Plant Biotechnology

Plant biotechnology involves research aimed at exploring the possibilities for developing new technologies and products using plants, plant-derived biomass, or chemical compounds.

The plant biotechnology research group conducts both fundamental and applied research in the following subfields of plant biotechnology:

• in vitro culture of plant organs, tissues, and cells
• plant genome editing
• development of plant molecular markers
• plant-microorganism interactions
• extraction of plant secondary metabolites

• Ņečajeva, J., Borodušķe, A., Nikolajeva, V., Seņkovs, M., Fiļipovičs, M., Jakobija, I., Kalniņa, I., Roga, A., Skinderskis, E., Gudrā, D. and Fridmanis, D., 2024. Characterisation and dynamics of the fungal communities of Avena fatua and Echinochloa crus‐galli seeds in soil seed bank. Weed Research, 64(4), pp.310-320. https://doi.org/10.1111/wre.12651

• Borodušķe, A., Ķibilds, J., Fridmanis, D., Gudrā, D., Ustinova, M., Seņkovs, M. and Nikolajeva, V., 2023. Does peptide-nucleic acid (PNA) clamping of host plant DNA benefit ITS1 amplicon-based characterization of the fungal endophyte community? Fungal Ecology, 61, p.101181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.funeco.2022.101181

• Ņečajeva, J., Borodušķe, A., Nikolajeva, V., Seņkovs, M., Kalniņa, I., Roga, A., Skinderskis, E., Fridmanis, D. 2023. Epiphytic and endophytic fungi colonizing seeds of two Poaceae weed species and Fusarium spp. seed degradation potential in vitro. Microorganisms, 11, 184. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11010184

• Borodušķe, A., Balode, M., Nakurte, I., Berga, M., Jēkabsons, K., Muceniece, R. and Rischer, H., 2022. Sambucus nigra L. cell cultures produce main species-specific phytochemicals with anti-inflammatory properties and in vitro ACE2 binding inhibition to SARS-CoV2. Industrial Crops and Products, 186, p.115236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.115236

• Boroduske, A., Jekabsons, K., Riekstina, U., Muceniece, R., Rostoks, N. and Nakurte, I., 2021. Wild Sambucus nigra L. from north-east edge of the species range: A valuable germplasm with inhibitory capacity against SARS-CoV2 S-protein RBD and hACE2 binding in vitro. Industrial Crops and Products, 165, p.113438. doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.113438

Latvian council of science project “Role of endophytic microbiota in the anti-viral activity of Sambucus nigra L. against type A influenza and SARS-CoV-2” Lzp-2022/1-0179

Latvian council of science project “Development of DNA markers for detection of loose silky bent (Apera spica-venti) seeds in soil seed banks” Lzp-2023/1-0265