Dr. Rytis Rugienius

ORCiD iD: 0000-0001-9002-9568
Tel. +370 648 03 382
E-mail: rytis.rugienius@lammc.lt 
Kauno St. 30, Babtai, LT-54333 Kaunas distr., Lithuania

Education

1993–1997 PhD studies, Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture.

1984–1991 Diploma in Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vilnius University. 

Academic degrees and pedagogical titles

1998 Doctor of Biomedical Sciences, Agronomy, dissertation “Investigation of strawberry cold hardiness in vitro”

Research fields

• Biology
• Agronomy

Position

Since 2003 Senior Researcher, Department of Orchard Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, Institute of Horticulture, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry

Since 2006 Lecturer, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University.

Memberships and affiliations with professional organizations

• Lithuanian Biotechnology Association
• Lithuanian Physiological Society

Involvement in programmes and projects

• 2022–2025 Researcher teams’ project “Cellular redox balance and protein expression based phenotyping of plant-endophyte interactions for development of plant biostimulant consortia”, investigator.

• 2021–2022 ECPGR project “Collaborative action for updating the documentation about berries genetic resources in Europe” (EUROPE.BERRIES), head of Fragaria working group.

• 2017–2021 High level R&D project (SMART) “Closed plant cultivation system for production of raw materials for peptide nanoengineering applications”, investigator.
• 2017–2019 Researcher teams’ project programme of the Lithuanian Research Council. “Involvement of oxidative stress in molecular mechanism of seed response to cold plasma treatment”, investigator.
• 2015–2018 COST Action FA1306 “The quest for tolerant varieties – Phenotyping at plant and cellular level”, management committee member.
• 2013–2015 ERA-NET project EUPHRESCOII “Strawberry Pathogens Assessment and Testing”.
• 2013–2015 Researcher teams’ project programme of the Lithuanian Research Council. “Diversity, identification and links to cold acclimation of dehydrins of Rosaceae family plants”, leader.
• 2012–2015 National science programme of the Lithuanian Research Council “Healthy and safe food” project “Expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes in orchard plants”.
• 2011–2014 National science programme of the Lithuanian Research Council “Healthy and safe food” project “Interspecific hybrids of orchard plants – new source of anthocyanins”, investigator.
• 2011–2013 National science programme of the Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology “Industrial Biotechnology development programme for Lithuania for 2011-2013” project “TransiRNA. Transient RNAi-based technology for generation of plant resistance to crown gall disease”, investigator.
• 2010– Researcher teams‘ project programme of the Lithuanian Research Council. “Long term in vitro preservation and genetic stability evaluation of pome fruit tree genetic resources“, leader.
• 2008–2009 National science programme of the Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology “Industrial Biotechnology development programme for Lithuania for 2007–2010” project “Biotechnological approaches to improve plant cold tolerance”, investigator.
• Researcher teams‘ project programme of the State Science and Studies Foundation. “Investigation of main distributors and spreading ways of Black Currant Reversion Virus and concomitant ArMV, SLRV, RRV nepovirus”, investigator.
• 2007–2010 AGRI GEN RES 870/2004 No 071 project “Core collection of Northern European gene pool of Ribes – RIBESCO”, management committee member.
• 2007–2010 AGRI GEN RES 870/2004, No 036 project “European small berries genetic resources”, management committee member.
• 2003–2006 Programme of Priority Research and Development Initiatives of Lithuanian Research Council. Project “Plant adaptivity regulation by biotechnological means”, investigator.
• 2005–2006 COST Action 863. “Euroberry research: from genomics to sustainable production, quality & health”, management committee member.
• 2005 BPD2004-ERPF-1.5.0-12-05/0061 project “Creation of infrastructure for proteomic research”, management committee member.
• 2005–2006 BPD04-ERPF-1.5.1-04-04/0008 project “Network of biotechnological research of agricultural and forest plants”, management committee member.
• 2005–2003 State Science Programme project “Collection and investigation of orchard plants genetic resources”, investigator.
• 2001–2003 COST Action 836 “Towards an organization of the integrated research in berries: model for a strawberry of quality, in respect with the environment rules and consumers requirements, management committee member.
• 1999–2000 Researcher teams’ project programme of the State Science and Studies Foundation. “Strawberry resistance to abiotic and biotic factors”, leader.

Supervision and co-supervision of PhD projects

• Irena Zalunskaitė “Investigation and modification of genetical factors of cold hardiness of orchard plants” (co-supervisor, completed).
• 2007– Vanda Lukoševičiūtė “Characterisation of strawberry cold acclimation and cold hardiness in vitro and in vivo” (supervisor, completed).

Plant varieties developed

• Strawberry cultivar ‘Mera’, author.

• Strawberry cultivar ‘Neda’, author.

• Wild strawberry cultivar ‘Meda’, author.
• Wild strawberry cultivar ‘Redita’, author.
• Wild strawberry cultivar ‘Dena’, author.
• Wild strawberry cultivar ‘Elina’, author.
• Strawberry cultivar ‘Saulenė’, co-author.
• Strawberry cultivar ‘Dangė’, co-author.

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS (click the link here)

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