Micropropagation as tool for biological research: the experience of the BioLabs laboratories

In vitro techniques are valuable tools for genetic improvement and physiological studies in many plant species, particularly plants that are characterized by very long and complex biological cycles, such as fruit and forest trees. Among the different in vitro techniques, micropropagation is the base system for the development of biotechnology approaches. Over the past decade, BioLabs laboratories in Italy have often used micropropagation-based experimental approaches. This paper discusses the micropropagation strategies adopted by BioLabs and the corresponding outcomes. Some studies focused on the different micropropagation techniques and their effects on the quality of micropropagated plants, as in the case of grape, apple and olive. In other research, micropropagation methods were used to provide model systems for the study of biochemical and molecular tolerance responses to abiotic stresses (iron deficiency, and excesses in copper, zinc and salts).