Dr. Rytis Rugienius

ORCiD iD: 0000-0001-9002-9568
Tel. +370 37 55 52 53
E-mail: rytis.rugienius@lammc.lt 
Kauno St. 30, Babtai, LT-54333 Kaunas distr., Lithuania

Education

1993–1997 Doctoral studies, Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture.

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

Academic degrees and pedagogical titles

1998 PhD Biomedical Sciences, Agronomy, dissertation topic “Investigation of strawberry cold hardiness in vitro”.

Research fields

• Biology
• Agronomy

Professional experience

Since 2003 Senior Researcher, Institute of Horticulture, LAMMC.

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

1998–2003 Researcher, Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture.

1991–1993 Junior Researcher, Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture.

Memberships and affiliations with professional organizations

• Lithuanian Biotechnology Association
• Lithuanian Physiological Society

In-service training

• March–December, 2001. Institute of Horticulture Finland (MTT).

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.
• 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.

MAJOR RESEARCH OUTPUTS

Articles in journals indexed in Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database

1. Andriūnaitė E., Rugienius R., Tamošiūnė I., Perttu H., Vinskienė J., Baniulis­ D. 2022. Enhanced carbonylation of photosynthetic and glycolytic proteins in antibiotic timentin-treated tobacco in vitro shoot culture. Plants, 11 (12): 1572. IF – 4,658

2. Tamošiūnė I., Andriūnaitė E., Vinskienė J., Stanys V., Rugienius R., Baniulis D. 2022. Enduring effect of antibiotic timentin treatment on tobacco in vitro shoot growth and microbiome viversity. Plants, 11 (6): 832. IF – 4,658

3. Andriūnaitė E., Tamošiūnė I., Gelvonauskienė D., Vinskienė J., Stanys V., Baniulis D., Rugienius R. 2022. Effect of endophytic bacteria isolates on growth and oxidative stress injury of transgenic tobacco shoots in vitro. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 109 (2): 165–170. IF – 1,281
4. Starkus A., Frercks B., Gelvonauskiene D., Mazeikiene I., Rugienius R., Bendokas V., Stanys V. 2021. Potential markers for selecting self-eliminating apple genotypes. Plants, 10 (8): 1612. IF – 4,658
5. Andriūnaitė E., Tamošiūnė I., Aleksandravičiūtė M., Gelvonauskienė D., Vinskienė J., Rugienius R., Baniulis D. 2021. Stimulation of Nicotiana tabacum L. in vitro shoot growth by endophytic Bacillus cereus group bacteria. Microorganisms, 9 (9): 1893. IF – 4,926
6. Rugienius R., Bendokas V., Siksnianas T., Stanys V., Sasnauskas A., Kazanaviciute V. 2021. Characteristics of Fragaria vesca yield parameters and anthocyanin accumulation under water deficit stress. Plants, 10 (3): 557. IF – 4,658
   
7. Starkevič P., Ražanskienė A., Starkevič U., Kazanavičiūtė V., Denkovskienė E., Bendokas V., Šikšnianas T., Rugienius R., Stanys V., Ražanskas R. 2020. Isolation and analysis of anthocyanin pathway genes from Ribes genus reveals MYB gene with potent anthocyanin-inducing capabilities. Plants, 9 (9): 1078. IF – 3,935
   
