Division of Botany & Microbiology
The Division of Botany and Microbiology was established in 2016. It includes four laboratories:
- Laboratory of General and Agricultural Microbiology
- Laboratory of Electron Microscopy
- Laboratory of Systematic Botany
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Morphology
The Division of Botany and Microbiology is responsible for the Specialization of the Undergraduate Study Program entitled: ‘Applied Plant Physiology and Biotechnology of Microorganisms’ of the 9th semester.
Members include thirteen members of Teaching and Research staff, five members of Laboratory Teaching Staff and one member of Technical Laboratory staff.
Laboratory of General & Agricultural Microbiology
Director: George Zervakis, Professor
Objectives:
The Laboratory of General and Agricultural Microbiology is conducting research in the fields of Microbial Diversity, Environmental Microbiology, Soil Microbiology, Microbial Biotechnology, Genomics, Proteomics and Metabolomics of Microorganisms, Mycology, Plant – Microbe Interactions etc.
Infrastructure - equipment:
The staff of the Laboratory of General and Agricultural Microbiology has considerable experience/expertise in the ecology, taxonomy and phylogeny of fungi with emphasis on Basidiomycota and larger Ascomycota, in the biology and ecology of soil microorganisms (e.g. nitrogen-fixing bacteria), in the biodegradation, bioconversion and valorization of agro-industrial residues, plant by-products and synthetic polymers through the use of selected microorganisms (e.g., white-rot fungi), in the study of novel biocatalysts involved in the degradation of lignocellulosics, in the development of enzymatic biocatalysis and fermentation processes for the generation of value-added products, in the optimization of edible mushroom cultivation technologies and in the improvement of their organoleptic properties (incl. their content in bioactive compounds), and in the production of new hybrid mushroom strains with higher yields and/or of enhanced quality.
The Laboratory also maintains large collections of fully identified fungi in the form of pure cultures (> 500 strains) and dried specimens (> 10000 specimens, Herbarium ACAM). It is equipped with various types of scientific instruments and pertinent infrastructure, e.g., PCR, RT-PCR, DGGE, various electrophoretic systems, large walk-in incubators and mushroom cultivation rooms, chambers (with controlled environment) for plant growth, fermentοrs (bioreactors) of various capacities, DIC and phase contrast microscopes, ultra sound extractor, rotary evaporators, high speed centrifuges, orbital shaker incubators, laminar flows, freeze dryers, protein ultrafiltration and purification system (FPLC), fluorescence & UV-Vis spectrometers, etc.
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Laboratory of Electron Microscopy
Objectives:
The research interests of the Electron Microscopy Laboratory focus on the study of genotypic variability and phenotypic plasticity of structural characteristics (from the subcellular level to the level of plant organs) and their role in the functioning of cultivated and non-cultivated plant species.
Infrastructure - equipment:
The Electron Microscopy Laboratory comprises two fully equipped laboratory rooms, featuring state-of-the-art scientific instruments. Its equipment includes:
- Transmission Electron Microscope (Jeol 1400 Plus)
- Scanning Electron Microscope (Jeol 6360)
- Optical/Fluorescence Microscope (Olympus)
- Stereomicroscope (Olympus)
- Cryostat (Leica)
- Ultramicrotomes (Reichert) and microtomes
- Centrifuge and microcentrifuge
- Coating system and critical point drying apparatus (Quorum)
- Cavicams and equipment for optical visualization of embolisms in xylem vessels
- Oxygen meter (PreSens Microx TX3)
- Microdrills, caliper, dendrometer
- Vacuum desiccator, sample preparation tools, precision balances
- Fume hood and other essential laboratory equipment
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Laboratory of Systematic Botany
Director: Panayiotis Trigas, Associate Professor
Objectives:
The aim of the Laboratory of Systematic Botany is to provide educational and research work at the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) in the relevant fields of Systematic Botany and Plant Biodiversity. The Laboratory collaborates with other Laboratories of the AUA, other Universities in Greece and abroad, as well as with the public and private sectors for research and educational purposes, and provides advice on a variety of topics related to its competence.
The main areas of research of the members of the Laboratory are the following:
- Study of the Greek flora, with emphasis on the flora of island and mountainous areas
- Study, protection and rehabilitation of natural vegetation
- Biogeography, with emphasis on island biogeography
- Monitoring and conservation biology of endemic, rare and threatened plant species
- Taxonomic studies on genera of the Greek flora
- Cytology, cytotaxonomy, chromosomal diversity and genome organization in higher plants, cytogenetics and plant evolution
- Palynology
- Plant diversity in harsh environments (serpentine substrates, cliffs, etc.) and plant relationships with other organisms
- Medicinal plants and bioactive plant metabolites
- Plant management in polluted and degraded soils
The Laboratory's research primarily contributes to the documentation, conservation, and sustainable use of Greek plant biodiversity
Infrastructure - equipment:
The Systematic Botany Laboratory has:
- A Systematic Botany classroom equipped with 60 OPYMPUS CX23 Stereoscopes.
