The Faculty of Biology
The Department of Plants Physiology and Biotechnology

 Alexander M. BUGARA, Professor, Dr.Sci.Biol
Phone:+38 (0652) 60-84-65
E-mail: btc@tnu.crimea.ua

History

The Department of Plants Physiology was established in 1972 after reorganization of the Crimean М.V. Frunze State Pedagogical Institute into Simferopol State University. The Department was allocated as independent structural unit from the Department of Botany. In 1986 the Department was reorganized in the Department of Plants Physiology and Biotechnology. Such scientists worked at the Department in different years: Cand.Biol.Sci. M.V. Sivtsev (the first Head of the Department, 1972), Dr.Sci.Biol., Professor M.K. Manankov (1973-2002), Cand.Biol.Sci. S.A. Ponomareva (1972-1983), Cand.Biol.Sci. N.I. Kopylov (1975-1989), Cand.Biol.Sci. V.G. Blokhin (1978-2004), Dr.Sci.Biol., Professor S.N. Kabuzenko (since 1972), Academician G.S. Muromtsev (1994-1996) who were founders of researches in the field of growth, development and biotechnology of plants. They managed and performed original works on influence of various regulators of growth on efficiency, stability and morphogenesis of cultural plants.
Specialization of students on Physiology of Plants began in 1975. The first specialists graduated in 1978.

General Information

The Department train students on specialization “Plants Physiology and Biotechnology”. The Department carries out training and scientific research in different trends of plants physiology, biotechnology, cytology, microbiology, virology. There are specialized study rooms and laboratories for carrying out laboratory works at high scientific and methodical level. Training of students is conducted on 4 general courses: Physiology of Plants, Cytology, Microbiology, Fundamentals of Biotechnology, and also on 27 special courses.

Faculty Members

Scientific and pedagogical structure of the Department – 5 people with scientific degrees in Plants Physiology and Biotechnology.

• S.N. Kabuzenko – Professor, Dr.Sci.Biol;
• A.M. Bugara – Professor, Dr.Sci.Biol;
• L.M. Teplitskaya – Associate Professor , Cand.Biol.Sci.;
• I.P. Oturina  – Associate Professor , Cand.Biol.Sci.;
• S.I. Chmeleva  – Associate Professor , Cand.Biol.Sci.

Auxiliary personnel of the Department (laboratory managers, specialists-biologists) – 4 people.

Disciplines:

• Fundamentals of Biotechnology, Growth and Development of Plants, Cell Selection, Cytogenetics, Quantitative Microscopy (A.M. Bugara, Dr.Sci.Biol., Professor);
• Physiology of Plants, Salt Tolerance of Plants, Water Regime of Plants, Membranology (S.N. Kabuzenko, Dr.Sci.Biol, Professor);
• Cytology, Plant Tissue Culture, Micro-Cloning of Plants, Industrial Biotechnology (L.M. Teplitskaya, Cand.Biol.Sci., Associate Professor );
• Microbiology, Photosynthesis, Biologically Active Substances (I.P. Oturina, Cand.Biol.Sci., Associate Professor );
• Enzymology, Engineering of Transgenic Plants, Fundamentals of Scientific Research (S.I. Chmeleva, Cand.Biol.Sci., Associate Professor )

Specialization

The Department graduates the biologists specializing in Plants Physiology and Biotechnology. Graduates of Department are prepared for pedagogical work in secondary and higher educational institutions, to researches in the field of Plant Physiology, Biotechnology, Cytology, Microbiology, Virology.

 Education

The Department conducts training on qualifying levels "Bachelor", "Specialist" and "Master". Training includes lecture courses, laboratory and seminar works, and also educational and industrial practice. Students study in specialized laboratories on physiology of plants, biotechnology, microbiology, cytology and virology. Working in the laboratories, the students master modern methods of researches, receive work skills. Educational and industrial practice is conducted at the Department and at other scientific and industrial establishments of Crimea.
 
Scientific Work

The basic directions of researches are connected with study of influence of biologically active substances on growth and development of plants in natural conditions and in conditions of controllable experiment in vitro. Physiological and biochemical bases of plants adaptation to stressful factors of an environment are investigated. On the basis of the received results, original methods of increasing efficiency and stability of plants under influence of exogenic regulators of growth are developed. Optimum modes of processing plants with regulators of growth are picked up in order to adapt plants to salt stress and water deficiency. Laws of plants morphogenesis in conditions of controllable experiment in vitro and ways of realization of totipotence of cells of various specialization are investigated. Biotechnological techniques of plants cloning on the basis of cultivation of cells, tissues and organs in vitro with the purpose of preservation of genofund of rare and disappearing kinds of plants of Crimea are developed. With this purpose the unique collection of cellular cultures of plants of the Crimean flora is created.
The researches directed at receiving valuable secondary metabolites of herbs on the basis of biomass of cells, grown up outside of an organism are carried out. Strains of tylosis cultures of ivy, clematis, cyclamen are received containing treeterpenic glycosides with a wide spectrum of pharmacological action. Selection of cell cultures of increased efficiency of biologically active substances is conducted. Theoretical bases and laboratory rules of receiving valuable products for medical purpose on the basis of cultivated cells biomass are developed.
Technologies of growing of mycelium are developed, including influence of various biologically active substances for increase of efficiency. Scientific work of cell selection with the purpose of receiving salt-resisting genotypes of grapes is conducted. Forms of grapes maintaining a high level of chloride salinization are received.
Students take part in carrying out of research work of the Department. The results of students’ research work are published in materials of scientific conferences and periodic scientific editions.
In 1972 the postgraduate study on the speciality 03.00.12 – Physiology of Plants is opened at the Department. For years of work of the Department, 2 doctor's and 7 master's theses are defended. In 2001 on the basis of Department Biotechnological center of TNU which carries out researches under scientific projects was created.

Contacts

The Department maintains academic contacts with Shevchenko Kiev National University, and with number of scientific research institutes and agricultural science centers of NASU: Institute of Physiology of Plants and Genetics (Kiev), Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics (Kiev), Institute of Cellular Biology and Genetic Engineering (Kiev), M.M. Grishko Central Botanical Garden (Kiev), Institute of Biology of Southern Seas (Sevastopol), Institute of Ethereal Oil and Medicinal Plants (Simferopol), Nikitskiy Botanical Garden, National Scientific Center (Yalta), Institute of Soil Microbiology (the settlement of Gvardeyskoye, Crimea). The Department conducts joint researches with V.L. Komarov Botanical Garden, RAS (St. Petersburg, Russia), Institute of Botanical Garden of the Republic of Moldova (Kishinev), Kuban Agricultural University (Krasnodar, Russia).

Publications (in original languages)

For last 10 years the staff of the Department has published more than 300 scientific works in various directions of Physiology of Plants, Biotechnology, Cytology, Fetology and Microbiology. 6 copyright certificates for the invention and 7 patents are received. 6 monographies and manuals are written and published.