8. Stanys V., Bendokas V., Rugienius R., Sasnauskas A., Frercks B., Mažeikienė I., Šikšnianas T. 2019. Management of anthocyanin amount and composition in genus Ribes using interspecific hybridisation. Scientia Horticulturae, 247: 123–129.  IF – 2,769
9. Tamošiūnė I., Stanienė G., Haimi P., Stanys V., Rugienius R., Baniulis D. 2018. Endophytic Bacillus and Pseudomonas spp. modulate apple shoot growth, cellular redox balance, and protein expression under in vitro conditions. Frontiers in Plant Science, 9: 889. IF – 3,677
10. Rasiukevičiūtė N., Rugienius R., Šikšnianienė J. B. 2018.Genetic diversity of Botrytis cinerea from strawberry in Lithuania. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 105 (3): 265–270. IF – 1,020
11. Haimi P., Vinskiene J., Stepulaitiene I., Baniulis D., Staniene G., Šikšnianienė J. B., Rugienius R. 2017. Patterns of low temperature-induced accumulation of dehydrins in Rosaceae crops — Evidence for post-translational modification in apple. Journal of Plant Physiology, 218: 175–181. IF – 3,121
12. Rugienius R., Šnipaitiene L., Stanienė G., Šikšnianienė J. B., Haimi P., Baniulis D., Frercks B., Pranckietis V., Lukoševičiūtė V., Stanys V. 2016. Cold acclimation efficiency of different Prunus and Fragaria species and cultivars in vitro. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 103 (2): 207‒214. IF – 0,644
13. Rugienius R., Siksnianiene J.B., Frercks B., Staniene G., Stepulaitiene J., Haimi P., Stanys V. 2015. Characterization of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cultivars and hybrid clones using SSR and AFLP markers. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 102 (2): 177–184. IF – 0,579
14. Rugienius R., Blažytė A., Lukoševičiūtė V., Šikšnianienė J.-B., Frercks B., Gelvonauskienė D., Gelvonauskis B., Sasnauskas A., Baniulis D. and Stanys V. 2013. Genetic polymorphism of wild pear population in Lithuania. Baltic Forestry, 19 (1): 13–21. IF – 0,304
15. Antonius K., Karhu S., Kaldma H., Lacis G., Rugenius R., Baniulis D., Sasnauskas A., Schulte E., Kuras A., Korbin M., Gunnarsson A., Werlemark G., Ryliskis D., Todam-Andersen T., Kokk L., Jarve K. 2012. Development of the Northern European Ribes core collection based on a microsatellite (SSR) marker diversity analysis. Plant. Genet. Res. Characterization Util., 10 (1): 70–73. IF – 0,728
16. Baniulis D., Stepulaitiene I., Lukoseviciute V., Blazyte A., Stanys V., Rugienius R. 2012. Accumulation of dehydrin-like proteins in pear micro-shoots during cold acclimation in vitro. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 99 (3): 293–298. IF – 0,567
17. Lukoševičiūtė V., Rugienius R., Stanienė G., Blažytė A., Gelvonauskienė D., Bendokas V., Gelvonauskis B., Sasnauskas A., Stanys V., Bobinas Č. 2012. Low temperature storage of Rosaceae (Fragaria sp. and Pyrus sp.) genetic resources in vitro. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 92 (2): 125–130. IF – 0,567
18. Kukkurainen S., Leino, A., Vähämiko S., Kärkkäinen H. R., Ahanen K., Toldi O., Rugienius R., Sorvari S. 2005. Occurrence and location of endophytic bacteria in garden and wild strawberry. HortScience, 40 (2): 348–352. IF – 0,542
19. Rugienius R., Stanys V. 2001. In vitro screening of strawberry plants for cold resistance. Euphytica, 122: 269–277. IF – 0,765

