Laboratory of Plant Biology and Biotechnology

The LAMSYSTEMS laminar flow cabinet is a workstation with a laminar stream of filtered air, designed to protect samples and the working area from airborne and particulate contamination. A filtration system (typically HEPA/ULPA) generates a stable, unidirectional airflow, creating a clean zone for aseptic handling and improving the reproducibility of laboratory procedures.

Applications:

• Microbiology and cell culture: aseptic inoculation and subculturing, handling of culture media, preparation of sterile consumables and solutions.
• Molecular biology: “clean” stages of sample preparation, preparation of reaction mixes, and handling of contamination-sensitive materials.
• Plant biotechnology: aseptic work with plant material, preparation and dispensing of culture media, manipulation of explants, micropropagation, and other procedures requiring controlled cleanliness.
• General laboratory practice: reducing the risk of cross-contamination between samples and protecting results from incidental airborne contamination.

The Levenhuk C510 NG is an optical biological microscope for routine observation and initial examination of samples under transmitted light. It is used for visual assessment of cell and tissue morphology, evaluation of sample preparation quality, detection of impurities/contamination, and demonstration work in educational and applied laboratory settings.

Applications:

• Teaching laboratories and practical classes: developing microscopy skills, preparing native and stained slides, and demonstrating typical specimens (cells, tissues, microorganisms).
• Microbiology (basic control): observing wet mounts, assessing culture purity, detecting unwanted microflora, and monitoring contamination.
• Ecology and hydrobiology: analysing water samples (plankton, algae, protozoa), assessing biological impurities, and monitoring microbiota status.
• Food and agricultural laboratories: screening-level checks of microbial contamination, quality control of raw materials/samples, and detection of visible impurities in suspensions.
• Chemical-analytical sample preparation: visual inspection of precipitates/crystals, assessment of particle dispersion, and checking suspension homogeneity prior to further measurements.
• Routine laboratory work: checking staining quality, cleanliness of microscope slides and reagents, and rapid examination of samples before setting up experiments.

The Bio-Rad PW 40 is an automated microplate washer used for ELISA (EIA) and other plate-based assays. It delivers wash buffer evenly and provides consistent aspiration from each well, reducing background signal and improving reproducibility when processing microplate series.

Applications:

• ELISA (EIA): washing plates between coating/adsorption, incubation and detection steps to minimise non-specific background and improve measurement accuracy.
• Plate-based immunoassays (non-clinical): research protocols for proteins, antigens/antibodies and markers in model and laboratory samples.
• Biochemical and enzymatic microplate assays: repeated wash cycles during assay workflows and preparation of wells for subsequent steps.
• Microbiological and biotechnology research (plate format): washing steps in plate-based assays (incubation, binding and subsequent detection).
• Routine laboratory sample processing: high-throughput handling of microplate batches, saving time and reducing operator-dependent variability compared with manual washing.

The Bio-Rad vertical electrophoresis system is a laboratory instrument for separating proteins and nucleic acids in polyacrylamide gels (PAGE) within a vertical chamber. It is used to obtain sharp, well-resolved bands, to monitor sample quality, to estimate molecular mass/fragment size, and to prepare material for downstream identification and quantitative analysis.

Applications:

• SDS-PAGE (denaturing protein electrophoresis): separation of proteins by molecular mass, assessment of fraction purity, and verification of extraction/purification outcomes.
• Native PAGE: analysis of proteins and protein complexes without denaturation (maintaining activity/complexes where required by the protocol).
• Preparation for blotting: producing gels for subsequent transfer to membranes (Western blot, etc.) and specific detection.
• Nucleic acid analysis by PAGE: separation of short DNA/RNA fragments, checking reaction products and sample purity where high resolution is required.
• Research and routine control: protocol standardisation, comparison of sample series, and assessment of biomolecule stability and degradation.

The Bio-Rad horizontal electrophoresis system is a laboratory instrument for separating DNA and RNA (and, under specialised conditions, certain protein fractions) in agarose gels. The gel is cast and run horizontally, making the system convenient for routine use, rapid sample preparation, and visual inspection of results after staining.

Applications:

• Agarose gel electrophoresis (DNA/RNA): size-based separation of fragments and assessment of nucleic acid quality and integrity.
• PCR product checking: confirming the presence of an amplicon, assessing specificity (single vs multiple bands), and estimating fragment size using a DNA ladder/marker.
• Cloning and genetic engineering: restriction analysis, checking plasmid conformations, verifying assemblies, and preparing fragments for gel extraction.
• Gel extraction of fragments: excising the band of interest for subsequent purification and downstream procedures (ligation, sequencing, etc.).
• Routine research in biology, ecology and biotechnology: batch analysis of samples, comparison of groups, and monitoring contamination and material degradation.

