AGROBIOINSTITUTE
ABI is internationally recognised for research on plant sciences, in particular – plant biotechnology, biochemistry and molecular biology. This is the leading Bulgarian institute in application the biotechnology approach to improve the reaction of plants to environment challenges, particularly abiotic and biotic stress. In this respect, ABI was recognized as Centre of Excellence by EU.
Role
ABI will take part in WP 2 – Biogeographic regions and protection goals, WP3 – Long term effects, WP5. – Laboratory and greenhouse studies with disease resistant potatoes; WP10 – Assessing the economic impacts of GM crops and WP11 – Dissemination.
Staff members’ profile
Dimitar Djilianov, Assoc. Professor, PhD, Head of Abiotic stress group, Coordinator of the Bulgarian Biotechnology Information Center. Other assignments: Liaison Officer and Appointed Governor for Bulgaria at the ICGEB, Trieste coordination / participation in projects: over 20 international and national projects.
Rossitza Batchvarova, Professor, PhD, Biotic stress group. Other assignments: Director of ABI. Coordination / participation in projects: over 40 international and national projects. More recent projects: Sustainable innovation technology in plant nursery process improving plant quality and safety (SITINPLANT); EC FP7; FP7-SME-2007-1, SP4- Capacities, Research for SMEs; 2008-2010; Biotechnology Approaches in AgroBioInstitute at the Service of Crop Breeding (PlantBioServ); EC FP7; FP7-REGPOT-2008-2.
Slavtcho Slavov Assoc. Prof. PhD. Head of Biotic Stress Group, AgroBioInstitute (ABI), Agricultural Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria. Other assignments include Scientific Secretary of ABI. Experience in coordinating research projects and international cooperation: Coordinator of 2 domestic grants and 3 international projects, two of them collaborative. Participant in more than 10 domestic and international projects.
Nikolai Christov, Associate Professor, PhD. Coordination/participation in projects: Team leader for the Bulgarian part of the F7 Project NUE-CROPS, he has been partner in several international projects funded by the EC, IAEA, NATO, Bi-lateral projects with Belgium, China and Romania, as well as more than 10 nationally funded projects. Current research interests include: molecular mechanisms of abiotic stress adaptation in plants, cloning and functional characterization of abiotic stress responsive genes in plants, molecular markers for variety identification, QTL mapping and marker assisted selection (MAS) in crop plants.
Mariana Radkova Res. Assoc. PhD. Research interests: biotechnology, cytoplsmic male sterility in tomato, gene flow and mitigation techniques, tomato plants as bioreactors, functional genetic. Participation in international projects: UNEP-GEF biosafety implementation projects; Co-Extra FP6 project “GM and non-GM supply chains: their CO-EXistence and TRAceability”. Bilateral project between Agrobioinstitute and Northeastern University in China “Allergenicity and toxicity assessment of transgenic plants for medical use applications”, supported by Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science.