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João Pereira completed his BSc in Biology in 2021, with a final grade of 17/20. During this period, he began to work at the Grapevine Pathogen Systems Lab (GPS lab), where he learned several key techniques of a molecular biology wet lab and data analysis methods. From this work, he co-authored a scientific poster at Encontro Ciência 2021 and a scientific paper, published in Gene (Elsevier, IF 3.9). He then completed his MSc in Plant Biology in 2024, with a final grade of 18/20. In his master's thesis project, he studied the role of DNA demethylases in grapevine immunity against downy mildew, under the supervision of Professor Andreia Figueiredo (GPS Lab) and Doctor Luca Nerva (CREA-VE, Italy). Part of this project was performed in the labs of CREA-VE, in Conegliano, Italy. As an output of his master project, he authored one scientific poster, presented a poster at Encontro Ciência 2023 and gave an oral presentation in the Iberian Plant Biology 2023 international congress. He also co-authored a publication in Microorganisms (MDPI, impact factor 4.5) and submitted a review article as first author focused on Epigenetics in grapevine to People, Plants, Planet (New Phytologist group, impact factor 5.1 – submission code PPP-OP-2024-00944). Additional work is being performed in partnership with the School of Technology and Experimental Sciences in Jaume I University, Spain, and a manuscript is being prepared (as 1st author) reporting the research work focused on DNA demethylases. During his MSc year, João Pereira was also awarded a BII R&D initiation activity fellowship from the BioISI junior program (doi: 10.54499/UIDB/04046/2020) and an ERASMUS+ grant. He is currently tutoring one 1st year MSc students in his curricular project. João was awarded the FCT PhD Fellowship (reference 2024.00649.BD) and is currently enrolled in the Biology PhD program at FCUL.
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Identification

Personal identification

Full name
João Pedro Proença Pereira
Gender
Male

Citation names

  • Pereira, João
  • Proença Pereira, João

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
1718-CDE9-C36F
ORCID iD
0000-0002-7447-5186
Google Scholar ID
lcQRHooAAAAJ&hl
Researcher Id
JKH-9909-2023
Scopus Author Id
57210536982

Email addresses

  • jpppereira@fc.ul.pt (Professional)

Knowledge fields

  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Molecular Biology
  • Agrarian Sciences - Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries - Viticulture

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
English Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2) Proficiency (C2)
Italian Intermediate (B1) Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2) Beginner (A1)
Education
Degree Classification
2025/01 - 2029
Ongoing
 Doutoramento em Biologia (Doutoramento)
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
2021 - 2024
Concluded
 Biologia dos Recursos Vegetais (Mestrado)
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
 18/20
2018/09 - 2021/07
Concluded
 Biologia (Licenciatura)
Major in Biologia Celular e Biotecnologia
Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal
 17/20
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution 		Employer
2024/02 - 2024/12 Researcher (Research) Universidade de Lisboa Instituto de Biossistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Portugal
2024/04 - 2024/04 Visiting Researcher (Research) Universitat Jaume I Escola Superior de Tecnologia i Ciències Experimentals, Spain
Universitat Jaume I Escola Superior de Tecnologia i Ciències Experimentals, Spain
2020/12 - 2022/06 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade de Lisboa Instituto de Biossistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Portugal
2019/09 - 2020/03 Research Trainee (Research) Universidade de Lisboa Museu Nacional de História Natural, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2024/06 - 2024/12 BREEDING AND INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO REDUCE RELIANCE ON CHEMICAL PESTICIDES IN GRAPEVINE
HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-101135088
Researcher
European Commission
Outputs

