Application of biotechnology for genetic research and gene conservation of forest trees

Transgenic silver birches recovered from cryopreservation.

Breakthroughs in biotehnology of silver birch and Scots pine

New methods of biotechnology were developed to be utilized in studies of forest genetics, forest tree breeding and forest gene conservation. A vegetative propagation method based on the production of somatic embryos (SE) of Scots pine was studied, and pine plants were regenerated for the first time in the world using this method. Functional cryopreservation techniques were developed for the Scots pine SE tissue cultures and for various silver birch materials. Gene transfer techniques were applied for studying gene functioning of silver birch. Additionally, the project group successfully managed to produce a transgenic Scots pine, the first one in the world, through pollen transformation.

Additional information on the project: www.metla.fi/hanke/3198/index-en.htm