I am involved in research projects targeting identifying QTLs/genes via linkage- and linkage disequilibrium (LD)- based QTL mapping and genomic selection methods for resistance to various diseases and other critical agronomic traits in cereal crops. Through the application of high-throughput genotyping and phenotyping platforms, molecular markers are either identified for MAS or genomic prediction models are developed and used for selection in cereal crops breeding.
Ph.D. (Plant Genetics ); Collaboration of Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia and University of Bologna, Italy (2019).
Research thesis "Molecular Characterization and Genome-Wide Association Mapping for Root System Architecture and Quality Related Traits in Ethiopian Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) with High-Density SNP Markers".
Alemu, A.*, Åstrand, J., Montesinos-López, O.A., y Sánchez, J.I., Fernández-Gónzalez, J., Tadesse, W., Vetukuri, R.R., Carlsson, A.S., Ceplitis, A., Crossa, J., Ortiz, R. and Chawade, A.(2024). Genomic selection in plant breeding: key factors shaping two decades of progress. Molecular Plant. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2024.03.007
Alemu, A.*, Singh, K. Pawan, and Chawade, A. (2024). Adaptation and Grain Yield Stability Analysis of Winter Wheat Cultivars with and Without Fungicides Treatment from National Variety Trials in Sweden. Agriculture, 5;14(12):2229. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122229
Shewabez, E., Mugnai, L., Tadesse, W., and Alemu, A.* (2025). Unraveling the genetic architecture of stripe rust resistance in ICARDA spring wheat. Plant Gene, 41, 100478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plgene.2024.100478
Alemu, A., Sundaramoorthy, J., Abreha, K.B., Enyew, M., Geleta, M. and Carlsson, A.S. (2024). Developing genomic tools to assist turnip rape [Brassica rapa (L.) subsp.oleifera (DC.) Metzg.] breeding. Front. Genet. 15:1435474. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2024.1435474
Tadesse, W., Gataa, Z.E., Rachdad, F.E. Baouchi, A., Kehel, Z. & Alemu, A.* (2023). Single- and multi-trait genomic prediction and genome-wide association analysis of grain yield and micronutrient-related traits in ICARDA wheat under drought environment. Mol Genet Genomics (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-023-02074-6
Zakieh, M., Alemu, A., Henriksson, T., Pareek, N., Singh, P.K. & Chawade, A.(2023). Exploring GWAS and genomic prediction to improve Septoria tritici blotch resistance in wheat. Sci Rep 13, 15651. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42856-x
Alemu, A., Batista, L., Singh, P.K., Cepaltis, A. and Chawade, A.* (2023). Haplotype-tagged SNPs improve genomic prediction accuracy for Fusarium head blight resistance and yield-related traits in wheat. Theor Appl Genet 136, 92. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00122-023-04352-8
Kondić-Špika, A., Trkulja, D. Brbaklić, L., Mikić, S., Glogovac, S., Johansson, E., Alemu, A., Chawade, A., Rahmatov, M., and Ibba, M.I. (2023). Marker-assisted selection for the improvement of cereals and pseudocereals. In Rakszegi, M., Papageorgiou, M. and Rocha, J.M. (Eds.), Developing Sustainable and Health-Promoting Cereals and Pseudocereals. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-90566-4.00012-6
Alemu, A., Brantestam, A. K., & Chawade, A.* (2022). Unraveling the Genetic Basis of Key Agronomic Traits of Wrinkled Vining Pea (Pisum sativum L .) for Sustainable Production. Frontiers in Plant Science 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.844450
Alemu, A., Brazauskas, G., Gaikpa, D.S., Henriksson, T., Islamov, B., Jørgensen, L.N., Koppel, M., Koppel, R., Liatukas, Ž., Svensson, J.T. and Chawade, A.* (2021). Genome-Wide Association Analysis and Genomic Prediction for Adult-Plant Resistance to Septoria Tritici Blotch and Powdery Mildew in Winter Wheat. Frontiers in Genetics 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2021.661742
Tesfaye, T., Tesfaye, K., Keneni, G., Alemu, T., Alemu, A. (2022). Genome-wide association study for yield-related traits in sesame (Sesamum indicum). Plant Breeding, 1– 11. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbr.13004
Shewabez, E., Bekele, E., Alemu, A., Mugnai, L., Tadesse, W. (2022) . Genetic characterization and genome-wide association mapping for stem rust resistance in spring bread wheat. BMC Genomic Data 23, 11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12863-022-01030-4
Alemu, A.*, Suliman, S., Hagras, A., Thabet, S. Al-Abdallat, A., Abdelmula, A. A. and Tadesse, W. 2021. Multi-model genome-wide association and genomic prediction analysis of 16 agronomic, physiological and quality related traits in ICARDA spring wheat. Euphytica 217, 205 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-021-02933-6
Alemu, A.*, El Baouchi, A., El Hanafi, S., Kehel, Z., Eddakhir, K. and Tadesse, W. (2021). Genetic analysis of grain protein content and dough quality traits in elite spring bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) lines through association study. Journal of Cereal Science https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2021.103214
Alemu, A.*, Feyissa, T., Maccaferri, M., Sciara, G., Tuberosa, R., Ammar, K., Badebo, A., Acevedo, M., Letta, T. and Abeyo, B. (2021). Genome-wide association analysis unveils novel QTLs for seminal root system architecture traits in Ethiopian durum wheat. BMC Genomics 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-020-07320-4
Suliman, S., Alemu, A. *, Abdelmula, A.A., Badawi, G.H., Al-Abdallat, A. and Tadesse, W. (2021). Genome-wide association analysis uncovers stable QTLs for yield and quality traits of spring bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) across contrasting environments. Plant Gene 25, 100269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plgene.2020.100269
Alemu, A.*, Feyissa, T., Tuberosa, R., Maccaferri, M., Sciara, G., Letta, T. and Abeyo, B. (2020). Genome-wide association mapping for grain shape and color traits in Ethiopian durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum). The Crop Journal 8, 757–768. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cj.2020.01.001
Alemu, A.*, Feyissa, T., Letta, T. and Abeyo, B. (2020). Genetic diversity and population structure analysis based on the high-density SNP markers in Ethiopian durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum). BMC Genetics 21:18 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12863-020-0825-x
Alemu, A.*, Petros, Y. and Tesfaye, K. (2013). Genetic distance of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) cultivars and varieties from Northwestern Ethiopia using inter simple sequence repeat markers. East African Journal of Science 7(1): 31-40. https://haramayajournals.org/index.php/ejas/article/view/148