- Two fully equipped research rooms, suitable for supporting scientific studies in the field of Systematic Botany.
The main research areas include:
- Classification of higher plants
- Systematic study of major plant taxa
- Cytological diversity and cytotaxonomy of angiosperms
- Palynological diversity and assessment of pollen grain viability
The research facilities are equipped with:
- One (1) research stereoscope with integrated camera
- Three (3) additional research stereoscopes
- Two (2) high resolution research microscopes
- Precision balance with four decimal places
- Filtration apparatus
- Microwave oven suitable for combustion
- SPAD-type chlorophyll measuring instrument
- Chlorophyll fluorescence measuring instrument
- Digital thickness gauge
- Botanical Collection (Herbarium)
The Botanical Collection (Herbarium) of the Agricultural University of Athens was founded in 1921 and operates within the framework of the Laboratory of Systematic Botany of the Department of Crop Science. It is included in the international catalogue of botanical museums (Index Herbariorum), as ACA. It keeps dried specimens of plant species, mainly from Greece, but also from the other Mediterranean regions. It includes 15,700 dried plant specimens, covering most of the approximately 6,000 species of the Greek flora and it is used for research purposes and student training.
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Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Morphology
Το Εργαστήριο Φυσιολογίας και Μορφολογίας Φυτών ανήκει στον Τομέα Βοτανικής και Μικροβιολογίας. Σκοπός του Εργαστηρίου είναι η εκπαίδευση και έρευνα πάνω στο αντικείμενο της Bιολογίας των Φυτών με έμφαση στη Μορφολογία και Φυσιολογία.
Η εκπαιδευτική δραστηριότητα του Εργαστηρίου περιλαμβάνει προπτυχιακά μαθήματα Λειτουργικής Ανατομίας Φυτών, Φυσιολογίας Φυτών, Φυσιολογίας Καταπονήσεων των Φυτών, Φυσιολογίας Θρέψης Φυτών Μοριακής, Φυσιολογίας Θρέψης Φυτών, Βοτανικής, Βοτανικής (Ανατομία Φυτών –Συστηματική Βοτανική), Εφαρμοσμένης Φυσιολογίας Φυτών-Αναγνώρισης Καταπονήσεων. Προς το παρόν δεν συμμετέχει σε Μεταπτυχιακό Πρόγραμμα Σπουδών. Ορισμένα μέλη ΔΕΠ δίδουν μεμονωμένα διαλέξεις.
Περίγραμμα ερευνητικών πεδίων του Εργαστηρίου
Η ερευνητική δραστηριότητα των μελών ΔΕΠ του εργαστηρίου εστιάζεται:
Στην επίδραση παραγόντων καταπόνησης στη δομή και λειτουργία των φυτικών οργανισμών σε καλλιεργούμενα φυτά και ζιζάνια. Ιδιαίτερη έμφαση δίδεται στην έλλειψη νερού.
Στη μελέτη των οπτικών ιδιοτήτων φυτικών οργάνων και το ρόλο τους στην αποδοτικότητα της φωτοσύνθεσης.
Στις σχέσεις δομής-λειτουργίας δευτερογενών μεταβολιτών και κυτταρικών εγκλείστων.
Στη μελέτη της κατανομής και αναδιανομής των ανοργάνων θρεπτικών στοιχείων σε φυτά καλλιεργούμενα στον αγρό.
Διερεύνηση των μηχανισμοί απορρόφησης και ομοιόστασης ανοργάνων θρεπτικών από τα φυτά. Ο ρόλος των συμβιωτικών σχέσεων με μυκορριζικούς μύκητες στους μηχανισμούς αυτούς. Διερεύνηση της ύπαρξης νέων, αχαρακτήριστων μοριακών εξαρτημάτων της ομοιόστασης θρεπτικών στα φυτά.
Οι μελέτες αυτές γίνονται σε όλα τα επίπεδα, από το μορφολογικό και το ανατομικό μέχρι το βιοχημικό και το μοριακό.
Ιστοσελίδες ερευνητικών ομάδων:
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Karabourniotis, G., Horner, H.T., Bresta, P., Nikolopoulos, D., Liakopoulos, G. New insights into the functions of carbon–calcium inclusions in plants (2020) New Phytologist, 228 (3), pp. 845-854.
Karabourniotis, G., Liakopoulos, G., Bresta, P., Nikolopoulos, D. The optical properties of leaf structural elements and their contribution to photosynthetic performance and photoprotection (2021) Plants, 10 (7), art. no. 1455.
Roig-Oliver, M., Bresta, P., Nadal, M., Liakopoulos, G., Nikolopoulos, D., Karabourniotis, G., Bota, J., Flexas, J. Cell wall composition and thickness affect mesophyll conductance to CO2 diffusion in Helianthus annuus under water deprivation (2020) Journal of Experimental Botany, 71 (22), pp. 7198-7209.