Other peer-reviewed publications

1. Tamošiūnė I., Andriūnaitė E., Vinskienė J., Stanys V., Rugienius R., Baniulis D. 2021. Antibiotic treatment impaired growth of tobacco in vitro shoots is associated with oxidative injury and reduced microbiome diversity. Research Square, Posted December 1st, p. 1–22.
2. Sasnauskas A., Bendokas V., Karklelienė R., Juškevičienė D., Šikšnianas T., Gelvonauskienė D., Rugienius R., Baniulis D., Sikorskaitė-Gudžiūnienė S., Mažeikienė I., Radzevičius A., Maročkienė N., Dambrauskas E., Stanys V. 2017. Breeding trends of fruit and vegetable crops for organic production in Lithuania. Horticulturae, 3 (1): 1.
3. Rugienius, R., Bendokas, V., Kazlauskaitė, E., Siksnianas, T., Stanys, V., Kazanaviciute, V. and Sasnauskas, A. 2016. Anthocyanin content in cultivated Fragaria vesca berries under high temperature and water deficit stress. Acta Hort, 1139: 639–644.
4. Rasiukevičiūtė N., Rugienius R., Šikšnianienė J. B. 2015. Daržinės braškės patogenai bei jų paplitimo įvertinimas Lietuvoje. Sodininkystė ir daržininkystė, 34 (3-4): 47–58.
5. Rugienius R., Šikšnianas T., Bendokas V., Stanys V. 2015. Paprastosios žemuogės derėjimas bei antocianinų kiekis ir sudėtis uogose vandens deficito sąlygomis. Sodininkystė ir daržininkystė, 34 (3-4): 3–14.
6. Rugienius R., Frercks J. B., Siksnianienė B., Stepulaitienė I., Stanienė G., Baniulis D., Stanys V. 2015. Characterization of genetic diversity of the lithuanian sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) genetic resources using microsatellite markers. Acta Hort, 1100: 105–108.
7. Sasnauskas A., Bendokas V., Karklelienė R., Juškevičienė D., Šikšnianas T., Gelvonauskienė D., Rugienius R., Baniulis D., Sikorskaitė-Gudžiūnienė S., Mažeikienė I., Radzevičius A., Maroškienė N., Dambrauskas E., Stanys V. 2015. Breeding trends for organic production in horticultural plants. Horticulture, 1, Proc. QMOH2015 - First Int. Symp. Qual. Mngmt. Organic Hortic. Prod.: 43–50.
8. Frercks B., Stanys V., Siksnianiene J. B., Stepulaitiene J., Gelvonauskiene D., Staniene G., Rugienius R., Siksnianas T. 2014. Efficiency of AFLP marker attributes in the genetic analysis of sweet cherry cultivars. J. Food Agric. Environ., 12 (1): 122–127.
9. Sasnauskas A., Viskelis P., Rubinskienė M., Rugienius R. and Bobinas, C. 2014. Productivity and small fruit quality of blackcurrant cultivars. Acta Hort., 1040: 289–293.
10. Sasnauskas A., Rugienius R., Denoyes B., Chartier P., Maltoni M. L., Korbin M., Masny A., Höfer M., Sánchez-Sevilla J. F. 2014. Developing standard management growing system to maintain sanitary status in European strawberry collections. Acta Hort., 1049: 241–246.
11. Šikšnianas T., Bendokas V., Rugienius R., Sasnauskas A., Stepulaitienė I., Stanys V. 2013. Anthocyanin content and stability in Ribes specias and interspecific hybrids. Rural development, 258–261.
12. Lukoševičiūtė V., Gelvonauskienė D., Baniulis D., Frercks B. Sasnauskas A., Stanys V., Rugienius R. 2013. Characterization of microsatellite marker loci in Lithuanian pear (Pyrus communis) cultivars. Acta Hort., 976: 257–264.
13. Baniulis D., Gelvonauskienė D., Rugienius R., Sasnauskas A., Stanienė G., Stepulaitienė I., Frercks B., Sikorskaitė S., Lukoševičiūtė V., Mažeikienė I., Šikšnianienė J.B., Morkūnaite-Haimi Š., Haimi P., Bendokas V., Gelvonauskis B., Šikšnianas T., Stanys V. 2013. Orchard plant breeding, genetics, and biotechnology research at the Institute of Horticulture, LAMMC. Sodininkystė ir daržininkystė, 32 (3-4): 21–48.
14. Sasnauskas A., Rugienius R., Bobinas C., Strautina S., Kaldmäe H., Nes A., Pedersen H. L., Mladin P., Coman M. 2012. European Network for Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) Cultivar Evaluation. Acta Hort., 926:125–131.
15. Lukoševičiūtė V., Rugienius R., Baniulis D. 2012. Skirtingų egzogeninių cukrų ir prolino įtaka braškių mikroūglių būklei in vitro. Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto Botanikos sodo raštai. 16: 41–49.
16. Lukoševičiūtė V., Rugienius R., Stanienė G., Stanys V., Baniulis D. 2009. Grūdinimo įtaka termostabilių baltymų kiekiui trešnės ir paprastosios vyšnios mikroūgliuose in vitro sąlygose. Sodininkystė ir daržininkystė, 28 (4): 35–43.
17. Burbulis N., Blinstrubienė A., Kuprienė R., Jonytienė V., Rugienius R., Stanienė G. 2009. In vitro regeneration of Brassica napus L. shoots from hypocotyls and stem segments. Zemdirbyste-Agriculture, 96 (3): 176–185.
18. Baniulis D., Gelvonauskienė D., Gelvonauskis B., Rugienius R., Bendokas V., Stanys V. 2008. Atsparumo rauplėms genų tyrimas ir molekulinių metodų taikymas obelų selekcijoje. Sodininkystė ir daržininkystė, 27: 61–75.
19. Zalunskaitė I., Rugienius R., Vinskienė J., Bendokas V., Gelvonauskienė D., Stanys V. 2008. Expression of COR gene homologues in different plants during cold acclimation. Biologija, 54 (1): 33–35.
20. Sasnauskas A., Gelvonauskienė D., Bendokas V., Stanys V., Rugienius R., Bobinas C., Baniulis D. 2007. Characterization of scab resistant Lithuanian apple cultivars. Acta Hort., 760: 507–511.
21. Sasnauskas A., Staniene G., Gelvonauskiene D., Siksnianas T., Stanys V., Bobinas C., Rugienius R., Baniulis D. 2007. Morphological traits in Ribes nigrum polyploids. Acta Hort., 760: 405–408.
22. Sasnauskas A., Rugienius R., Gelvonauskienė D., Zalunskaitė I., Stanienė G., Siksnianas T., Stanys V., Bobinas C. 2007. Screening of strawberries with red stele (Phytophthora fragariae) resistance gene Rpf1 using sequence specific DNA markers. Acta Hort., 760: 165–169.
23. Stanienė G., Rugienius R., Gelvonauskienė D., Stanys V. 2007. Effect of rolB transgene on Prunus cerasus ×P. canescens and Cydonia oblonga microshoot rhizogenesis. Biologija. 18 (1): 23–26.
24. Rugienius R, Gelvonauskiene D., Zalunskaite I., Pakalniskyte J., Stanys V. 2006. Interspecific hybridisation in genus Fragaria and evaluation of the hybrids for cold hardiness and red stele resistance using in vitro methods. Acta Hort., 725: 451–456.
25. Rugienius R., Šikšnianas T., Stanys V., Gelvonauskienė D., Bendokas V. 2006. Use of RAPD and SCAR markers for identification of strawberry genotypes carrying red stele (Phytophtora fragariae) resistance gene Rpf1. Agronomy research, 4: 335–339.
26. Šikšnianas T., Stanys V., Stanienė G., Bobinas Č., Sasnauskas A., Rugienius R. 2006. Resistance to fungal diseases of interspecific currant hybrids of Eucoreosma section. Agronomy research, 4: 367–370.
27. Ražanskienė A., Stanienė G., Rugienius R., Gelvonauskienė D., Zalunskaitė I., Vinskienė J., Stanys V. 2006. Transformation of quince (Cydonia oblonga) with the rolB gene-based constructs under different promoters. J. Fruit Ornam. Plant Res., 14 (1): 95–102.
28. Siksnianas T., Stanys V., Staniene G., Sasnauskas A., Rugienius R. 2005. American black currant as donor of leave diseases resistance in breeding of black currants. Biologija, 3: 65–68.
29. Gelvonauskiene D., Siksnianiene J., Rugienius R., Gelvonauskis B., Siksnianas T., Stanys V., Stanienė G., Sasnauskas A., Vinskiene J. 2005. Polyphenoloxidase isozyme and Vfa1 sequence specific markers in apple cultivars differed by scab resistance. Biologija, 3: 59–61.
30. Ražanskienė A, Rugienius R., Gelvonauskiene D., Vinskiene J., Zalunskaite I., Stankiene J., Sasnauskas, A., Stanys, V. 2005. Construction of vectors carrying (BRV) DNA sequences in aim to induce RNA interference and virus resistance of black currants (Ribes nigrum L.). Fruit Science, 222: 103–109.
31. Rugienius R., Sasnauskas A., Shikshnianas T. 2004. ‘Saulene’ and ‘Dange’ – two recent Lithuanian strawberry cultivars. Acta Hort., 649: 73–76.

