Biochemical Journal Young Investigator Award

Rafaelo M. Galvão

Rafaelo M. Galvão completed his BSc in Biological Sciences and MSc in Genetics at Universidade Federal de Viçosa, one of the best universities in Brazil. As a master student under the guidance of Dr Elizabeth P. B. Fontes, Rafaelo worked on the discovery and molecular characterization of new strains of tomato viruses. Later, as a research associate in a Brazilian government research institute, Rafaelo contributed to the identification and cloning of the genes involved in ethylene biosynthesis in coffee.

A few years ago Rafaelo went to the United States, where he currently lives, to pursue his PhD through a scholarship from the Brazilian government. Currently, he is a PhD candidate working under the supervision of Dr Wendy F. Boss, a Distinguished Professor of the Department of Plant Biology at North Carolina State University. His thesis represents groundbreaking work on the biochemical characterization of a new group of protein kinases he found in plants. His results suggest that members of this new group of kinases might be involved in the ubiquitin/proteasome system.

Since 1997, Rafaelo has been working on many aspects of plant molecular biology, physiology and biochemistry. During these years he has dedicated his time not only to research, his passion, but also to teaching and undergraduate training.