The Spectrophotometer UV-Vis BNUV-D830 is a versatile laboratory instrument for measuring absorbance and recording spectra across the 190–1100 nm range. It is suitable for quantitative determinations using standard colourimetric reactions and for analysing plant extracts in both the UV and visible regions. For plant physiology applications (including pigment analysis), the instrument is convenient because it covers the classical wavelengths, and a 2 nm spectral bandwidth provides sufficient resolution for routine calculations.

Applications:

• Chlorophyll a/b and carotenoids (photosynthetic pigments): assessing the impact of drought/salinity/heavy metals/herbicides, leaf senescence, N/Mg deficiency and light regime; comparing cultivars by “pigment profile”. Measurements are typically taken at ~470, 645 and 663 nm (protocol-dependent) following extraction (acetone/ethanol/DMSO).
• Anthocyanins (colouration, stress response): cold/UV stress, phosphorus deficiency, sugar induction and genotype differences; leaf/fruit-skin colour changes. Readings are often taken at ~520–535 nm with background correction at ~650–700 nm (method-dependent).
• Total phenolics (Folin–Ciocalteu): antioxidant potential and stress-induced phenolics; comparison of leaf/seed/fruit extracts. Readings are typically taken at ~760–765 nm with calibration against gallic acid.
• Flavonoids (AlCl₃ method): dynamics of secondary metabolites under stress/treatments; selection and cultivar comparison. Readings are commonly taken at ~410–430 nm, depending on the protocol/standard.
• MDA (TBARS assay; lipid peroxidation): degree of oxidative membrane damage under stress and the effectiveness of antioxidant treatments. Readings are typically taken at ~532 nm with correction at ~600 nm.
• Antioxidant enzymes (spectrophotometric assays): POD (guaiacol assay ~470 nm), CAT (decrease in H₂O₂ at ~240 nm), APX (decrease in ascorbate at ~290 nm), and SOD according to the chosen photochemical method in the visible region.
• Proline (osmotic stress marker): drought/salinity-related proline accumulation; comparison of cultivar tolerance. Ninhydrin assay, commonly read at ~520 nm (method-dependent).
• Algae and plant cell suspensions: growth by OD: monitoring biomass via optical density (often ~680–750 nm, selected according to the organism/protocol) and, in parallel, assessing pigments from spectral data.
• Spectral “fingerprints” of extracts: recording full spectra to compare extraction conditions (solvent/mode), monitor stability over time, and assess stability under pH changes.

The microplate spectrophotometer ZDM-1101(microplate reader) is designed for rapid measurement of optical density (Abs/OD) in microplate wells (typically a 96-well format). It is used for high-throughput reading of colourimetric reactions and enzymatic assays, avoiding the need for individual cuvettes. In the literature, the ZDM-1101 is often referred to as a microplate reader / enzyme labeler, with absorbance measured at common assay wavelengths (e.g. 450, 490 and 540 nm, depending on the method).

Applications:

• Biochemical and enzymatic assays: measuring enzyme activity and reaction kinetics via changes in absorbance within wells (commonly read at 405/450/490/540 nm, depending on the substrate/reagent).
• Plant extracts and secondary metabolites (plate format): antioxidant/phenolic/flavonoid assays, comparison of extraction and treatment conditions, and screening large numbers of samples in a single run.
• Microbiology and biotechnology: monitoring microbial growth by OD, assessing inhibition/activity of compounds, and screening culture conditions where protocols rely on Abs/OD measurements.
• Non-clinical cell/tissue models: colourimetric viability/metabolic activity assays and other plate-based methods where the readout is absorbance in the well.
• Routine high-throughput laboratory analysis: any workflow where speed, repeatability and simultaneous reading of multiple samples under a single protocol are required.

The Analytik Jena (UVP) transilluminator is a laboratory transmitted-light source used to visualise gels and membranes after electrophoresis. Depending on the configuration, it may use UV illumination (e.g. 302/365 nm), blue light (~460–470 nm) or white light, selected to match specific stains and applications. It provides uniform illumination of the work area and is convenient for rapid band inspection, excision of fragments, and operation as part of gel documentation systems.

Applications:

• Agarose gel electrophoresis (DNA/RNA): checking PCR products, restriction digests, plasmid conformations, and assessing nucleic acid quality and integrity.
• Visualisation of “safe” dyes under blue light: working with stains such as SYBR Safe, GelGreen and similar dyes with excitation at 460–470 nm, helping to reduce sample photodamage compared with UV.
• Polyacrylamide gels and membranes (within gel doc systems): viewing and documenting results, including fluorescent and colourimetric stains (depending on configuration and light source).
• Band/fragment excision from gels: preparing material for subsequent purification and downstream steps (cloning, sequencing, repeat reactions).
• Routine documentation of results: use with a camera/hood for safer viewing and image capture (where the transilluminator is integrated into, or used alongside, a documentation system).