Students from the University of Plovdiv held their practical training in Plant Physiology at CPSBB

 

Students from the Faculty of Biology in the University of Plovdiv (PU) visited CPSBB and held their practical training in Plant Physiology. The undergraduates are in their third year of education for Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Molecular Biology, Biology and Chemistry, Biology and English, Ecology. 

Prof. Dr. Tsanko Gechev, Director of CPSBB and lecturer in Molecular Genetics at PU, introduced the students to the PlantaSYST project, within which the Center was established, the scientific departments, as well as the fundamental and applied research, conducted by the scientists of CPSBB. He also presented the partnerships of the Center with institutional, industrial and NGO organizations in Bulgaria and abroad, as well as some of the current large-scale scientific projects conducted by scientist of CPSBB – CropPrime, NatGenCrop, Booster, RESIST, HealthyDiets4Africa, AgroDigiRise, and others).

Main topics were also the opportunities for educational and professional development of PhD students which CPSBB offers as a fully independent scientific Center of Excellence in Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology. CPSBB welcomes motivated and ambitious students to complete doctoral degrees in Biotechnology and develop their scientific career as part of the research team of CPSBB.

The students were guided through the laboratories, plant growth rooms, and greenhouse facilities. Valentina Ivanova, scientist of CPSBB, presented the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) which is an analytical technology used to measure trace elements in biological fluids. In greenhouses prof. Gechev presented the experimental crop lines of maize, tomatoes, peppers, strawberries and raspberries which are grown under different stress conditions for completing several scientific goals, incl. the development of biostimulants and cultivars, increasing the yield and boosting tolerance of economically important crops to abiotic stress – drought, high temperatures, salinity, etc.