Biochemistry

In the biochemistry laboratory, plant samples are prepared for subsequent determination of chemical and/or biochemical parameters, germination tests, molecular biology analysis and pollen extraction. In particular, the following activities are carried out:

• mineralization of plant material;
• preparation of plant extracts for the determination of biochemical parameters such as the content of antioxidant molecules (phenols, ascorbate), other molecules (terpenes) and determination of antioxidant enzyme activities;
• preparation of germination tests under different conditions and with different substrates;
• preparation of substrates for in vitro cultures and nutrient solutions for hydroponic cultures;
• extraction of nucleic acids from plant tissues for genetic and gene expression analysis;
• extraction and concentration of pollen grains from vegetation and sediment samples.

Relevant Instrumentation

• Mineralizer (Excel-Shangai EU, Microwave Chemistry Technology Co. Ltd, Hong Kong, China)