Gabriel O. Romero

Details

Dr. Gabriel O. Romero is recognized for importnat Gabriel joined Monsanto Philippines, Inc. as a Regulatory Affairs Lead, where he is responsible for securing licenses and permits that allow the company to conduct business in the country and Monsanto products to enter the country from overseas. Prior to joining Monsanto, he held several positions in the Philippine Rice Research Institute from 1989 to 2010. He has experience in rice gene banking and molecular genetics of tungro resistance. He was also responsible for the development of risk-management procedures for international public gene banks of major crops of the world. Gabriel authored numerous publications about rice genetics and crop biotechnology. He also received several awards in the span of his career, namely: The Outstanding Young Men and Women (TOYM), Philippines, 2002 Outstanding Young Scientist, National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines, 2002 National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST)-Third World Academy of Sciences, Italy (TWAS) Science Prize in Biology, 2002 Scientist I Rank, Department of Science and Technology, 2002 Gabriel earned his degree in Bachelor of Science in Biology and M.S. in Genetics from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, M.Phil. in Plant Breeding With Distinction from University of Cambridge, England, and Ph.D. in Genetics from University of California, Davis.

Sex: Male

Education:

    • University of California, Davis, CA, USA, Doctor of Philosophy in Genetics, Minor: Molecular Biology, 1996
    • University of Cambridge, England, M. Phil. Plant Breeding, 1990
    • University of the Philippines at Los Baños, College, Laguna, Master Science in Genetics, 1989
    • University of the Philippines at Los Baños, College, Laguna, Bachelor of Science in Biology, 1983

Field of Specialization:

Biology, Genetics, Genomic library construction and screening, PCRbased markers: CAPS, dCAPS, SSR, AFLP, Quantitative real-time PCR, reverse transciptase-PCR, different display, Tail-PCR, Use of molecular markers to fingerprint germplasm and establish genetic relationships, Cloning of tunngro resistance genes for use in engineering tungro resistant varieties, Improving agronomic traits such as disease resistance, seedling vigor and cold tolerance in rice using B-glucanase genes through genetic transformation, Collection, conservation and documentation of rice germplasm., Application of molecular biology and biotechnology to germplasm characterization, gene isolation and varietal improvement, Microarray analysis, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation, DNA sequencing, plasmid cloning, northern hybridization, Southern hybridization

Researches:

