The Castellarin Laboratory investigates the ripening processes in wine grapes and blueberries, and the biological mechanisms that determine fruit composition and wine quality. By examining how fruit ripening and composition evolve in vineyards and in blueberry fields under different environmental conditions, we can develop new agronomical strategies for enhancing desirable fruit qualities. Such strategies are crucial for mitigating climate change effects on grape and blueberry productions, and for growing premium grapes and blueberries in BC and Canada.
The University of British Columbia
Vancouver campus
Lab Members
The laboratory currently uses a multidisciplinary approach that combines field and greenhouse experiments, and targeted and untargeted analysis of metabolites and transcripts. The team has a background mainly focused in field of plant molecular biology, genomics, bioinformatics, plant physiology and viticulture.
Measuring grape berry elasticity
Several grapevine varieties are maintained at UBC’s Greenhouse where they are monitored under different stress conditions.
Teaching
Dr. Simone Castellarin teaches courses to provide students with a deep understanding of grapevine biology. Additionally, through his research program he seeks to form new highly qualified personnel with robust knowledge in molecular viticulture to benefit the grape and wine industry.
Wine bottles from the UBC Wine Library
The Canadian grape and wine industry has evolved into a strong niche market producing internationally-respected wines; specifically in British Columbia, the number of wineries and the income related to the wine industry has grown steadily in the last twenty years.
Vineyard at the Okanagan Valley
Optimizing fruit composition in the vineyard is crucial for enhancing Canadian and BC wine quality and the expansion of Canadian and BC wines in the international markets. Therefore, the final goal of the research program is to benefit the BC grape and wine industry by providing new knowledge for maximizing the fruit quality.