Tomás Byrne
Tree Improvement TechnologistResearch Interests
- Tree evolution and population genetics
- Molecular biology of trees
- Micropropagation and cloning
- Biotic and Abiotic stresses
- Bioinformatics
- Microscopy and Imaging
Current Projects
- BroadGen Project - Studying the genetic diversity and resilience of commercially important broadleaved tree species in Ireland
- ExAl Project - Exploring the microbiome of alder trees and its associated rhizosphere to identify potential bio-agents and improve disease tolerance against the root rot pathogen Phytophthora alni.
- ElmAsh Research Project - Investigating rapid multiplication techniques and the microbiome of Ash (Fraxinus excelsior), along with the genetic conservation of Wych elm (Ulmus glabra) to breed disease-resistant genotypes.
- ADAPTForRes Research Project - Adaptation, mitigation and protection strategies to increase resilience of Irish forests to impacts of climate change.
Previous Projects
- GENESIS Project – Genomic evaluation for the sustainable improvement of Sitka spruce
- Virtual Irish Centre of Crop Improvement (VICCI) – Investigating the abiotic stress resistance of Irish winter barley
Education
- PhD – Botany, Trinity College Dublin & Teagasc Oak Park
- MSc – Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin & Teagasc Oak Park
- BSc – Biological Sciences, Maynooth University
Additional details
Directions to his office: Ashtown Food Research Centre.
• Byrne, T., Farrelly, N., Kelleher, C., Hodkinson, T. R., Byrne, S. L., & Barth, S. (2022). Genetic Diversity and Structure of a Diverse Population of Picea sitchensis Using Genotyping-by-Sequencing. Forests, 13(9), 1511.
• Byrne, T., Grant, J., Kock-Appelgren, P., Förster, L., Michel, T., Miricescu, A., Thomas, W. T. B., Graciet, E., Spink, J., Ng, C. K. Y., & Barth, S. (2022). Improving phenotyping in winter barley cultivars towards waterlogging tolerance by combining field trials under natural conditions with controlled growth condition experiments. European Journal of Agronomy, 133, 126432.
• Kehoe, S., Byrne, T., Spink, J., Barth, S., Ng, C. K. Y., & Tracy, S. (2022). A novel 3D X-ray computed tomography (CT) method for spatio-temporal evaluation of waterlogging-induced aerenchyma formation in barley. The Plant Phenome Journal, 5(1), e20035.
• Miricescu, A., Byrne, T., Doorly, C. M., Ng, C. K. Y., Barth, S., & Graciet, E. (2021). Experimental comparison of two methods to study barley responses to partial submergence. Plant Methods, 17(1), 40.
• Nugent, J. M., Byrne, T., McCormack, G., Quiwa, M., & Stafford, E. (2019). Progressive programmed cell death inwards across the anther wall in male sterile flowers of the gynodioecious plant Plantago lanceolata. Planta, 249(3), 913-923.