through abiotic stress mimicking. Are four novel cAMP-dependant kinases suitable as targets for Chlamydomonas strain engineering?
01/03/2014 → 01/06/2015
Research
An integrated approach to identify stress-related regulatory genes in cork oak
10/02/2012 → 01/02/2014
Research
Physiological and gene expression profiles for early selection of Eucalyptus globulus in a climate change context
01/04/2011 → 31/08/2014
Research
Combining Approaches for Photosynthetic Improvement to Allow Increased Sustainability in European Agriculture
01/01/1900 → …
Research
Delivering Sustainable Wheat (DSW) Annual Meeting 2025
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Comparative-evolutionary analysis of plant responses to combined heat and drought stress
Examination
Iberian Workshop Wheat based food security in an unpredictable changing climate
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Regulation of Rubisco activity by light in tomato
Invited talk
Delivering Sustainable Wheat (DSW) in Practice 2024
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Regulation of Rubisco activase activity in shade-sun transitions
Invited talk
SEB Centenary Conference 2023
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Rubisco regulation by light in tomato
Invited talk
Plant Metabolic Engineering Gordon Research Seminar & Conference
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Tree Physiology (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Photosynthesis Research (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Seaweed potential to fight Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight
Examination
Light Up Lancaster
Festival/Exhibition/Concert
New Phytologist (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Science of the Total Environment (Journal)
Editorial activity
Frontiers in Plant Science (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Physiologia Plantarum (Journal)
Publication peer-review
11th SPPS PhD Student Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Forests (Journal)
Editorial activity
Biomolecules (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Research Summit 2020
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
XXV IUFRO World Congress 2019
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Working Groups Meeting COST Action FP1408 – PINESTRENGTH, Workshop Conferences
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Training School COST Action FP1408 – PINESTRENGTH
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Course on Genes associated to forest pathologies
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
IUFRO 125th Anniversary Congress 2017
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Fitopatología
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
III Annual Workshop MAPBioPlant
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Top viewed article in New Phytologist 2023/2024
Other distinction