Silvana Moreno Vallejo

I am a highly organized and adaptable PhD in Biology with over 10 years of experience in plant genetics and biotechnology, spanning both academia and industry. Throughout my career, I have proven my ability to analyze complex datasets, design experiments, and write scientific content. I have extensive hands-on experience with diverse crops, including bulbous barley, barley, rice, oat, timothy grass, and banana. I am passionate about advancing sustainable agriculture by developing resilient crops for sustainable food and feed systems.

My research focuses on plant genetics, biotechnology, and sustainable crop improvement, with a strong emphasis on understanding how plants respond to environmental stress and how this knowledge can be applied to breeding more resilient crops.

During my PhD at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), I investigated the physiological and molecular responses of wild and domesticated timothy grass and two related species to waterlogging and drought stress, identifying key stress tolerance mechanisms through integrated phenotyping and transcriptomics approaches. I also established a CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing platform for barley to enable targeted trait modification and contributed to genetic breeding programs aimed at enhancing yield potential and seed quality in barley and oat through marker-assisted selection.

Currently, as a Postdoctoral Researcher at SLU, I am studying seed quality and the nutritional composition of different kernza varieties using HPLC and GC among other techniques, as well as investigating genes associated with yield components in bulbous barley. 

My work combines wet lab techniques in molecular biology and analytical chemistry, bioinformatics, and data analysis, giving me expertise in assembling high-quality transcriptomes, RNA-seq analysis and statistical modeling. Overall, my research aims to advance sustainable agriculture by developing resilient crops for sustainable food and feed systems.

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden

1. Immunology and genetics                                           2019 – 2023, 2025
2. Plant breeding and genetics                                       2019 – 2023
3. Cell Biology                                                                   2020 – 2023
4. Genetics                                                                        2023

PhD in Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Uppsala, Sweden

M.Sc. Plant Sciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany                                                                           

Biotechnology Engineer, The University of the Armed Forces, Quito, Ecuador

o   Research Grant 

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 2026. Awarded to establish an international research collaboration on climate-resilient crops and children's nutrition in Mozambique. 

o   Doctoral Research Extension

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 2023. Awarded 9-month salary support to complete pandemic-delayed dissertation research.

o   Fee-Waived Participant

Keystone Symposia on Precision Engineering of the Genome, Epigenome and Transcriptome (Virtual), 2021. Awarded free registration at two events. 

o   International Master’s Scholarship

Secretariat of Higher Education, Science, Technology & Innovation (SENESCYT), Ecuador, (2015 – 2017). Competitive full-ride scholarship for MSc studies at the University of Bonn.