Yanitsa Ilieva

 

 

 

 

 

 

Position: Biologist

Department: Molecular Stress Physiology, CPSBB

Yanitsa obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Molecular Biology from the University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski”. During her studies, she gained solid knowledge and practical skills in molecular biology and plant physiology.

Her research focuses on plant stress physiology, with an emphasis on the effects of brown seaweed-derived biostimulants on berry crops, including raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, and blueberry, under greenhouse and field conditions, exposed to both environmental stress and experimentally induced abiotic stress. She studies the effect of these biostimulants on plant growth, yield, metabolite profile and gene expression to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying plant responses.

Yanitsa is interested in combining molecular biology and bioinformatics to better understand how plants respond to stress at the molecular level. She aims to support more sustainable agriculture by turning scientific knowledge into practical solutions for farmers.

Publications:

• Ilieva Y., Gupta S.,Wittenberg M., Ivanova V., Kazakov P., Alseekh S., Sujeeth N., Gechev T. (2026)
  • A plant biostimulant from Ascophyllum nodosum protects raspberry from heat-induced sunburn. Plant Stress. 20: 101315. (IF 6.9)

• Wittenberg M., Ilieva Y., Gechev T. (2026)
  • Metabolome reprogramming during fruit ripening and post-harvest storage in ten crop species. Metabolites. 16(2): 133. (IF 3.7)