Department of Biotechnology

SCIENTIFIC INTRESTS:

• Phenotyping and identification of QTLs involved in physiologic-biochemical processes, yield and tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses in crop plants
• Optimization of regeneration methods for chosen endangered species and crop plants, with particular emphasis on legumes and cereals
• Developing methods for wheat and oat doubled haploid production, determination of ploidy and identification of oat x maize hybrids obtained using the wide crossing method
• Genetic, biochemical and physiological determinants of rye response to drought stress, taking into account the influence of the epicuticular wax structure

SCIENTIFIC METHODOLOGY:

• In vitro culture techniques: callus induction and regeneration, cell suspension cultures, protoplasts isolation, somatic and gametic embryogenesis, production of cereal doubled haploids
• Histological and cytological analyses
• Analysis of plant tissues ploidy by flow cytometry (MACS Quant, Miltenyi Biotec)
• Hydroponic cultures of chosen crop plants 
• Plant phenotyping and QTL analysis
• Spectrophotometic/chromatographic analysis of phenolics, polyamines, carbohydrates, proteins, plant pigments, enzymes activities
• Measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence (Handy PEA, Hansatech)
• Measurement of chlorophyll content (SPAD, Konica Minolta)

ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Obtaining the polish patent no 169824 entitled: Method for culture of fungi containing chitin
• Showing that winter wheat callus is not capable of the vernalisation process, however it transfers the ability of generative development into regenerated plants
• Detection that the repression of genes responsible for the state of generative induction of winter wheat plants occurs in the course of the process of gamete formation during meiosis
• Detection of aromatic cytokinin from BAP group in winter wheat, and correlation of their endogenous content in immature inflorescences and embryos with their ability of generative development
• Enriching the map of wheat with 1445 DArT markers, which allowed to dense the map based on SSR, RFLP and AFLP markers for 472 unique loci. Identification of gene candidates for mapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) of yield components, chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics parameters and photosynthetic pigments
• Implementation of oat doubled haploid lines obtained using the wide crossing method in breeding programes 

AWARDS:

• 2014 - Distinction of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development for outstanding national achievement relevant to the implementation of progress in agricultural practice and realization, implementation and dissemination of the results of scientific work entitled: "Getting the doubled haploid lines of oat (Avena sativa L.) by wide crossing method" awarded to the team of authors: IPP PAS: dr hab. inż. Edyta Skrzypek, prof. dr hab. Izabela Marcińska, dr hab. inż. Ilona Czyczyło-Mysza, dr inż. Kinga Dziurka, dr Agata Nowakowska oraz PB Strzelce Sp. z o.o., Gr. IHAR: dr inż. Zygmunt Nita, inż. Krystyna Werwińska