Plant Cell Biology and Biotechnology ****************************************************************************************** * ****************************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************************** * Offer ****************************************************************************************** We offer our expertise related to molecular and cellular biology of plants and plant cell - Analyzing and discovering basic functions of plant genes - Characterizing of genes and proteins potentially important in agriculture, horticulture - Introducing genes to produce genetically modifi ed plants with desirable phenotype - Inducing RNA interference for silencing of selected genes - Knock-outing of selected genes by CRISPR-Cas9 - Utilizing plant cell lines for various basic research and biotechnological purposes - Breeding of carnivorous plants ****************************************************************************************** * Know-how & Technologies ****************************************************************************************** Plant cell biology and biotechnology is a fascinating research field focusing on basic fun plant cells with the potential of connecting the high-quality fundamental research with ma applications in agriculture, horticulture and biotechnology. We study: - Cytoskeleton at the molecular and cellular level and its role in plant morphogenesis and - Mechanism of auxin transport and the role of cytoskeleton in auxin-directed plant develo - Mechanisms of RNA interference – (trans)gene silencing at transcriptional and posttransc - Photosynthesis and nitrogen assimilation (role of PsbO and GS2 proteins) - Molecular interactions of plant cells with pathogens (fungus Venturia inequalis causing disease) ****************************************************************************************** * Research Area & Excellence ****************************************************************************************** Our research focuses on several topics extending the knowledge of molecular functioning of molecular components involved in cellular processes and intra- and intercellular signallin cytoskeleton and its role in morphogenesis of the cells, RNA interference (mechanisms of g and photosynthesis to auxin transport mechanisms and molecular responses to pathogens. *========================================================================================= * Key Research Equipment *========================================================================================= State of art methods of molecular biology and biochemistry: - DNA and RNA isolation, PCR, RT-PCR, DNA or RNA hybridization, methods of genetic manipul cells and tissues transformation via electroporation, biolistics or Agrobacterium mediated recombinant plant proteins production in bacteria, profi ling of mRNA and small RNA with R - Proteomic approaches: (recombinant) protein isolation, SDS PAGE, blue native PAGE, 2D PA spectrometry, studies on protein interactions in vitro - Immunodetection of proteins (e.g. western blotting, immu no staining) - In silico analysis: NGS data-mining, database screening, phylogenetic analysis - Routine usage of facilities providing advanced methods of optical and electron microscop confocal microscopy and super-resolution microscopy, including SIM, TIRF/VAEM, FLIM, FRAP, and TEM, flow cytometry - Methods mentioned above are applied on our model organisms, such as Arabidopsis thaliana tabacum (BY-2 and VBI-0 lines), Malus domestica, Solanum tuberosum, green algae (Chlorella, Chara, Klebsormi etc.) and yellow-green microalgae (Vischeria, Nannochloropsis). ****************************************************************************************** * Achievements ****************************************************************************************** Publications in peer-reviewed and high-impact journals such as Science, Nature, Cell, Curr Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, New Phyto Plant, Plant Physiology, Journal of Experimental Botany, Plant Journal, Frontiers in Plant Plant Biology, Annals of Botany, Plant and Cell Physiology, etc. *========================================================================================= * Main Projects *========================================================================================= - 2015–2018: Enhanced eff iciency of treatments for protection of apple trees against appl of Agriculture, grant No. QJ1510353 - 2015–2019: Centre of experimental biology of plants in Charles University, National Prog Sustainability I, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, programme No. LO1417 - 2015–2017: Signaling heterotrimeric G-proteins in regulation of cell proliferation and m COST – Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, LD15149 Numerous projects funded by Charles University Grant Agency, e.g.: - Role of chloroplastic glutamine synthetase (GS2) in Arabidopsis thaliana - Analysis of initiation, dynamics and mechanism of transcriptional gene silencing - The role of SPT6L protein in RNA interference - Functional analysis of PsbO isoforms in vitro and in Arabidopsis thaliana - ARP2/3 complex function in association with plant peroxisomes - Study of the regulatory interplay between ARP2/3 complex and auxin signaling in plants ****************************************************************************************** * Partners and Collaborations ****************************************************************************************** Institute of Experimental Botany and J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech A Science, Prague | Institute of Scientific Instruments, Czech Academy of Science, Brno | In Cellular Biology and Pathology, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague | Rese Institute of Pomology, Holovousy | Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany | Umea Unive Washington State University, USA | University of Edinburgh, UK | IST, Austria | PSB VIB Gh BOKU Vienna, Austria ****************************************************************************************** * Are you interested in this expertise? ****************************************************************************************** Please contact CPPT UK Web: www.cppt.cuni.cz/ [ URL "https://cppt.cuni.cz/"] Mail: transfer@cuni.cz Phone: +420 224 491 255 *========================================================================================= * Experts and their Department *========================================================================================= Jan Petrášek, Ph.D. Kateřina Schwarzerová, Ph.D. Lukáš Fischer, Ph.D. Department of Experimental Plant Biology Web: https://www.natur.cuni.cz/biology/plant-biology/science-and-research [ URL "https://w biology/plant-biology/science-and-research"]