Methodology

• Measurement of various parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence either directly in leaves in situ or in leaf discs (both fast and slow part of chlorophyll fluorescence induction curve including OJIP analysis)
• Measurement of spectral reflectance indices PRI and NDVI) on leaves in situ
• Polarographic measurement of net photosynthetic rate and dark respiration rate in leaf discs
• Isolation of photochemically active chloroplasts from leaves of various plant species (including conifers) and polarographic or spectrophotometric measurement of the activities of Photosystems 1 and 2 (in the second case also including the variant with the inhibited function of OEC), whole photosynthetic electron-transport chain or Hill reaction
• Spectrophotometric determination of the content of chlorophylls and carotenoids, the proline content, the malondialdehyde content (which signifies the degree of the peroxidation of membrane lipids) and the activities of some antioxidant enzymes (catalase, ascorbate peroxidase)
• Conductometric determination of the membrane injury index
• Various commonly used methods of plant growth analysis and plant production analysis
• Quantitative genetics analysis based on various models and breeding systems (including the neccessary software)

Laboratory Equippment

• Portable handheld fluorometrs OS30P (ADC BioScientific Ltd.), FluorPen 100u and FluorPen 100u-max (Photon Systems Instruments)
• PAM fluorometer (Walz) connected to the LD2 chamber
• LD2 chamber for the measurement of the net photosynthetic rate or the dark respiration rate (Hansatech)
• Portable devices PlantPen PRI a PlantPenNDVI (Photon Systems Instruments)
• Special chambers for the measurements of photochemical activities of isolated chloroplasts
• UV-VIS spectrofotometers Anthelie Advanced 2 (Secomam) and Evolution 201 (ThermoScientific)
• GRYF 158 conductometer
• Vertical 1D electrophoretic systems
• Automatic air and soil humidity/temperature measuring instruments with dataloggers (WET-2 Sensor with HH2 datalogger, AT Delta-T Devices; Testo 175-H2, Testo AG) and light intensity measuring instruments (Testo 435-2 with Lux probe)
• Other basic laboratory instruments: homogenizers, refrigerated centrifuges, water purification systems, water baths and termostats, heaters, drying ovens, analytical balances and microbalances, deep freezers, small plant growth chamber, etc.