Our research is focused on the biology of cacao and it's wild relatives. We aim to provide cacao producers with information that supports the quality, quantity and sustainability of cacao production. You can learn more about our research areas below.

Cacao Wild Relatives

Theobroma cacao is the species from which chocolate is produced. It belongs to a group of about 40 other species that are mostly distributed in the forests of Latin America but one is found in the deserts of Arabia. The genetic resources of this diverse group of plants may be of use to the chocolate industry in tackling problems such as disease and drought. We are researching these cacao wild relatives in the following areas: taxonomy, phylogeny, species distribution modeling, drought tolerance and population genomics. Learn more about our work in these areas below.

Taxonomy

Matheus Colli Silva is preparing a taxonomic revision of Theobroma and Herrania that will be the first on these groups since the works of Jose Cuatrecasas and Richard Evans Schultes. The revision will include descriptions of each species, illustrations and information on their geographic distributions and uses. The work is supervised by Professor Jose Rubens Pirani of the University of Sao Paulo and Dr James Richardson at UCC with the invaluable help of Dr. Laurence J. Dorr of the Smithsonian Institution .

Phylogeny

Theobroma cacao is a representative of the tribe Theobromateae that has about forty-five species in the genera Theobroma, Herrania, Guazuma and Glossostemon. We are preparing a phylogeny of nearly all species in the tribe in a project with Dr Ana Maria Bossa at Universidad el Bosque and Dr Martha Vives at the University of the Andes in Bogotá, Matheus Colli Silva and Professor Jose Rubens Pirani at the University of Sao Paulo, Professor Barbara Whitlock at the University of Miami and Dr James Richardson at UCC. This phylogeny has now been published.

Species Distribution Modelling

Where do species of Theobromateae grow? Where might they grow in the future under different climate change scenarios? Which species might be drought tolerant? Will an understanding of the biology of drought tolerant species be of use in making Theobroma cacao drought tolerant? We aim to address these questions using geo-referenced herbarium specimen data in a project with Dr Peter Moonlight and Emily Symington of Trinity College Dublin and Dr James Richardson at UCC.

Drought Tolerance

Some species of Theobromateae grow in dry forests (e.g. Guazuma ulmifolia) and another grows in the deserts of Arabia (Glossostemon bruguieri). Natalia Contreras aims to study the genetics of drought tolerance in Guazuma in a project that is co-supervised by Dr Catherine Kidner, Dr Michelle Hart and Dr Andrew Hudson of either the University of Edinburgh and/or the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and also by Professor Toby Pennington of the University of Exeter and RBGE and Dr James Richardson of UCC.

Population Genomics

Together with Professor Jose Rubens Pirani and Dr Antonio Figueira of the University of Sao Paulo and Dr James Richardson at UCC, Matheus Colli Silva investigates the population genomics of cacao and its relative cupuacu (Theobroma grandiflorum). Matheus work has shown that the latter went through two phases of domestication, firstly between 5000 and 8000 years ago mediated by indigenous groups and secondly within the last two centuries by European colonists.

Cacao Biology

As well as focusing on the relatives of cacao, we also conduct research on different aspects of the biology of Theobroma cacao itself. By understanding how it evolved and how it interacts with other organisms, such as pollinators and fungi, we can determine how it functions in natural and cultivated conditions and that may allow us to advise on how to improve chocolate production. 

Population Genomics

We investigate the population genomics of cacao throughout its native range in the Neotropics. This project is being undertaken with Dr Roxana Yockteng, Jaime Osorio Guarin and Jhon Berdugo at Agrosavia, Dr Felipe Zapata at UCLA and Dr James Richardson at UCC.

Pollination Biology

It is estmated that only five percent of cacao flowers are successfully pollinated. With the long term goal of aiming to improve this figure we are using DNA barcoding approaches to determine the identity of cacao floral visitors in Colombia. This work is being conducted by Mateo Tamayo in collaboration with Dr Adriana Sanchez at Rosario University, Dr Roxana Yockteng at Agrosavia and Dr James Richardson at UCC.

Cacao Culture

Chocolate is a product loved by all, with tremendous variety in taste and aroma. Understanding how this diversity is produced requires an understanding of how we interact with the plant and the processes that are used to make chocolate. 

Humans and Cacao

Carolina Bonilla, supervised by Dr Stefan Pohl of Rosario University and Dr James Richardson at UCC, investigates the interaction between the scientific community and cacao growers over the last century in Colombia. How can we improve how this interaction works in a way that is benefical to cacao growing communities worldwide?