Department of Experimental Plant Biology

The aim of the scientific work of the Department of Experimental Plant Biology is to study the physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes that take place in plants. We focus on the understanding of plants responses to environmental stress conditions and on the study of plant adaptation mechanisms to adverse conditions, with emphasis on abiotic stress. The department has to its disposal laboratories for the study of proteins and nucleic acids, the analysis of gene expression, the examination of enzyme kinetics, a laboratory for structural and ultrastructural analysis of cells; as well as premises for plant material cultivation.

Research areas

Plant molecular and cell biology studies

  • the role of plant synaptotagmines in stress responses,
  • the multilevel regulation of iron transporters
  • the polarity of plant cells

Plant root responses to stress are also researched

  • the study of the functions and interactions of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, as well as auxin, during heavy metal stress in roots.

Research is also focused on monitoring the potential of silicon (Si) to alleviate abiotic stress, caused primarily by excess metals and metalloids in cultivated plants

Abiotic Stress Laboratory

  • Dry Oven VWR Dry line 115
    Dry Oven VWR Dry Line 112 Prime
    Dry Oven KC-65
    Horizontal Electrophoretic Apparatus Mini Sub-Cell GT Biorad
    Power Supply Biorad PowerPac Basic
    Power Supply Consort EV265
    Mini PROTEAN Tetra cell 1-D vertical gel electrophoresis 2x
    Semidry Blotting Apparatus Thermo Scientific OWL HEP-1
    Shaker Heidolph Polymax 1040
    Digital Reciprocating Shaker Witeg SHR-2D
    Mini Shaker PSU-2T Biosan for immunology
    Vortex Mixer VWR Lab Dancer 3x
    Vortex Mixer Biosan Multispeed MSV-3500
    Magnetic Stirrer Heidolph MR Hei-Mix S
    Magnetic Stirrer with heating IKA RH basic
    Magnetic Stirrer with heating Chromservis M2-A
    Dry Block Thermostat Biosan Bio TBD-100
    Shaking Water Bath Julabo SW 22
    Eppendorf Centrifuge 5427-R
    Mini Centrifuge MiniSpin plus, Eppendorf
    Mini Centrifuge Witeg CF-5
    ELGA Micra Deionization Pure Water System
    Analytical Balances Sartorius Entris 224I-1S
    Analytical Balances Sartorius MC1 AC 120 S
    Digital Lab Scale Balance Mettlet PM 1200
    Precision Balance Radwag PS 600 C2 2x
    Precision Balance Radwag PS 600.R2
    pH Meter Eutech CyberScan 510
    pH Meter Eutech pH700
    Conductivity Meter Eutech CON700
    Conductivity Meter Radelkis OK-102/1
    Germicidal Lamp Prolux G M55W/SP-DO
    Compact Digital Camera Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX80

Laboratory of Molecular and Cell Biology

  • konfokálny mikroskop Fluoview FV1000, Olympus (obsahuje Olympus BX 61, Olympus U-RFL-T, Olympus FV5-LDPSU, Olympus BX - UCB
    Vodný kúpeľ Wisd witeg - Digital Fuzzy Control System
    Thermo shaker TS - 100, Biosan
    Dry Block Thermostat TDB 120, Biosan
    Termocykler - Mastercycler gradient, Eppendorf
    Fluoroscan Ascent FL, Thermo Electron Corporation
    centrifúga - TGL - 16 MC Benchtop Hight - speed Refrigerated Centriuge
    centrifúga - Micro 200, Hettich Zentrifugen
    vortex - Digital Vortex Mixer, Ohaus
    vortex - Multi Vortex V 32, Biosan
    vortex - Ika Vortex, GENIUS 3, Ika
    minicentrifúga- MiniSpin plus, Eppendorf
    minicentrifúga - Frontier 5306, Ohaus
    centrifúga - Frontier 5515 R, Ohaus
    Vertikálna elektroforetická aparatúra s modulom na blotovanie - Mini Protan Tetra cell with Blotting Module, BioRad
    Vertikálna elektroforetická aparatúra s modulom na blotovanie - omniPage Mini Tetrad , Cleaver Scientific
    Horizontálne elektroforetické aparatúry - kuroGEL, VWR Collectio
    Stereolupa M7A- Wild Heerbrugg
    orbital shaker Incubator ES 20, Biosan
    Blue Light LED transiluminator
    Cryo-cut II Microtome, Reichert – Jung
    Magnifax 3a, Meopta
    Parný autokláv STE-23-M, Icanclave
    Sušiareň s nútenou ventiláciou, Binder
    Conviron model G30
    Hlbokomraziaci box -80°C, Arctiko
    Laminárny box - MSC Advantage, Thermo Scientific
    ultramikrotóm - ULTRACUT E, Reichert – Jung
    ultramikrotóm - LKB 8800 Ultramicrotome III, Broma
    prístroj na zhotovovanie nožov - LKB 7800 Knifemaker, Bromma
    probenator B 7925
    mikrotóm MPS*2
    Multirotátor - Multi Bio RS 24, Biosan
    Orbital shaker Incubator ES 20, Biosan
    Multi-function Orbital Shaker PSU - 20i, Biosan
    Fiveeasy ph meter f20-STD-KIT, METTLER TOLEDO
    Polymerizačný prístroj KT 100 - c. reicheut, austria
    váhy mettler AE 240
    Magnetické miešadlo s tepelným ohrevom, MSH-300, Biosan

Laboratory of plant root responses to stress

  • Chemilumino/Spectrofluorometers
    Electrophoresis and blotting systems
    Fast performance liquid chromatograph
    Fluoro/stereomicroscopes
    PCR apparat
    Ultra/centrifuges