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Hire Dr. Demissew Sertse D.

Canada

USD 50 /hr

Plant Genomics & Quantitative Genetics | Genomic and Environmental Big Data Analysis

Profile Summary

I am a plant genomics scientist specializing in integrating genomic, environmental, and phenotypic data to uncover adaptive traits and guide pre-breeding. My expertise includes population and quantitative genetics, GWAS, genome-environment association studies, genome scans, and transcriptomics. I have led and contributed to research projects involving the analysis of whole-genome sequencing, RNA-Seq, and SNP datasets, generating actionable insights for crop breeders. For example, I uncovered the loss of a Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance allele in durum wheat cultivars, likely resulting from linkage drag or genetic hitchhiking, which prompted a revision of the FHB breeding strategy. Additionally, I identified a candidate causative gene at a major FHB locus on chromosome 5A in durum wheat through transcriptomic profiling and differential gene expression analysis. My ongoing research centers on developing climate-resilient crops by transforming complex genomic data into actionable breeding solutions, primarily through the integration of large-scale genomic and environmental datasets from publicly available sources. This work is mainly focused on identifying and leveraging pre-breeding germplasm from extensive gene pools and optimizing crop performance for specific ecological niches. I hold a PhD in Biology, with a thesis focused on the genomics of drought tolerance in flax, and I am proficient in R, Python, a range of statistical software, and GIS tools, allowing me to efficiently manage and analyze large-scale datasets. I am passionate about helping clients extract meaningful insights from genomic data to support both research and applied crop improvement initiatives.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Molecular Biology
• ☆ Genetics
• ☆ Omics
• ☆ Data Analysis
• ☆ Ecology
• ☆ R

Services

• Research

Research Scientific and Technical Research

Work Experience

Research Associate

University of Manitoba

July 2023 - Present

Research Associate/Officer

National Research Council Canada

March 2021 - March 2023

Education

PhD (Biology)

University of Ottawa

September 2015 - March 2020

Certifications

• PhD in Biology

  University of Ottawa

  March 2020 - Present

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Demissew Sertse, Jemanesh K. Haile, Ehsan Sari, Valentyna Klymiuk, Amidou N'Diaye, Curtis J. Pozniak, Sylvie Cloutier, Sateesh Kagale (2023). Genome scans capture key adaptation and historical hybridization signatures in tetraploid wheat . The Plant Genome.

Demissew Sertse, Jemanesh K. Haile, Amidou N’Diaye, Valentyna Klymiuk, Krystalee Wiebe, Yuefeng Ruan, Harmeet S. Chawla, Maria-Antonia Henriquez, Lipu Wang, Hadley R. Kutcher, et al. (2023). Multi-locus genome-wide association studies reveal the genetic architecture of Fusarium head blight resistance in durum wheat . Frontiers in Plant Science.

Demissew Sertse, Frank M. You, Valentyna Klymiuk, Jemanesh K. Haile, Amidou N’Diaye, Curtis J. Pozniak, Sylvie Cloutier, Sateesh Kagale (2023). Historical Selection, Adaptation Signatures, and Ambiguity of Introgressions in Wheat . International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Demissew Sertse, Frank M. You, Sylvie Cloutier (2021). Genome-wide signatures in flax pinpoint to adaptive evolution along its ecological gradient . Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark.

Demissew Sertse, Frank M. You, Sridhar Ravichandran, Braulio J. Soto-Cerda, Scott Duguid, Sylvie Cloutier (2021). Loci harboring genes with important role in drought and related abiotic stress responses in flax revealed by multiple GWAS models . Theoretical and Applied Genetics.

Demissew Sertse, Frank M. You, Sridhar Ravichandran, Sylvie Cloutier (2019). The Complex Genetic Architecture of Early Root and Shoot Traits in Flax Revealed by Genome-Wide Association Analyses . Frontiers in Plant Science.

Demissew Sertse, Frank M. You, Sridhar Ravichandran, Sylvie Cloutier (2019). The genetic structure of flax illustrates environmental and anthropogenic selections that gave rise to its eco-geographical adaptation . Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.