Duarte Mendonça obtained his Degree in Agricultural Engineering (1997) and received his PhD in Agricultural Sciences, specialization in Genetics and Breeding, by the University of Azores (2005). He started his research as an ERASMUS student (1996) at the Plant Biotechnology Unit (PBU), IAM, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna. There, he also conducted most of the research work for its PhD thesis on the “Evaluation of different pathogen-derived resistance to Plum pox virus (PPV)”.

His main research areas are in the field of Plant Biotechnology, with especial interest in Molecular Phytopathology, Plant Virology, Plant Tissue Culture and Molecular Characterization of Genetic Resources.

Currently, he is interested on using classical molecular tools and metagenomics-based approaches combined with Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to search the virus diversity existing in Azorean traditional crops, as well as in the Azorean native plant communities, as a mean to control plant virus diseases, to study the role of viruses on natural ecosystems, and for risk analysis at the agro-ecological interface. He also, involved in the preservation and revitalization Azorean plant resources (traditional cultivars and endangered native plants) through in vitro culture, including eradication of virus from crops (e.g. grapevines) by in vitro thermotherapy and meristem preparations.