Plant Molecular Biology and Genetics

Plant Molecular Biology and Genetics

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Screening wild and modern wheat genotypes for their tolerance to aboitic stresses.

Research in plant molecular biology and genetics is attracting increasing attention within the scientific community, because biotechnology research is extensively involved in product development for many agricultural, chemical, and pharmaceutical companies. Through application of molecular biology techniques, new plant varieties are being developed which are resistant to broad spectrum herbicides, insects, viral pathogens and extreme environmental conditions. Testing and analysis of genetically modified organisms (GMO) is also carried out in our laboratories.

Application of in vitro tissiue culture techniques

Investigation of genetic and molecular basis of biotic (diseases and insects) and abiotic (drought, cold, salt, heat, mineral deficiency.) stress response mechanisms, and herbicide resistance with identification and tagging of related genes in plants are main interests. The scientific knowledge generated in the light of those studies are used in genetic improvement of cultivated wheats by exploiting wild wheat, production of stress tolerant crop plants via genetic transformation and pathogen free plant materials by in vitro propagation.

Biodiversity in plants is explored at the genic and genomic level with DNA-RNA fingerprinting and comparative genome analysis. Gene transmission and silencing in plants are also investigated.