Dr. Hewan Demissie
Dr. Hewan Demissie Degu holds a PhD in Bioresource Engineering with a robust academic foundation in molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry. She serves as Associate Dean of Research and Technology Transfer at Hawassa University in Ethiopia. As a molecular scientist, she focuses on improving crops to enhance food security and nutrition.
She is involved in a five-year project focused on improving barley crop resilience to acid stress, utilising cutting-edge facilities for PCR, genomics, and genome editing. Her recent accomplishments include identifying five acid-tolerant barley lines, characterising numerous accessions, and mentoring a diverse cohort of master's students in soil science and biotechnology. Dr. Degu also conducts practical training for farmers on selecting resilient barley varieties and managing soil pH, which is crucial for sustainable agriculture.
Hewan'swork during her Short Research Stay
During her Short Research Stay under the Open Doors Fellowship Program, Hewan was hosted at the Thomas Jacobs Lab of Plant Genome Editing. She focused on identifying and manipulating water management genes to explore the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying plant adaptation to adverse environmental conditions, particularly drought stress. Dr. Degu's research highlighted the potential of anisohydric behavior as a valuable agronomic trait in enhancing crop productivity under drought conditions, contrasting it with traditional isohydric responses.
Building on recent advancements in genome editing technologies, including CRISPR/Cas12a systems, she pioneered the application of these tools to manipulate tonoplast aquaporins in model plants like Moss Physcomitrium patens. This approach aimed to elucidate the role of aquaporins in regulating water balance and improving plant drought tolerance.
Selected Publications
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Degu, H. D., Semahegn, A., & Sato, K. (2023). Marker-assisted selection of one-kbp insertion at the 5’ UTR region of HvAACT1 gene improves plant performance under acidic soil growth conditions in barley (Hordeum vulgare). Euphytica, 219(11), 122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-023-03241-x
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Degu, H. D., Tehelku, T. F., Kalousova, M., & Sato, K. (2023). Genetic diversity and population structure of barley landraces from Southern Ethiopia’s Gumer district: Utilization for breeding and conservation. PLOS ONE, 18(1), e0279737. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0279737
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Dukamo, B. H., Gedebo, A., Tesfaye, B., & Degu, H. D. (2023). Genetic diversity of Ethiopian durum wheat (T. turgidum subsp. durum) landraces under water-stressed and non-stressed conditions. Heliyon, 9(7), e18359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18359
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Yeshitila, M., Gedebo, A., Degu, H. D., Olango, T. M., & Tesfaye, B. (2023). Study on characters associations and path coefficient analysis for quantitative traits of amaranth genotypes from Ethiopia. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 20981. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-47869-0