Vidya Vuruputoor
Conservation Genomics. Computational Biology. Foodie.
I am nearing the end of my PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut- I’m defending in July of 2025! My research interests include conservation genomics, population genetics, pangenomics, genome annotation and assembly, polyploidy, and host-pest/parasite interactions. I currently have two first-author papers published (see my publications), and two papers submitted.
Before I entered the United States to pursue my PhD, I spent time at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands. It was there that I completed my Master’s of Science in Plant Biotechnology, with a focus on molecular plant breeding and phytopathology. I took up an opportunity to intern at the Lab of Nematology, where I was introduced to bioinformatics. I assembled the genome of the beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii during that time. I also interned at Dümmen Orange, where I researched resistance genes (R) genes in rose cultivars.
So where will my research take me? I can’t wait to find out, but for now, I’ll be busy checking out every plant that crosses my path. And I don’t just mean admiring them! I’ll be taking photos of any pests they might have, making notes on how to save them, and more. ;)
news
| Apr 10, 2025 | Our paper, “Immediate premeiotic transcriptomic effects following non-chemically induced whole genome duplication in the moss Funaria hygrometrica” has been accepted as a Letter to New Phytologist!!! This work highlights the changes in methylation, repeats, and gene expression after inducing whole genome duplication in a new system- Funaria hygrometrica. This was co-authored by Nikisha Patel, Peter Szövenyi, Jill Wegrzyn, and Bernard Goffinet. |
|---|---|
| Mar 26, 2025 | I was invited to present my updates on my work with the eastern hemlocks at Harvard Forest for their Spring seminar series! Updates included metrics on our chromosome-scale eastern hemlock genome (16.5Gbp!!) and the introduced pest, the hemlock woolly adelgid! I also presented updates on our work comparing transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles of putative susceptible and putative lingering (i.e, the “Bulletproof” Stand) individuals from samples taken monthly for a year! Thank you so much for the opportunity, to meet with researchers at Harvard Forest, and to see the hemlock woodlot area- where hemlock trees are studied from 10,000 years ago to the present was very inspiring! 🌲 |
| Sep 26, 2024 | My poster won the best poster award at the Institute of Systems Genomics (ISG) networking event at UConn! |
| Sep 23, 2024 | I was invited to discuss my research progress on conserving the Eastern hemlock at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University today! It marked my very first seminar talk, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to share it at my favorite arboretum :) I got to walk around and get a tour of the collections afterwards too. In all, a great start to my week! The talk is at this link. |
selected publications
- Welcome to the big leaves: Best practices for improving genome annotation in non-model plant genomesApplications in Plant Sciences, 2023
- Genome Assembly of a Living Fossil, the Atlantic Horseshoe Crab Limulus polyphemus, Reveals Lineage-Specific Whole-Genome Duplications, Transposable Element-Based Centromeres, and a ZW Sex Chromosome SystemMolecular Biology and Evolution, 2025