“At the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, as part of the Doctoral Study in Biology, PhD student Emanuel Gaši, mag. oecol., held Seminar II on March 27, 2023, where he defended the topic of his doctoral dissertation. The proposed title is “Potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to alter the response of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) to virus infection.” Congratulations and good luck with further progress in dissertation preparation!”
At the Competition for the co-financing of Croatian-Slovenian scientific research projects for 2023-2025 a bilateral cooperation project with the Faculty of Biotechnology, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, entitled “Grapevine, viruses and mycorrhizal fungi – analysis of the complex interplay” is accepted. The main leaders are collaborators on the Myco Grape project: Ph.D. Katarina Hančević from the Croatian side and doc. Ph.D. Matevž Likar from the Slovenian side. The main goal of the project is to continue and improve the cooperation between the two teams through mutual visits and training. During them collaborators will jointly work on the application of various statistical methods in a detailed analysis of the relationship between the grapevine, pathogenic and beneficial microorganisms.
Two other distinguished scientists joined the research team of our project: prof. Vicent Arbona and Ph.D. Miguel Gonzalez-Guzman, from Universitat Jaume I, Castello de la Plana, Spain. Their expertise is in the physiology and biochemistry of plants exposed to stressful conditions. Their focus in this project will be on the dynamics of grapevine hormones due to the interaction with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and viruses. We look forward to the newly established cooperation and expect interesting results!
Our project was presented at the Science Festival 2022, whose main theme this time was – LIFE. PhD student Emanuel Gaši, mag. oecol., explained to numerous audiences in an original and interesting way how microorganisms form the pillar of life and how they are interrelated with all other organisms. The lecture “Invisible life of the Mediterranean – microorganisms as a pillar of life” is Emanuel’s first public presentation of the research topic in which he participates in this HRZZ project, we look forward to the upcoming ones …
We purchased and installed a qPCR device CFX96 Bio-rad. The application specialist of the Bio-rad company representative held a workshop with training on its use and maintenance, as well as data processing in the corresponding Maestro software package, for which the participants also received a certificate of education. Through analyzes on the new device, we plan to introduce into our work new methods of quantification of microorganisms in plant tissue and expression of selected genes.
A new team member joined the project – PhD student Emanuel Gaši. He is employed on the “Young Researchers’ Career Development Project”. He graduated in 2021 from the Department of Biology at the Faculty of Science in Zagreb, studying Environmental Sciences. He will enroll in the Doctoral Study of Biology at the same faculty. His research topic will be the interactions of mycorrhizal fungi, viruses and vines.
Welcome!
Deadline: 11.7.2021.
We are looking for one person for the position of assistant in the Department of Plant Sciences, Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation, Split, to work on the project “Arbuscular mycorrhiza potential to modify grapevine defence against viruses – MYCO GRAPE”, HRZZ- IP-2020-02-8397, for a fixed period of 4 years. In addition to the general conditions prescribed by the Labor Act and the conditions prescribed by the Act on Scientific Activity and Higher Education, applicants must meet the requirements:
We have started preparations for two planned experiments. We obtained certified virus-free cuttings of Kober vine rootstock and Merlot scion. Part of the scion cuttings is in the process of grafting on the vine rootstock and part in the process of rooting. We prepared the greenhouse space and the first vines were transplanted into pots.
