Physiological, chemical and molecular analysis of the diversity of selected rare and endangered plant species and application of biotechnology for ex situ conservation and production of biologically active compounds

The Balkan Region represents one of the European major centers of plant diversity, with a substantial number of endemic genera and species. However, the accelerated loss of diversity is a consequence of diverse negative factors including: a) habitat loss, alteration or fragmentation resulting from activities associated with agriculture, urbanization, forestry; b) unsustainable exploitation; c) climate changes; d) pollution, etc. There is an urgent requirement to clarify and improve the methodologies that enable scientists to conserve, manage and utilize plants and their habitats. As a solution to part of this problem we propose to develop ex situ conservation strategies for selected rare and/or endangered plant species, to complement existing long-term in situ conservation efforts while respecting national, international laws, and regulations. Our efforts to design and successfully apply ex situ strategy for each targeted rare and/or endangered plant species include a few primary objectives: 1) to assess the genetic diversity in extant populations; 2) to establish and maintain seed and/or in vitro germplasm collections, to fulfill an adequate genetic representation of the genetic makeup of species; 3) to investigate and optimize conditions for in vitro growth, development and secondary metabolites production; and 4) to understand the effect of different abiotic factors on growth and development, and to characterize the mechanisms underlying plant stress tolerance.