Editorial

Abstract

The idea to prepare this special issue of Genetics and Molecular Biology appeared as we started to prepare how to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Created in 1963, this Graduate program has formed many Brazilian and foreign geneticist. So far, 756 students (481 masters and 275 PhDs) obtained their degrees under our supervision, and they are now professors, researchers and professionals in Genetics all over Brazil and also in other countries. The present issue, composed of reviews and original research articles written by our professors and their students, highlights the spectrum of research areas currently established in the different laboratories of our program. The contributions presented here address aspects of cytogenetics, molecular genetics, phylogeny, population genetics, evolution, medical genetics, genome and bioinformatics, numerous species have been studied and covered, from human to insect, from plants to microorganisms. This is an appropriate moment to point out that this issue is also a demonstration that we have reached a critical mass able to push forward the field of Genetics in our country and other parts of the World. The process of preparing this special issue has revealed a high degree of cooperation among the authors and their readiness to work together for the PPGBM-UFRGS. Thanks are due to our sponsors, especially to CNPq, CAPES and FAPERGS, and to Sociedade Brasileira de Genética for encouraging this initiative. We are sincerely grateful to all former teachers and students who built this Program, especially to Dr. Antonio Rodrigues Cordeiro and Dr. Francisco Mauro Salzano who began and follow inspiring us all.