Workshop on Secondary Metabolites Production Using Hairy-root Culture Has Been Held

The workshop on the secondary metabolites production using hairy-root culture was held on Wednesday, 11h of November 2015, by National Network of Research and Technology in Medicinal Plants in the Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute of Shahid Beheshti University. This workshop was instructed by Dr. Mohammad Hossein Mirjalili, an assistant professor in physiology and breeding of medicinal plants of this institute, with 13 participants of the network members during  8 practical and theoretical hours.

Due to the limitations in farming lands and water resources, it is ever more important to consider the modern methods of biotechnology in effective and sustainable exploitation of agricultural lands and the supply of food and medical needs in farming and gardening sectors.

The hairy-roots are formed through delivery of transgenes to plant cells using agrobacterium and hairy roots (a genus of Gram-negative bacteria). Hairy-roots are considered advantageous as an important and permanent source for the valuable secondary metabolites production due to their rapid growth, less multiplication time, genetic sustainability in the duration of the culture, easy maintenance and ability for synthesizing a wide range of chemical compounds.

Considering the importance of this method in the secondary metabolites production, in this workshop there was a theoretical and practical introduction and implementation of this technique.