Dr Parthenopi Ralli is an Assistant Researcher and Genebank Manager at the Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources (IPGRB) of the Hellenic Agricultural Organization-DEMETER. Her research area is Conservation and Evaluation of Plant Genetic Resources and their Exploitation in Plant Breeding and Agronomy. She received her diploma from the School of Agriculture, Faculty of Agricultural Science of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), with specialization in the Science of Horticulture and Viticulture in 1999, her MSc in Applied Genetics and Biotechnology from the Faculty of Science of AUTh in 2002 and her PhD in Plant Breeding and Agronomy from the Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment of the same University in 2015. During her MSc thesis she explored the development and the utilization of molecular markers in plant breeding with emphasis on the evaluation of the genetic diversity of wild beets in Greece (Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima). Also, during her PhD thesis she was involved with the evaluation of genetic material of wild species and cultivated Crocus (Crocus spp.) based on agronomic characteristics and molecular techniques, the methods of these species’ regeneration and ex situ and in situ conservation.

From 1998 till 2003 Dr Ralli worked in research projects of the School of Agriculture of AUTh, at the Hellenic Organization of Agricultural Insurances and at the Region of Central Macedonia, Directorate of Rural Development. In 2004 she joined the scientific staff of the Hellenic Agricultural Organization-DEMETER, Directorate General of Agricultural Research (former National Agricultural Research Foundation-NAGREF) and from 2017 the research staff of the Institute of Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources of the same Organization. Her research interests focus on the ex situ and in situ conservation of plant genetic resources (PGR) and she has work experience in collection, regeneration with in vitro and ex vitro techniques, characterization, documentation and evaluation of plant genetic material of landraces and crop wild relatives with the use of morphological and agronomic traits and molecular markers.

Dr Ralli is National Focal Point or alternate National Focal Point of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other European and National Committees and Networks on PGR conservation and management, member of the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR) Working Groups, Chair of the Beta Working Group since 2015, National Focal Point for the European Search Catalogue for PGR  (EURISCO) and other national inventories and participates in Scientific Societies. She was and is involved as a coordinator, work package leader or as a team member in 20 European or National research projects, and has 75 research publications in internationally referred Journals, Proceedings of International and National Conferences and Book Chapters.

• Ex situ and in situ conservation of plant genetic resources
• Plant genetic resources regeneration with in vitro and ex vitro techniques
• Characterization and evaluation of plant genetic material with the use of morphological and agronomic traits and molecular markers
• Utilization of plant genetic resources in sustainable agriculture and breeding

• Networking, partnerships and tools to enhance in situ conservation of European plant genetic resources – Farmer’s Pride, funded project by European Union, H2020-SFS-2016-2017, Coordination and Support Action.
• Enhancing nutrient use efficiency through legumes in agro-ecosystems of the Mediterranean basin – CROSYMED, funded project by European Union 7^th FP, ARIMNet2 2014-2017.
• Collective Approach of Research and Innovation for Sustainable Development in Highland – Highlands, funded project by European Union, H2020-MSCA-RISE-2018.
• Improving a cooperation network between actors involved in conservation and utilization of Beta genetic resources – ΒΕΤΑΝΕΤ, funded project by the Activity Grant Scheme of the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR).
• Effect of water use efficiency on Greek basil landraces (Ocimum basilicum), funded project by the Operational Programme ‘Human Resource Development, Education and Lifelong Learning 2014-2020’, entitled ‘Research Support with emphasis on Young Researchers’.

• Grdiša, M., Radosavljević, I., Liber, Z., Stefkov, G., Ralli, P., Chatzopoulou, P., Carović-Stanko, K., Šatović, Z. 2019. Divergent selection and genetic structure of Sideritis scardicapopulations from southern Balkan Peninsula as revealed by AFLP fingerprinting. Sci Rep 9, 12767. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-49097-x
• Ntinas, G.K., Kadoglidou, K., Tsivelika, N., Krommydas, K., Kalivas, A., Ralli, P., Irakli, M. 2019. Performance and Hydroponic Tomato Crop Quality Characteristics in a Novel Greenhouse Using Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Technology for Covering Material. Horticulturae 5, 42
• Ninou, E.G., Mylonas, I.G., Tsivelikas, A.L., Ralli, P.E. 2017. Phenotypic diversity of Greek dill (Anethum graveolens) landraces, Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B — Soil & Plant Science, DOI: 10.1080/09064710.2016.1276957
• Ganopoulos, I., Xanthopoulou, A., Mastrogianni, A., Drouzas, A., Kalivas, A., Bletsos, F., Krommydas, K., Ralli, P., Tsaftaris, A. and Madesis, P. High Resolution Melting (HRM) analysis in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.): a tool for microsatellite genotyping and molecular characterization of a Greek Genebank collection. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 58: 64-71
• Xanthopoulou, A., Ganopoulos, I., Kalivas, A., Nianiou-Obeidat, I., Ralli, P., Moysiadis, T., Tsaftaris, A., Madesis, P. 2015. Comparative analysis of genetic diversity in Greek Genebank collection of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) landraces using start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism and ISSR markers. Australian Journal of Crop Science 9(1): 14-21
• Ninou, E., Mylonas, I., Tsivelikas, A., Ralli, P., Dordas, C., Tokatlidis, I. 2014. Wheat landraces are better qualified as potential gene pools at ultraspaced rather than densely grown conditions. The Scientific World Journal, Volume 2014, Article ID 957472, 5 pg
• Xepapadeas, A., Ralli, P., Kougea, A. E., Spyrou, S., Stavropoulos, N., Tsiaousi, V., Tsivelikas, A. 2014. Valuing insurance services emerging from a gene bank: The case of the Greek Gene Bank. Ecological Economics 97: 140-147
• Madesis, P., Ganopoulos, I., Ralli, P., Tsaftaris, A. 2012. Barcoding the major Mediterranean leguminous crops by combining universal chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequence targets. Genet. Mol. Res. 11 (3): 2548-2558
• Ralli, P., Dordas, C. 2011. In situ conservation of Crocus cartwrightianus in Cyclades and Crete. In: Agrobiodiversity Conservation: Securing the Diversity of Crop Wild Relatives and Landraces. (Maxted, N., Ehsan Dulloo, M., Ford-Lloyd, B.V., Frese, L., Iriondo, J.M., Pinheiro de Carvalho, M.A.A. eds). CABI Publishing, Croydon, pp. 96-102