Agrobioinstitute

Research Groups

Abiotic stress

Development of Systems for In vitro Propagation of valuable genotypes and species;
Screening and Evaluation of Plant Stress Response;
Biotech Approaches to Improve Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Plants – In vitro selection and Plant Transformation
Genomic Studies of Model Stress Tolerant Plants.

Biotic stress

ELISA method for virus detection of different crops.
Classical inoculation tests of crops for disease resistance to different plant pathogens.
Genetic transformation for introducing genes in plants, encoding resistance to viral, bacterial, fungal diseases and insects.
DNA and RNA analyses for proving the integration and expression of transgenes in transgenic plants.
DNA analyses for detection of molecular markers for disease resistance in plants.
Taxonomy investigations of plant pathogens by RAPD analyses.
Strain differentiation of Plum pox virus in Bulgaria is done by ELISA method and five strain specific monoclonal antibodies. Presence of three strains – M, D and Rec, as well as mixed infections is proved. The level of distributions of Plum pox virus in Bulgaria is found in plum, peach and apricot in the country.
Specific DNA markers for differentiation of broomrape isolates on sunflower and tobacco (Orobanche ramosa and Orobanche cumana).

Molecular Genetics

Molecular marker genotyping and variety identification of cultivated and wild grapevine Vitis vinifera.
Characterization of grapevine segregating populations. Genetic maps and QTL analysis. Marker assisted selection for disease resistance and important agronomic characteristics.
Molecular marker characterization of oil rose (Rosa damascena) genetic resources.
Characterization of oil rose segregating populations. QTL analysis. Marker assisted selection for important agronomic characteristics.
Characterization of sunflower segregating populations. QTL analysis. Marker assisted selection for disease resistance and important agronomic characteristics..
Metabolite analysis of wine and grapes.
Metabolite analysis of oil rose flowers and extracted rose oil.
Cloning and characterization of tissue-specific and inducible promoter regions.
Cloning and characterization of signal peptides for secretion of recombinant proteins from plant cells.
Metabolite production in transgenic plants and cell suspensions following heterologous gene expression.
Characterization of microbial biodiversity of Bulgarian hot springs.

Plant genetic resources

Development and evaluation of vegetative propagated plant genetic resources
Preservation and characterization of plant biodiversity (wild grapevines, snowflake, wild small fruits)
Molecular markers for characterization of vegetative propagated plant species
Genetic and metabolomic analyses
Phytopathological analyses of vegetative propagated species
Technologies for plant genetic engineering
Development of organic farming technologies
Analyses and consultations

Functional genetics Legumes

Еestablishment of the influence of the stress factors applied to the initial plant explants for improvement of Medicago truncatula somatic embryogenesis as well as for reactivation of Tnt1 tobacco retrotransposon in the plant genome.
Creation of a large collection of Medicago truncatula mutant lines by in vitro reactivation of Tnt1 retrotransposon. The selected lines are valuable experimental material for identification of genes of interests for the breeding programs.
Genetic modification of alfalfa (Legumes) and tomato /Lycopersicon/ plants, for creation of new forms, with breeding and pharmaceutical value.
Investigation of the genetically modified plants on molecular level – expression, characterization and biological activity of the end product.
Development of GM alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), as a production system for a recombinant protein – human lactoferrin.
Development of GM tomato, expressing human fibroblast growth factor.
Risk assessment of GM alfalfa and tomato plants. Study the possibilities for pollen flow mitigation (in collaboration with Institute of Zoology and I-t of Genetics, BAS)
Development and utilization of suitable marker system allowing GM plants to be released in opened area. A gene construct carrying selective marker (phosphomannose isomerase), instead of marker genes, coding for resistance to antibiotics and herbicides (in accordance with the EC Regulation)

Functional Genetics Cereals

Molecular markers for variety identification, marker-trait association, mapping and marker assisted selection in cereal crops for food and feed quality improvement, biotic and abiotic stress factors
barley
bread and durum wheat
maize
Molecular mechanisms of abiotic stress adaptation in cereals
Cereal crop improvement by direct gene transfer
Elucidation of gene functions by genetic transformation of Arabidopsis, barley and maize
Biotechnological approaches to enhancement of food and feed quality of wheat, barley and maize
Engineering of abiotic and biotic stress resistance in wheat, barley and maize