Prof. Vasileios Fotopoulos is a Full Professor in Structural and Functional Plant Biology and head of the CUT Plant Stress Physiology Group established in 2008. His main scientific research focuses on the study of nitro-oxidative signaling cascades involved in the plant’s response to stress factors, while emphasis is being given in the development of chemical, biological and nanomaterial priming technologies towards the amelioration of abiotic stress factors and promotion of plant growth.
Abstract
“Next generation priming: evolution from single molecules to nanotechnology”
Global agricultural production is suffering substantial losses due to climate change-related weather events such as drought and salinity, leading to tissue damage and, ultimately, major yield losses. The development of sustainable, ‘green’ technologies is therefore becoming of utmost important, also due to the need for reduced agrochemical use. Close examination of plant-to-plant communication in nature has revealed the development of unique strategies from plants for responding to abiotic stress, with one of the most interesting being through priming for improved defense responses. The process of priming involves prior exposure to a biotic or abiotic stress factor making a plant more tolerant to future exposure. Priming can also be achieved by applying natural or synthetic compounds which act as signaling transducers, ‘activating’ the plant’s defense system.
The current presentation gives an up-to-date description of main research activities carried out at the Cyprus University of Technology with the employment of chemical compounds, microorganisms and advanced nanomaterials and polymers applied as priming agents for stress protection and improved growth at plant and seed level. This technology offers an attractive alternative to established approaches such as conventional breeding and genetic modification with key advantages, representing a characteristic example of integrative plant physiology where multiple disciplines such as materials science, agriculture and analytical chemistry join forces to develop exciting new tools that could be introduced into sustainable crop management practices in modern agriculture.
