The BIOEXPLOIT Project

The EU Framework 6 Integrated Project BIOEXPLOIT concerns the exploitation of natural plant biodiversity for the pesticide-free production of food. It focuses on the pathogens Phytophthora infestans, Septoria tritici, Blumeria graminis, Puccinia spp. and Fusarium spp. and on the crops wheat, barley, tomato and potato. The project commenced in October 2005, comprises 45 laboratories in 12 countries, and is carried out by partners from research institutes, universities, private companies and small-medium enterprises. The project has four strategic objectives covered in eight sub-projects. These objectives relate to (i) understanding the molecular components involved in durable disease resistance, (ii) exploring and exploiting the natural biodiversity in disease resistance, (iii) accelerating the introduction of marker-assisted breeding and genetic engineering in the EU plant breeding industry, and (iv) coordinating and integrating resistance breeding research, providing training in new technologies, disseminating the results, and transferring knowledge and technologies to the industry

New potato root eel-worm proteins - and antibodies useful for determn. of eel-worm populations in soil

Type-specific thermostable proteins isolated from eggs, larvae or adult potato root eelworms (Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida) are new. Also claimed are polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to such proteins. G. rostochiensis proteins have molecular wts. of 20.8 (+-) 1.0, 20.6 (+-) 1.0, 18.0 (+-) 1.0 and 18.0 (+-) 1.0 kD and isoelectric points of 5.2 (+-) 0.1, 5.3 (+-) 0.1, 6.0 (+-) 0.1 and 5.7 (+-0.1 respectively. G. pallida proteins have molecular wts. of 21.0 (+-) 1.0, 20.5 (+-) 1.0, 17.0 (+-) 1.0 and 17.0 (+-) 1.0 kD and isoelectric points of 5.32 (+-) 0.1, 5.4 (+-) 0.1, 5.8 (+-) 0.1 and 5.6 (+-) 0.1 respectively. The antibodies may be labelled, e.g. with enzymes. Determn. of eelworm populations is effected by isolating an eelworm protein homogenate from a soil sample, opt. heat-treating the homogenate and removing denatured proteins, and analysing the prod. using the antibodies, e.g. by the sandwich ELISA method