Scientists investigate the antiviral properties of the plant Graptopetalum paraguayense

The antiviral properties of the ornamental plant Graptopetalum paraguayense are being investigated by scientists from five scientific organisations. The plant is a drought-tolerant member of the Crassulaceae family that is grown as an ornamental houseplant in temperate climates. It is native to Mexico and is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions as an ornamental plant, but is used in Chinese medicine as a medicinal herb. It has a healing effect on people with conjunctivitis and herpes simplex, causing scientists to investigate its phytochemical composition and antimicrobial action. […]

Biomass of microalgae studied at the Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics of BAS

New approaches in obtaining and studying biomass from microalgae are applied by scientists from the Laboratory of Experimental Algology at the Institute of Plant Physiology and Genetics – BAS, which is among the leading research units in Bulgaria. The team of specialists is engaged in the study of processes of physiology, biochemistry and biotechnology with microalgae. […]

2021-10-13T11:54:07+03:00Sunday, 10 October 2021|Categories: Biodiversity, Bioresources and Ecology|

Multidisciplinary team from BAS applies innovative marker technologies in plant biodiversity research

DNA barcoding is a marker-based approach in which a short nucleotide sequence from the genome serves as a marker for the taxonomic identification of organisms regardless of sex, developmental stage and integrity. Analogous to the black-and-white strokes of grocery store barcodes that provide information on name, price and manufacturer, each individual in nature has its own unique DNA sequence, allowing scientists to determine its belonging to a particular family, genus, or species. […]

2021-09-16T12:16:42+03:00Thursday, 9 September 2021|Categories: Biodiversity, Bioresources and Ecology, General news|

New low-temperature facility preserves the rich collection of the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research

The low-temperature chamber supports the storage of specimens in the Herbarium of the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Studies of BAS. The state-of-the-art equipment is being used for the first time at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and is funded by the National Roadmap for Research Infrastructures. The Herbarium is the richest and most representative scientific collection for the flora of Bulgaria and South-Eastern Europe. It contains about 200 000 specimens. It is registered in the international information system for the most important herbarium collections 'Index Herbariorum' with the acronym SOM. Conservation of the collection from pests - various species of insects, mainly beetles, is among the priorities of the scientists and curators of the scientific collection. With the new chamber which maintains a [...]

2021-08-27T10:45:17+03:00Thursday, 5 August 2021|Categories: Biodiversity, Bioresources and Ecology|

June – month of herbs

Medicinal plants are one of the greatest treasures of our country. The first step for the conservation and sustainable use of this wealth is well knowing it. The Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research has established an ex situ collection of medicinal and essential oil plants which is maintained and updated with new species every year. The collection includes rare and endangered species such as Mursala tea, marsh snowdrops, haberlea rhodopensis, alkanna tinctoria, elecampane, shrubby cinquefoil and others. […]

2021-06-23T11:49:07+03:00Monday, 21 June 2021|Categories: Biodiversity, Bioresources and Ecology|
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