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Research projects

From 2014

  • Dark matter in plant cell nuclei – characterization of nuclear proteins.
    Funded by GA ČR, 14-28443S.
    Most of genetic information in eukaryotes is stored in cell nuclei, which are highly organized and dynamic organelles. Various proteins were described to play essential role in packing DNA, its replication and transcription in the nuclei of human and some model species. However, there is almost no information about the majority of these proteins in plants. This reminds dark matter in the universe, whose existence is generally accepted, but its nature remains obscure.

From 2012

  • Spolupráce s Bioversity International na globální analýze a uchovávání genetické diverzity banánovníku
    Funded by Veřejná soutěž ve výzkumu, vývoji a inovacích, LG12021.
    This project will contribute to the conservation and use of genetic diversity of bananas and plantains. The investigations will include all accessions held in the global gene bank as well as the accessions which will be newly introduced to the bank. The experiments will be performed using the recently established genotyping platform, and will include flow cytometric estimation of ploidy and genome size, and analysis using 19 microsatellite (SSR) markers. The accessions, which will not give clear results after SSR genotyping, will be used for sequence analysis of ITS locus.
  • Evolution and function of complex plant genomes
    Funded by GA ČR, P501/12/G090.
    The project aims at combining experience, skills and advanced methodologies of five research teams in order to accelerate scientific competitiveness of the Czech Republic in the filed of plant genomics. Since modern biology is increasingly driven by technology, the project will greatly benefit by tight integration of state-of-the-art methods and instruments provided by the participating teams.
  • Sex chromosome evolution - chromosome-specific genomics in genus Silene
    Funded by GA ČR, P501/12/2220.
    In contrast to animals with mostly separated two sexes, a number of reproductive strategies coexist in higher plants. Surprisingly, the presence of well-established sex chromosomes in dioecious plants is rare. We intend to investigate structure and evolution of sex chromosomes in dioecious plant Silene latifolia. Since only limited sequence information on sex chromosomes is available in this species we focus on characterization of X chromosome as the fundamental step towards understanding the evolution of sex chromosomes.
  • Physical map of wheat chromosome arm 7DS and its use to clone a Russian wheat aphid resistance gene
    Funded by GA ČR, P501/12/2554.
    Map-based cloning in bread wheat is a daunting task due to enormous size (~17 Gbp) and polyploid nature of its genome. One of the strategies facilitating accomplishment of this goal is use of genomic resources created from smaller segments of the genome - chromosomes or chromosome arms. Here we propose assembling clones of a BAC library previously constructed from the short arm of wheat 7D chromosome into a physical map. The ordered clones will be sequenced by Illumina technology and assembled. The resulting BAC clone sequences will enable landing of the physical map on the chromosome.
  • Will orchids reshape our understanding of genome-wide processes? Solving the enigma of progressively partial endoreduplication
    Funded by GA ČR, P506/12/1320.
    The project aims at investigating the phenomenon of progressively partial endoreduplication (PPE) that has recently been discovered in the genome of some orchids. Whereas both the generative and somatic polyploidy have been intensively researched, nothing is known about the patterns and processes behind the PPE. With the aid of advanced molecular cytogenetic techniques (flow cytometry and sorting, Illumina next-generation sequencing, FISH), we will address the incidence of PPE across the family Orchidaceae and search for correlations with phylogeny and species traits.

From 2011

  • New genomic technology for the alogamic cultivated plant breeding for improving utility traits
    Funded by MZE NAZV, QI111A019.
  • Genome interactions in interspecific hybrids xFestulolium
    Funded by GA ČR, P501/11/0504.
    Polyploidy is a key force in the evolution of flowering plants. Allopolyploidy involves a merge of distanc genomes followed by whole-genome duplication. Recently formed allopolyploids retain duplicated copies of most genes on homoeologous chromosomes. However, it appears that the contribution of parentel genomes need not to be equal and that altered gene expression is common. Such a divergence is believed to develop in two phases. The first takes place immediately after the hybrid formation, the second is a gradual evolution of gene expression mediated by diversification of duplicated genes.

From 2010