Laboratory of Marker and Genomic Plant Breeding

Our laboratory has brought together young scientists who are passionate about studying the genomes of agricultural plants and mobile elements of the plant genome. The laboratory conducts research aimed at finding new target genes involved in the formation of beneficial plant traits (for example, the baking qualities of wheat and triticale). Also, one of the central topics of the laboratory is the study of mobile elements in the genomes of agricultural (tomato, sunflower, soy, rapeseed) and model (arabidopsis and tobacco) plants. The ultimate goal of these studies is to better understand the biology of mobile elements, their life cycle and use this knowledge to develop new biotechnological methods to accelerate the creation of new plant genotypes. In 2023, we introduced a new term, biological mutagenesis (Kirov, IJMS, 2023). Biological mutagenesis is the process of producing mutations in the genome using biological agents, including mobile elements, viruses, RNA and proteins. We are currently developing a platform for biological mutagenesis of agricultural plants through controlled and temporary activation of mobile elements. This will make it possible to introduce new features into existing plant varieties, as well as to obtain new cultivated plants with unusual morphology and taste characteristics.