A molecular biologist from CPSBB delivered a public lecture on genomic research for enhancing crop resilience to 21st-century climate change

Dr. Emil Vatov, a molecular biologist at the Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology (CPSBB), delivered a public lecture as part of the third edition of the Plovdiv Science Festival. The event was organized by the “Beautiful Science” Foundation and hosted by the Center of Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology.

Тhe lecture of Dr. Vatov focused on fundamental genomic research methods applied to agriculturally important crops. He introduced the basic principles of genetics, experimentally discovered by Gregor Mendel and Reginald Punnett about 150 years ago. These discoveries laid the foundations for modern genetics, enabling researchers today to understand heredity, predict the inheritance probabilities of specific traits, and apply contemporary methods in medicine, biology, and biotechnology.

A main highlight of Dr. Vutov’s lecture was the NatGenCrop research project carried out at CPSBB. The project aims to improve the resilience of tomato and pepper to drought and soil salinity—two major challenges in modern agriculture. Dr. Vutov explained the primary methods used by the Center’s scientists to identify and analyze genomic regions and specific genes within the chromosomes of the studied plants that determine whether they are tolerant or sensitive to drought and salinity.

The project’s experiments involve hundreds of tomato and pepper lines with varying levels of resilience. These lines are crossbred by the researchers and exposed to different types of stress. The expected outcomes of the project include the identification and detailed characterization of genes and genomic regions that will provide a foundation for future scientific research and support the development of resilient crop varieties with improved traits, yields, and nutritional qualities.

For a third consecutive year, the Plovdiv Science Festival has established itself as the largest event dedicated to promoting science across diverse research fields. The festival attracted thousands of students, teachers, parents, and science enthusiasts, who over the course of four days gained free access to lectures, workshops, and exhibition stands, as well as the opportunity to meet young and established scientists from Plovdiv and across the country.