International Network of Plant Abiotic Stress

COST STSM Reference Number: COST-STSM-FA0605-4826

STSM Grantee: Ms Zahra Ayatollahi (Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna (AT),     zahra.ayatollahi@univie.ac.at)

Host Institute,Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology,Potsdam - Golm(DE).  Salma Balazadeh.  (balazadeh@mpimp-golm.mpg.de)

I carried out a STSM at the MPI-MP (Potsdam, Germany), where I was hosted by the group of Prof. Müller-Röber, assisted by Dr. Salma Balazadeh. There I aimed to perform comprehensive expression profiling of Arabidopsis transcription factors in mutant plant lines, in which MAPK signalling pathways are misregulated, anticipating to identify novel candidates as signalling targets.

The experimental procedure included isolation of RNA of different plant lines, followed by generation of cDNA and quantitative real-time PCR of over 1800 genes. For this approach the application of automated robot for distribution of certain reaction components and use of PCR-machines for 384-well-plates was a great advantage.

I am especially thankful to COST for financial support of my scientific stay abroad. The proposed STSM was carried out successfully and the anticipated intentions fulfilled.