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

Head of the laboratory 

Senior researcher, senior expert, docent

Anete Boroduske

• Balode L., Morozova E., Zīle A., Kaktiņa E., Baumanis M.R., Rimša A., Ņečajeva J., Pjanova D., Borodušķe A., 2026. Sambucus nigra cell suspension cultures inhibit SARS-CoV-2 cytopathic effects and display selective antibacterial activity. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture (PCTOC). Accepted. doi: 10.1007/s11240-026-03366-6

• Sustek-Sánchez F., Eelmets E., Nigul L., Kärblane K., Laasmaa M., Balode-Sausina M., Berzina S.A., Ducis D., Kaktina E., Jaškūne K., Rognli O.A., Rostoks N. and Sarmiento C. (2026) Isolation and transformation of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) protoplasts for the in vivo assessment of guide RNAs editing efficiency. Front. Plant Sci. 16:1744085. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1744085

• Aznar, R., Mistou, M.Y., Rahi, P., Legras, J.L., Boroduske, A., Stefaniu, A., Lima, N., Karagouni, A.D., Perre, V.V.D. and Melo, A.M., 2025. MIRRI-ERIC's position on the recent evolution of the international code of nomenclature of prokaryotes. Systematic and Applied Microbiology,  48(2), p126587 doi.org/10.1016/j.syapm.2025.126587

• 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 “Exploring plant cell co-cultivation as a driver of bacterial biosynthetic gene cluster activation and evolution.” lzp-2025/1-0098 

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