• Study of accumulation of toxic metals by plants from genus Allium and determination of possible mechanisms of uptake. Grant Agency CR, No. 522/06/P002, (2006-2008) P. Soudek
  Toxic metals present significant health risk for living organisms. High amount of toxic metals are slack to environment during industrial activities. The ability of uptake and accumulation of toxic metals is important property of plants. Method are used this property is named phytoremediation. One of this is rhizofiltration, which can used roots of plants for removing of contaminants from waste waters. The upper part of plants from genus Allium is possible reharvest and this plants also produced thiosulfinates. The metabolic pathway responsible for their production as well as their precursors can influence detoxification and hyperaccumulation of toxic metals in body of this plants. The aim of this work schould be optimization of cultivation conditions, verified hyperaccumulation capabilities this plants, find the relation between accumulation of toxic metals and production of thiosulfinates and chracterized complexes which participated on detoxification of toxic metals.
  
  

• Study of plant response to heavy metal stress and production of stress protective compounds. MŠMT, COST 0605 (COST.FA0605OC9039) (2009-2011) P. Soudek
  From four major abiotic stresses: salinity, heavy metals, temperature and drought, we are focused our interest to heavy metals with the aim to improve of efficancy of plant stress tolerance, which can be is essential for successful combating environmental pollution and can help to sustainable land management. Heavy metal tolerance of plants is controlled by biological regulatory mechanisms governing e.g. the production of highly effective stress-protecting metabolites, including phytochelatins and metalothioneins. To better understand these processes, we will focused our effort to identification these metabolites, photosynthesis and changes in antioxidative enzymes (PRX, SOD, CAT, GTS). Additonally, heavy metal influence on ed phytohormones will be determined as well as changes in the anatomical structure and physiological processes determining plant growth and development. For the experiment a model plants Nicotiana tabbacum and Arabidopsis thaliana and a crop plants Zea mays, Helianthus annuus, etc. will be used. The results will achieve to better knowledge of heavy metal toxicity and will help to clear up an influence of these metals on growth of plants which are used for phytoremediation.
  
  

• Immobilization of heavy metals and metalloids in contaminated sites. MŠMT,  Kontakt ČR-ČLR, No. LH12162, (2012-2013) P. Soudek
  The main objective of the project is to study effect of biochar in laboratory conditions and study accumulation as well as transport of metals using respective radionuclides
  
  

• The utilization of charcoal for immobilization of heavy metals. MŠMT, COST TD1107 (No. LD13029) (2013-2016) P. Soudek
  The main objective of the project is to study effect of biochar in laboratory conditions, study accumulation as well as transport of metals in plants and test the possible effect on oxidative stress decrease.
  
  

LINKS