Chandrika Perera - (Visiting Scientist)

I work as a molecular biologist and a plant breeder at the Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka CRISL. I studied at the University of Peradeniya Sri Lanka for my BSc before joining the CRISL. My work involved quantitative genetics aspects of coconut breeding and germplasm conservation before I took 3 years leave for post graduate studies.

I have just completed my PhD at the University of Birmingham, U.K. The research leading to my PhD involved developing a QTL mapping population based on a new concept using the principles of substitution mapping. The new population we developed was named Stepped Aligned Inbred Recombinant Lines (STAIRS) and we used the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (ecotypes Columbia and Landsberg) for this work.

I am now at DArT for the construction of a medium resolution diversity array for coconut. This work is supported by IPGRI under the Generation Challenge Programme. Although I am an employee of the Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka this will be my first experience with molecular research in coconut. I will be a part of DArT team for a period of about 6 months from July 2005.

Back to visitors