Department of Ecophysiology

Poster overview of the Department of Ecophysiology.

RESEARCH AREAS

The main research area is integrated physiology of key crops at the level of the organism, organs and processes as well as their interaction with environmental conditions:

● daily changes of leaf gas exchange parameters, leaf water relations, chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters, and membrane injury in plants subjected to various abiotic stresses

● preparation and implementation of physiological and laboratory tests for the assessment of crop sensitivity to shortage (drought) and excess (flooding) of soil water as well as multistress interaction of these factors with soil compaction stress

● quantitative and qualitative analysis of root system structure of seedlings and the impact of drought, flooding, and soil compaction stresses on root architecture

● root-to-shoot communication, hormonal balance (abscisic acid (ABA), cytokinins, ethylene, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC, ethylene's precursor)) under drought, flooding, and low temperature (chilling, freezing) stresses

● role of abscisic acid (ABA) in plant reactions to abiotic and biotic stresses as well as in the regulation of the cell and tissue capacity for in vitro plant regeneration

● phenolics as plant photoprotectants, antioxidants, and hydrophobic stabilizers of cell wall under soil drought

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

Structural and functional characterization of loci determining the content of cell wall-bound phenolics under water stress in triticale
Financing agency: National Science Centre Poland
Project number: 2018/31/B/NZ9/00298
Leader: dr hab. Tomasz Hura
Participants from IPP PAS: dr Agnieszka Ostrowska
Years: 2019-2022

Changes in the intensity if selected physiological, biochemical and molecular processes caused by simultaneous exposure to soil compaction and soil drought stresses in single-cross maize hybrids differing is a susceptibility to both stresses
Financing agency: National Science Centre Poland
Project number: 2018/29/B/NZ9/01510
Leader: dr hab. Maciej Grzesiak
Participants from IPP PAS: prof. Stanisław Grzesiak, dr Michał Dziurka, dr Anna Maksymowicz
Years: 2019-2021

RECENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

ERANET GAS – Genetic Adaptation of Sorghum: Genomics-based breeding of a sustainable, next-generation bioenergy crop for Europe
Financing agency: The National Centre for Research and Development, Program: ERA-NET Bioenergy
Consortium: ERANET GAS (Germany, Sweden, Poland)
Project number: ERA-NET-BIOENERGY/3/2013
Leader of the Polish part: Franciszek Janowiak
Participants from IPP PAS: Katarzyna Kaczanowska
Years: 2013-2016

NOTABLE RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS

● discovery of the beneficial influence of soil drought during vegetative growth phase of triticale on the mechanisms of adaptation to the next drought period during generative growth phase

Hura T, Hura K, Grzesiak MT (2011) J Agron Crop Sci 197: 113-123

● determination of the impact of soil compaction on morphological root structure, water potential, and leaf gas exchange in maize and triticale

Grzesiak MT (2009) Plant Root 3: 10-16

● discovery of the relationship between chilling tolerance level in maize seedlings and their capacity for quick ABA accumulation under chilling conditions

Janowiak F, Luck E, Dörffling K (2003) J Agron Crop Sci 189: 156-161

● determination of the role of ABA in the induction of the expression of dehydrin-like protein (DHN44) in beech seeds during maturation and dehydration tolerance acquirement

Kalemba ME, Janowiak F, Pukacka S (2009) Trees-Struct Funct 23: 305-315

● assessment of ABA changes in triticale anthers and their role in androgenesis

Żur I, Dubas E, Golemiec E, Szechynska-Hebda M, Janowiak F, Wędzony M (2008) Plant Cell Tissue Organ Cult 94: 319-328

● discovery of the significant role of phenolics in drought adaptation mechanisms

Hura T, Grzesiak S, Hura K, Thiemt E, Tokarz K, Wędzony M (2007) Ann Bot 100: 767-775

Hura T, Hura K, Grzesiak S (2009) J Plant Physiol 166: 1720-1733

Hura T, Hura K, Grzesiak MT (2011) J Agron Crop Sci 197: 113-123

● contribution to the creation of the first genetic map of triticale

Tyrka M, Bednarek P, Kilian A, Wędzony M, Hura T, Bauer E (2011) Genome 54: 391-401

RESEARCH COOPERATION OFFER

We offer the following expertise for research projects and cooperation:

● measurement of abscisic acid (ABA) content in plant material by ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay)

as used in Dubas E, Janowiak F, Krzewska M, Hura T, Żur I (2013) Plant Cell Reports 32: 1465-1475

contact: Franciszek Janowiak, f.janowiak@ifr-pan.edu.pl

● determination of total antioxidant activity – measurement of low-molecular antioxidants in plant tissues by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging method adopted to microtitration plates using common plate reader

as used in Żur I, Dubas E, Krzewska M, Janowiak F, Hura K, Pociecha E, Bączek-Kwinta R, Płażek A (2014) Plant Cell Tissue Organ Cult 119: 79-94

contact: Franciszek Janowiak, f.janowiak@ifr-pan.edu.pl

● measurement of phenolics level (free and cell-wall bound) and hydrogen peroxide content

as used in Hura T, Hura K, Grzesiak S (2009) J Plant Physiol 166: 1720-1733

contact: Tomasz Hura, t.hura@ifr-pan.edu.pl

● analysis of the fluidity of biological membranes in cell suspension, protoplasts, and chloroplasts

as used in Dubas E, Janowiak F, Krzewska M, Hura T, Żur I (2013) Plant Cell Reports 32: 1465-1475

contact: Tomasz Hura, t.hura@ifr-pan.edu.pl

● assessment of morphological traits of individual components of seedling root system (root number, length, and mass)

as used in Grzesiak MT (2009) Plant Root 3: 10-16

contact: Maciej Grzesiak, m.grzesiak@ifr-pan.edu.pl

● evaluation of the tolerance level of genotypes of different crop species to abiotic stresses under field and glasshouse conditions on the basis of yield changes and physiological/biochemical laboratory sensitivity tests

as used in Grzesiak MT, Waligórski P, Janowiak F, Marcińska I, Hura K, Szczyrek P, Głąb T (2013) Acta Physiol Plant 35: 549-565

contact: Maciej Grzesiak, m.grzesiak@ifr-pan.edu.pl

● evaluation of changes in the general chemical composition of biological material in response to the effects of biotic and abiotic stresses

as used in Saja D, Ryś M, Skoczowski A (2016) Acta Physiol Plant 38: 168

contact: Diana Saja, d.saja@ifr-pan.edu.pl