    • Panes, V.A., Romero, G.O., (2003) Bulked segregant analysis (BSA): A rapid procedure for identifying AFLP markers in specific regions of the rice tungro spherical-virus disease resistance gene locus in rice (Oryza sativa L.)
    • Transactions of the National Science and Technology, Philippines Volume 25(1):
    • Panes, V.A., Romero, G.O., Anglacer, A.P., (2003) High throughout screening of the bacterial artificial chromosome (Bac) library using the thermal assymetric Interlaced PCR (Tail-PCR) for the physical mapping of tungro spherical virus resistance gene in rice.
    • Transactions of the National Academy of Science and Technology (Philippines) Volume 25(1):
    • Romero, G.O. Simmons, C. Thomas, B.R. Rodriguez, L., (1997) Structure and expression of a B-glucanase multigene cluster in rice.
    • Plant Molecular Biology
    • Romero, G.O., (1998) Nuclear and organellar DNA application in Oryza: Taxonomy and phylogene
    • Trans. of the National Academy of Science and Technology Volume 20
    • Romero, G.O. et al., (2001) GEMS 2002
    • CD Version
    • Romero, G.O. Thomas, B.R. Rodriguez, R.L., (In press) Molecular evolution of cereal B-glucanase.
    • Philippine Journal of Biotechnology
    • Thomas, B.R., Romero, G.O., (2000) New perspectives on the endo-beta-glucanases of glycosyl hydrolase family 17.
    • International Journal of Macromolecular Biology Volume 27:
    • Romero, G.O. Rodriguez, R.L., (1999) Structure and expression of a novel B-glucanases gene in rice.
    • Philippine Journal of Biochemistry Volume 10;
    • Romero, G.O., Jack, P., (1999) Ribosomal and organellar DNA polymorphism in Oryza.
    • Philippine Journal of Crop Science Volume 24(1):
    • Romero, G.O. et al., (1998) Characterization of endo-B-glucanase genes in rice (Gn2-Gns14) defines a new subgroup within the gene family
    • Gene Volume 223
    • Romero, G.O., Panes, V.A., Messing, J., () Molecular genetics of tungro resistance.
    • In: The Rice Tungro Virus Disease: A Paradigm in Disease Management in the Philippines." E.R. Tiongo and L.S. sebastian (eds).
    • Romero. G.O. et al., (1999) GEMS-a graphical window-based system for the PhilRice Genebank.
    • Philippine Journal of Crop Science Volume 24(1)
    • Romero, G.O. Simmons, C. Thomas, B.R. Rodriguez, R.L., (1998) Cloning of defense-related genes that are active during seed germination in rice.
    • PhilRice Technical Bulletin. Also in: Transaction of the National Academy of Science and Technology,(22), 236-252, 1998. Volume 3
    • Romero, G.O. Amante- Bordeos, A. Dalmacio, R., D. Elloran, R. Sitch, L.A., (1993) Comparative studies of isozymes in Oryza sativa, O. minuta, and their interspecific derivatives evidence for homocology and recombination.
    • Theory of Applied Genetics Volume 87
    • Ogawa, T. Busto, G.A. Tabien, R.A. Romero, G.O., (1991) Grouping of rice cultivars based on reaction pattern to Philippine races of bacterial blight pathogen (Xanthomonas campestris pv. oryza)
    • Japanes Journal of Breeding Volume 41
    • Sitch, L.A. Romero, G.O., (1989) Pre-fertilization incompatibility barriers operate in interspecific and intergeneric crosses involving Oryza sativa.
    • International Rice Research Newsletter Volume 14(5)
    • Sitch, L.A. Romero, G.O. Dalmacio, R.D., (1989) Preliminary studies of pollen grain germination and pollen tube growth in crosses of Oryza sativa with Porteresia coarctanum.
    • International Rice Research Newsletter Volume 1(5)
    • Sitch, L.A Dalmacio, R.D. Romero, G.O., (1989) Crossability of wild Oryza species and their potential use for improvement of cultivated rice.
    • Rice Genetics Newsletters Volume 6
    • Romero, G.O. Thomas, B.R. Rodriguez, R.L., (1998) Five new genes in rice define new subfamilies of growth and defense related B-glucanase genes.
    • Proc., 14th Annual Chemistry Congress
    • Ordonio, R.L. , G.O. Romero, () Simultineous detection of rice tungro viruses
    • Multiplex RT-PCR
    • Lim, E.Y., Panes, V.A., Romero, G.O., (2006) Species identification and genetic diversity analaysis of yeast isolates from Philippine rice wine starters by DNA fingerprinting.
    • Philippine Agricultural Scientist Volume 89:
    • Aldemita, R.R., Desamero, N.V., Solis, R.O., Romero, G.O. et.al., (2004) Biotechnology for rice improvement
    • PhilRice Technical Bulletin Volume 8(1):
    • Romero, G.O., Anglacer,A.P., Falla, M.C., (2002) Polymerase chain reaction based techniques for DNA fingerprinting of Philippine modern rice varieties.
    • Philippine Agricultural Scientist Volume 85:
    • Maramara, M.G., Romero, G.O., Bajet, N.B., Sebastian, L.S., (2001) Cloning of rice tungro bacilliform virus(RTBV) coat protein(CP) gene.
    • Philippine Journal of Biotechnology Volume 12:
    • Romero G.O., Newingham, M.C.V., Borromeo, T.H., Bon, S., Alegado A., (2002) The PhilRice Genebank Data Management System
    • A catalogue of 1000 accessions.CD Publication
    • Romero G.O., Thomas, B.R., Rodriguez, R.L., (2000) Molecular evolution of cereal B-Glucanase gene
    • Philippine J Biotechnology Volume 11
    • Romero, G.O., Rodriguez, R.L., (2000) Structure and expression of Gns9, a novel rice B-Glucanase gene
    • Philippine J Biotech Volume 10
    • Thomas, B.R., Romero, G.O. Nevins, D., Rodriguez, R.L., (2000) New perspective on the endobeta-glucanases of glycosyl hydrolase family 17
    • Int J Macromol Volume 27
    • Stich, L.A., Romero, G.O., () Attempts to overcome prefertilization incompatibility in interspecific and integeneric crosses involving Oryza sativa L.
    • Genome Volume 33:
    • Romero,G.O, (2011 JL 13-14) Gerplasm Collection by DNA Fingerprinting
    • Transactions of the National Academy of Science and Technology. Abstracts of Papers Volume 33, No. 1
    • Romero,G.O, (2011 JL 13-14) Characterization of Moringa oleifera Lam.Gerplasm Collections in the Philippines by DNA Fingerprinting
    • Transactions of the National Academy of Science and Technology. Abstracts of Papers Volume 33, No. 1
    • Romero, G.O., Fernando, T.C, (2009) Detection of Rice Tungro Viruses by Conventional Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)
    • Transactions of the National Academy of Science and Technology. Abstracts of Papers Volume 31, No. 1

