Faculty of Plant Protection, Biotechnology and Ecology

Scientific work


The Department of Ecobiotechnology and Biodiversity is actively engaged in scientific research in such modern areas as:

  • microclonal propagation of valuable cultivated, ornamental, fruit and berry, and medicinal plants;
  • identification and control of the spread of the most common pathogens of cultivated plants;
  • obtaining biologically active substances from plant raw materials;
  • increasing plant resistance to a wide range of abiotic and biotic stress factors using biotechnological methods.

  • Microclonal propagation remains one of the most promising areas of modern biotechnological science. The department staff are actively working on the development of in vitro propagation technology for rare, commercially valuable, and medicinal plants, as well as on obtaining planting material that has been cured of viral infections. In addition, the cultivation of plant cells and tissues on artificial nutrient media makes it possible to obtain promising raw materials for the production of various biologically active substances.

  • In vitro cultivation of medicinal plants opens up new opportunities for the development of biotechnology for obtaining biologically active substances from them. Callus and suspension cultures of medicinal plants, as well as the use of “bearded” root cultures to obtain valuable pharmaceutical compounds, can serve as promising raw materials for the industrial production of substances for medical use.

  • The culture of “bearded” roots is the result of genetic transformation of plants using the soil bacterium Agrobacterim rhizogenes. Such roots are capable of synthesizing biologically active substances inherent in the original plant in the same quantity, and in some cases in significantly higher concentrations. In addition, such a culture is a promising raw material for biotechnology, as it does not require expensive nutrient media and lighting for cultivation, and is capable of rapidly and productively accumulating biomass.

  • The current focus of the department's research is the identification of the most common pathogens of cultivated plants. Our scientists study the natural antagonistic activity of microorganisms against phytopathogenic bacteria and screen the most promising antagonist strains for combating pathogens. A separate area of research is the use of biotechnological approaches to create plants that are resistant to phytopathogens. Such approaches include the use of genetic engineering and marker-assisted selection methods. In particular, the transfer of resistance genes (R-genes) isolated from wild related species to the genome of cultivated plants significantly reduces their susceptibility to phytopathogens. The use of marker-assisted selection, which is less time-consuming and more accurate than classical selection, is also promising today. In this case, the markers can be resistance genes of wild related species, as well as loci of qualitative traits (QTLs).

  • A separate area of scientific work of the department is to increase plant resistance to phytopathogens by using resistance-inducing substances and activating their own defense mechanisms. Nitric oxide donors (e.g., sodium nitroprusside) can serve as such inducing substances. It is known that nitric oxide plays a key role in the growth, development, and defense mechanisms of plants. Nitric oxide donors, in particular sodium nitroprusside, are characterized by their ability to induce systemic plant resistance through the expression of defense enzyme genes, the accumulation of phenolic compounds, the synthesis of cell wall components, and the excessive synthesis of signaling molecules. Therefore, the use of nitrogen donors is quite promising for obtaining plants that are resistant to phytopathogens.