Previous projects

 

 

Project: COBASE - on Mapping of Macromycetes in Kyrgyzstan

There was conducted pilot inter-disciplinary research on mapping and monitoring of conservation of biodiversity of macromycets in Kyrgyzstan. This work was done in cooperation with the experts from the Marshall University (Western Virginia,VA, USA).

  1. Mushroom biotechnology education for sustainable development in Kyrgyzstan
  2. Fungi in forest conservation of the Ala-Archa National Park

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Project: Development and introduction of technologies of producing mushroom’s as fodder and food protein source

Since the mid-1990s the lab is conducting biology of creation the basis of cultivating macromycets. A research was conducted on as fundamental, as applied aspects of the issue.

There was created a collection of wild mushrooms and industrially valuable mushroom species. There was worked out scientific basis and technologies of cultivating mycelium and mushrooms of the species of oyster, champignon, and shiitake with use of local conditions and raw materials. Technologies were successfully approbated in small and medium enterprises of the country.

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Project: Clonal micropropagation of practically significant virus-free species of plants

In the lab there were conducted works on clonally micro-reproduction and obtaining of virus-free plants, particularly, potato and carnation.

There were experimented and improved the following methods:

  • introduction in the culture of apical meristem;
  • research on clonally micro-reproduction (optimization of nutrition environment and conditions of cultivation, storing the collection of clones);
  • obtained methods of serological and ELISA and conducted testing of meristem plants with the object of absence of virus infections;
  • research conducted on the measures of striking root test-tube plants in soil substrate;
  • the conditions of cultivation of healed plant material, which was obtained from meristem plants, were optimized.
  • the technology was successfully approbated in the collective farm of ornamental gardening and in co-operation with NGO “Elita” of the Kyrgyz Agrarian University and recommended to specialized farms for cultivating economically valuable cultures. Within economical relations of the labs the farms received more than 10,000 non-virus test-tube plants of potatoes and carnation.

 

Project: Physiological-biochemical researches of plant immunity. Development of biotechnological plant resistance methods to diseases

In the lab there was a research conducted on growth, development and general productivity of plants relevantly with photo-periods, water regime and mineral nutrition, photosynthesis and sugar-accumulation of sugar beet, plant physiology in high-altitude mountainous areas, change in substance exchange of agriculture plants (tobacco, sugar beet, potatoes) caused by influence of parasite plants (zaraziha, dodder), physiological-biochemical basics of plant immunity to infection diseases.

There was a range of practical suggestions worked out; particularly, the method of defining demand of plants in water in accordance with transpiration indicator, application of preparations maleic acid hydrazide for struggle with dodder on sugar beet, application of a preparation on the basis of Trichoderma lignorum for biological protection of plants from root diseases, application of biochemical parameters in selection and screening of effective preparations, causing resistance of sugar beet to root diseases.

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Projects

Current project: Banking the flora of Kyrgyzstan

Funder: Bentham Moxon Foundation, the Merlin Trust and tbc

Kyrgyzstan (officially the Kyrgyz Republic) lies at the heart of the Mountains of Central Asia Biodiversity Hotspot. It is home to a highly diverse flora, which includes around 4,000 seed bearing plant species, of which about 10% are endemic.  A number of these species contain biologically active natural compounds of great potential value to medicine.

The MSB has a partnership agreement with the Institute of Biotechnology, within the Kyrgyz National Academy of Sciences and we have been working together to bank the seeds of Kyrgyzstan's flora since 2004. 

There are currently over 931 species collected in Kyrgyzstan duplicated in the Millennium Seed Bank, with a similar number stored in the seed bank of the Biotechnology Institute.

Kew is also working with the Institute of Biotechnology to create a Silk Road themed garden at Wakehurst Place.  This will be a 2-acre flowering meadow filled with colourful flowers from the steppes and mountains  of the northern Silk Road trade routes, including Tulips, Allium, Iris, Delphinium, Trollius, Geranium and Eremerus (the Foxtail Lily). 

Funds are currently being sought to support both the Kyrgyz seed conservation programme and the Silk Road project.

 

Project: “Conservation and Use of Germplasm of Kyrgyzstan’s Wild Flora for Management of Genetic-Selectional and Economical Tasks” - ISTC project #KR-973 (http://www.istc.int/ru/).

Main tasks:

 

A seed bank of Kyrgyzstan's wild flora was established. Seeds of new species are being collected each year for seed bank replenishment. At present seeds of 1038 species are stored in the bank at -20°C and -196°C. Among them 133 species are rare, 96 - endemic and 41 - Red Book species. 1039 species are stored in the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew Gardens, UK.

 

Project:"Searching for perspective endemic and rare plant species of Kyrgyzstan with the object of root large scale cultivation for alternative crude drug data base creation (for medical and food industries)"

Funder: Swiss National Scientific Foundation

Project goal

Determination the most pharmacologically valuable plants and production transgenic root cultures of endemic, rare and economically valuable plant species of Kyrgyzstan for their possible consumption as a source of bioactive compounds and creation on their base ecologically pure crude drug of new type.

Project results

Genetically transformed roots (hairy roots) and callus tissue of skullcap (Scutellaria andrachnoides Vved.) were for the first time introduced in the in vitro culture. S. andrachnoidesis the endemic plant of the Kyrgyzstan. These cultures were characterized byactive and stable growth in the hormone-free liquid Gamborg nutrient medium. The growth rate of undifferentiated callus tissue was higher than that of hairy roots, which were the source of this callus. The composition of secondary metabolites in hairy roots, callus tissue, and also the roots of seedlings and adult S. andrachnoidesplants was analyzed. It was found that S. andrachnoideshairy roots and callus culture retained the ability for the synthesis of flavones typical for the roots of intact plants. Substantial quantitative differences in secondary metabolites were observed between the roots of juvenile and adult plants. In the seedling roots,which like hairy roots have no secondary thickening, wogonoside, a wogonin glucuronide, predominated among flavones. In the roots of adult plants growing due to the secondary thickening, balcalin, a baicalein glucuronide, was a dominating flavon. It is proposed to use the large scale in vitro cultivation of roots and especially the rapidly growing callus tissue of S. andrachnoides with a profitable content of only one group of flavones for the development of the biotechnological method for producing wogonin and creating on its basis a new drug – a valuable anticancer agent of plant origin with selective cytotoxic activity.

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A patent was issues based on the results of the project:

 

 

Publication:

I.N. Kuzovkina, M.Yu. Prokof’eva, A.R. Umralina, T.P. Chernysheva. Morphological and Biochemical Characteristics of Genetically Transformed Roots of Scutellaria andrachnoides. Russian Journal of Plant Physiology, 2014, Vol. 61, No. 5, pp. 697–706.

Eurasian Patents:

- The strain of callus tissue skullcap of the Androshvidny skullcap (Scutellaria andrachnoides Vved.) - Scut. andr. (TC) - producer of vogonoside and acteoside / Штамм культуры каллусной ткани шлемника андрохновидного (Scutellaria andrachnoides Vved.) – Scut. andr. (TC) –продуцент вогонозида и актеозида.

- Strain culture of the genetically transformed root Androshvidny skullcap (Scutellaria andrachnoides Vved.) - Scut. andr. (HRC) - producer of vogonoside and acteoside  /  Штамм культуры корня шлемника андрохновидного (Scutellaria andrachnoides Vved.) - Scut. andr. (HRC) - продуцент вогонозида и актеозида.

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