Awards:

    • Outstanding Young Scientist Award (Genetics), National Academy Science and Technology-Department Of Sscience and Technology, 2002
    • NAST Talent Search for Young Scientist Award, NAST-DOST, 1997
    • TWAS Prize for Biology, National Academy Science and Technology, 2002
    • 1999 Best Poster, GEMS - a graphical, window-based database system for the PhilRice Genebank, 10th Regional Symposium on Research and Development Highlights of the Central Luzon Agriculture and, 1999
    • 1999 Best Poster in the Biological Sciences: Molecular evolutoon of cereal B-glucanases, 21st Annual Scientific Meeting, NAST, 1999
    • Best Poster (3rd Place), Unlocking the rice treasury through GEMS., 12th PhilRice R&D Conference, 1999
    • 1998 Outstanding Senior Researcher (3rd Place), Plant Breeding & Biotechnology Division, Philippine Rice Research Institute, 1998
    • 1997 Community Outstanding Young Achievers, San Pablo City Jaycees., 1997
    • Finalist, Best Paper Competition, Scientific Meeting of FCSSP, FCSSP, 1997
    • William and Kathleen Golden Fellowship in International Agriculture, , 1995-1996
    • Jastro-Shields Research Award in Agricultural Research, , 1992-1993
    • Predoctoral Fellowship in Biotechnology, Rockefeller Foundation, 1989-1996
    • TH Middleton Prize: Ranked first in class for the Master of Philosophy Degree in Plant Breeding at t, , 1989-1990
    • Best Poster: 14th Scientific Meeting, FCSSP, 1988
    • Travel Award : to attend 6th International Symposium on Rice Molecular Biology, China Academy of Science and Rockefeller Foundation, 1998
    • Travel Award: to attende 6th Pacific Rim Biotechnology Conference and BioExpo'98, Rockefeller Foundation, 1998
    • Travel Award: to attend Positional Cloning Course, CSHL, New York, Gold Spring Laboratory and Rockefeller Foundation, 1997
    • Travel Award: to attend 5th International Congress of Plant Molecular Biology, Singapore, Rockefeller Foundation, 1997
    • Travel Award: to attend General Meeting of the International Program on Rice Biotechnology, Malacca,, Rockefeller Foundation, 1997
    • Travel Award: to attend 3rd International Rice Genetics Symposium, Manila, Rockefeller Foundation, 1995
    • Travel Award; to attende 4th International Congress of Plant Molecular Biology, Amsterdam, Rockefeller Foundation, 1994
    • Travel Award: to attend the 6th Annual Meeting of Rice Biotechnology Program, Chang, Mai, Thailand, Rockefeller Foundation, 1993