Publications

Conference abstract
  1. Pereira, João; Pereira, Gonçalo; Santos, Rita B.; Chitarra, Walter; NERVA, LUCA; Figueiredo, Andreia. Corresponding author: Figueiredo, Andreia. "Silencing DNA methylation-associated genes in the grapevine downy mildew pathosystem for improved resilience". Paper presented in Iberian Plant Biology 2023, Braga, 2023.
Conference poster
  1. Pereira, João; Pereira, Gonçalo; Santos, Rita B.; Chitarra, Walter; Nerva, Luca; Figueiredo, Andreia. "The role of DNA methylation in grapevine ( Vitis vinifera ) resilience towards downy mildew". Paper presented in Encontro Ciência 2023, 2023.
  2. Pereira, Gonçalo. "Epigenetic marks in Grapevine Plasmopara viticola interaction: The role of DNA Methyltransferases". Paper presented in Encontro Ciência 2021, 2021.
Journal article
  1. João Proença Pereira; Ivan Bevilacqua; Rita B. Santos; Serena Varotto; Walter Chitarra; Luca Nerva; Andreia Figueiredo. "Epigenetic regulation and beyond in grapevine-pathogen interactions: a biotechnological perspective". Physiologia Plantarum (2025): https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.70216.
    10.1111/ppl.70216
  2. João Carreiras; Ana Cruz-Silva; Bruno Fonseca; Ricardo C. Carvalho; Jorge P. Cunha; Proença Pereira, João; Catarina Paiva-Silva; et al. "Improving Grapevine Heat Stress Resilience with Marine Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Consortia". Microorganisms (2023): https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11040856.
    10.3390/microorganisms11040856
  3. Pereira, Gonçalo; Pereira, João; Santos, Rita B.; Figueiredo, Andreia. "Uncovering the role of DNA methyltransferases in grapevine - Plasmopara viticola interaction: From genome-wide characterization to global methylation patterns". Gene 837 (2022): 146693. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gene.2022.146693.
    Published • 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146693
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. "Silencing grapevine DNA methylation-associated genes to improve resilience towards Plasmopara viticola". Master, Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, 2023.

Other

Other output
  1. Silenced cutters: mechanisms and effects of protease inhibition in plant-pathogen interactions. 2025. Rita B. Santos; Catarina Paiva-Silva; João Proença Pereira; Frederico Marcolino; Andreia Figueiredo. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eraf156.
    10.1093/jxb/eraf156
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2023/07/10 Silencing DNA methylation-associated genes to improve resilience towards Plasmopara viticola Iberian Plant Biology 2023
(Braga, Portugal)

Event organisation

Event name
Type of event (Role) 		Institution / Organization
2023/11/23 - 2023/11/23 Tertúlia "Vinho com Ciência 2023" (2023/11/23)

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event 		Event name
Institution / Organization
2024/09/02 - 2024/09/13 Participation in the PhD-level course "Epigenetics for developmental and metabolic regulation in plants and algae"
Workshop
 Epigenetics for developmental and metabolic regulation in plants and algae
Nord universitet, Norway
2023/09/29 - 2023/09/29 Participation in the European Researcher's Night 2023 as a researcher. Communication with a general audience European Researchers Night 2023
2022/09/30 - 2022/09/30 Participation in the European Researcher's Night 2022 as a researcher. Communication with a general audience
European Union, Belgium
2021/06/28 - 2021/06/30 Plant Epigenetics: Basics, Applications and Methodologies (EPICATCH)
Conference
 Plant Epigenetics: Basics, Applications and Methodologies
European Union, Belgium

Ad Hoc journal article review

Journal title (ISSN) Publisher
2024 - Current BMC Plant Biology (1471-2229) Springer Nature

Course / Discipline taught

Academic session Degree Subject (Type) Institution / Organization
2023/03/03 - 2023/03/03 Seminar of my master's thesis project, with the theme: "Epigenetic regulation in plant-pathogen interactions: grapevine downy mildew as a case study" Fronteiras da Investigação em Biologia (Mestrado) Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências, Portugal

Mentoring / Tutoring

Topic Student name
2024/02 - Current Using Grapevine Cell Cultures to Study DNA Methylation in Plant Immunity Frederico Marcolino
2024/01 - Current Cloning grapevine phytaspases and validation of their involvement in programmed cell death in the context of plant-pathogen interactions João Matos
2024 - Current Grapevine serine proteases - recombinant protein production and subcellular localization Mariana Pereira Neves
Distinctions

Other distinction

2025 FCT PhD Studentship Grant (2024.00649.BD)
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
2023 BII Scholarship - R&D Initiation grant
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal

Universidade de Lisboa Instituto de Biossistemas e Ciências Integrativas, Portugal
2023 Erasmus+ Grant
Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal