Algae based products offer many potential advantages over food based sources of energy, however significant research is still required in order to make them an economically viable option. To date, algal research has not extensively utilized the tool of high throughput screening using microplates that has been successfully employed in fields such as drug discovery.

The POU octamer-binding domain transcription factor Oct-4, Stage-specific embryonic antigens (SSEAs), and Tumor rejection antigens (TRAs), are developmentally regulated during early embryogenesis.

Identified conserved domains or gene families from the ESTs could be utilised for the identification of gene-targeted markers and for development of functional markers to accelerate marker assisted backcross breeding in safflower.

White clover is an important pasture legume, but growth is often strongly reduced under summer drought. Abiotic stress is mediated by the induced production of flavonoids. At the individual genotype level, increased flavonol (quercetin) accumulation in response to water deficit stress is positively associated to retaining higher levels of dry matter production.

White clover is an important forage legume in temperate pastures, but does not have sufficient resistance against drought stress. Quercetin is a flavonol conferring plant sunscreen and anti-oxidant properties under UV-B stress with a trade-off of reduced biomass. An F1 full-sib cross between stress tolerant and stress sensitive white clover genotypes showed the ability to increase Q accumulation associated to maintenance of dry matter yield under a near wilting drought.

• Application of SGM either alone or in combination with WS with moderate levels of fertilizer N substitute for substantial amount of fertilizer N and consequently enhanced crop productivity with higher profitability maintaining soil fertility in maize-wheat cropping system. Application of leguminous green manure and previous crop residues (wheat residues) in soil can potentially deal the issues of stagnation in productivity, declining factor productivity and soil fertility depletion.

Strain CCM 8367 of Isaria fumosorosea (syn. Paecilomyces fumosoroseus) was isolated in the Czech Republic from lepidopteran pest and is deposited as a patent culture in the Czech Collection of Microorganisms in Brno. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of this strain on Cameraria ohridella, Leptinotarsa decemlineata and Spodoptera littoralis. Comparison with Apopka 97 strain isolated from commercial biopesticide PreFeRal WG (Biobest, Belgium) was made.

Given the sympatry of native and non-native Rubus in the Western United States, we are interested in the potential of novel hybridization events to contribute to the evolution of invasiveness in this genus. Using SSRs, we identify hybrids between native and non-native species, as well as multiple clones of the invasive R. armeniacus.

In previous work we identified spontaneous hybrids between the native, sexual R. ursinus and the non-native, apomictic R. armeniacus and R. pensilvanicus. Using microsatellite genotypes of seeds and seedlings, we determine that the hybrids produce a mix of sexual and clonal offspring, and that sexual seeds have higher viability. This has implications for the ability of hybrid Rubus to evolve into new invasive forms.

Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethyl xanthine), known to have sensory and stimulatory effects, causes adverse effects on health which has resulted in an increased demand for de-caffeinated tea. The transformants obtained by RNAi are being analysed for partial and complete knockdown of one or both the genes using RT-PCR and reduction in caffeine production estimated by HPLC.