Monographs, books, textbooks and their sections published by international publishers

1. Rugienius R., Vinskienė J., Andriūnaitė E., Morkūnaitė-Haimi Š., Haimi P.-J., Graham J. 2022. Genomic design of abiotic stress-resistant berries. In: Chittaranjan Kole (ed.). Genomic Designing for Biotic Stress Resistant Fruit Crops. Springer Nature Switzerland AG, p. 197–249.
2. Rugienius R., Frercks B., Mažeikienė I., Rasiukevičiūtė N., Baniulis D., Stanys V. 2020. Development of Climate-Resilient Varieties in Rosaceous Berries. Chittaranjan Kole (ed.): Genomic Designing of Climate-Smart Fruit Crops. Springer, p. 333–384.

Monographs, books, textbooks and their sections published by national publishers

1. Sasnauskas A., Gelvonauskienė D., Rugienius R. 2013. Sodo ir uoginių augalų veislių tyrimo metodika. Mokslinės metodikos inovatyviems žemės ir miškų mokslų tyrimas (red. A. Sasnauskas, V. Tilvikienė, R. Mašalaitė) – Kaunas, ‘Lututė‘, p. 206–215.
2. Rugienius R. 2006. Augalų ląstelinė inžinerija. BPD project No. ESF/2004/2.5.0-K02-VS-06/SUT-158. Babtai, p. 32.
3. Rugienius R. 2006. Augalų ląstelinė inžinerija. BPD project No. ESF/2004/2.5.0-K02-VS-05/SUT-159. Babtai, p. 33.

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