DEPARTMENT OF
BIOTECHNOLOGY, N.I.Vavilov Institute of Plant
Industry (VIR)
STAFF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
BIOTECHNOLOGY
The Department of Biotechnology focuses on the use of advanced
biotechnologies for the conservation, evaluation and utilization of plant
genetic resources stored at VIR.
BASIC OBJECTIVE:
1. Application and developing of biotechnological methods for safe conservation of
agricultural biodiversity of vegetatively propagated
crops under in vitro conditions.
2.
Studying of genomes of economically important crop species using comparative
genomic approaches.
3. Application of
distant hybridization and biotechnological methods to increase the
potential of wider use of plant genetic resources.
MAIN TASKS:
1.Maintenance and medium term storage of in vitro collections of vegetatively propagated crops stored at VIR.
2. Pathogen testing (viral, bacterial diseases, etc.), virus
eradication.
3. Developing of tissue culture methods (meristem
and bud culture, micropropagation, medium term in vitro storage) for vegetatively propagated crop species.
4. Fingerprinting and molecular screening of stored germplasm
and studying of genetic diversity using different DNA markers.
5. Control of genetic stability of in vitro stored germplasm.
6. Widening of genetic diversity of crop plants through cellular
engineering and interspecific hybridization.
7. Studying of genomes of economically important crop species