Ph.D. Degree Programme
Plant Anatomy and Physiology
Research directions
The topics of the PhD theses offered for students reflect the research mainstream and a long-term research strategy of the Department of Experimental Plant Biology (DEPB).
The research strategy of the Department of Experimental Plant Biology (DEPB) consists of several directions which have been defined within last decade. They represent research orientations of laboratories forming a platform for emerging research topics and interdisciplinary approaches. The laboratories are listed below.
Laboratories
- Laboratory of Plant Mineral Nutrition and Water Relation
- Laboratory of Photosynthetic Processes
- Extreme Environments Life Working Group (EEL)
- Working group of ecophysiology and experimental algology
- Laboratory of Plant Tissue Cultures
- Laboratory of Mycorrhizal Symbiosis
- Laboratory of Persistent Organic Pollutants
Characterization of Research projects and topics
The research focusses physiological processes from the subcellular/cellular level to the individual and plant population levels. Main scope is an investigation of plant responses to adverse environmental conditions. The teams of the above-mentioned laboratories are mainly interested in the efficiency of the use of external sources of substances and energy in metabolic processes, changes in plant growth and development and the mechanisms of regulation of these processes. The team members use a wide range of methods ranging from physiological to biophysical and those exploiting molecular biology approaches. Ongoing research of the DEPB is mainly focused on:
(a) stress physiology of photosynthesis of extremophilic organisms form polar regions,
(b) specialized biophysical methods in research of plant resistance to cold and frost,
(c) effects of oxidative stress in the photosynthetic apparatus of chloroplast,
(d) limiting factors of xylem transport and water traffic of plants,
(e) nitrogen metabolism,
(f) study of the effect of persistent organic pollutants,
(g) study of the effects of growth regulators in in vitro plant cultivation,
(h) the effect of arbuscular and orchideoid mycorrhiza on the uptake of mineral nutrients by host plants.
Topics offered for Ph.D. study
There are several topics offered by the students having an interest in PhD study at the Department of Bxperimental Biology
Ecophysiology of photosynthesis and production of selected cryptogamic herbs and woody species form Svalbard. Supervisor: Prof. M. Bartak
The effect of global change and adaptations on arbuscular mycorrhiza in crops. Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Otmar Urban
Spatiotemporal heterogeneity and limitation of primary photosynthetic processes over a leaf area in selected model plants as affected by heavy metals combined with drought and high temperature stress. Supervisor: Prof. M. Bartak
Overview of defended Ph.D. these in last 5 years
(1) Bednaříková, M. (2021): Využití kinetik fluorescence chlorofylu k detekci nízkoteplotního stresu ve fotosyntetickém aparátu lišejníků (Application of chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics in study of low temperature stress in photosynthetic appaartus in lichens). PřF MU Brno, 78 s.
(2) Orekhova, A. (2021): Moderní biofyzikální metody ve studiu fotosyntézy poikilohydrických organismů (Modern methods in photosynthetic studies of poikilohydric organisms). PřF MU Brno, 114 s.
(3) Trnková, K. (2021): Inhibice fyziologických procesů polárních autotrofů stresovými faktory prostředí studovaná pomocí indukované fluorescence chlorofylu (Inhibition of physiological processes by stress factors in polar autotrophs studied by induced chlorophyll fluorescence). PřF MU Brno, 86 s.
(4) Hájková, M. (2021): Odezva rostlin na přítomnost léčiv v prostředí (Plant responses to pharmaceuticals in environment). PřF MU Brno, 122.s.
(5) Jupa. R. (2017): Significance of selected structural traits of xylem for its reliable function. PřF MU, Brno, 268 p.
(6) Korovetska, H. (2017): Signalling mechanisms involved in regulation of water use in hop plants. PřF MU Brno, 122.s.