Botanical Garden of Vilnius University

Sukurta: 23 May 2022

Kairėnų 43, LT-10239 Vilnius
Tel. 219 3133
E-mail:
http://www.botanikos-sodas.vu.lt

Director – Dr Audrius Skridaila

Department of Scientific Programs:
Group of Plant Biodiversity and Taxonomy
Laboratory of Biotechnology and Genetics

STAFF

Research professor: Dr Habil. I. Pašakinskienė.
Senior researchers: Dr A. Skridaila, Dr D. Naugžemys.
Researchers: Dr A. Aučina, Dr S. Dapkūnienė, Dr R. Juodkaitė, Dr.R. Šiukšta, Dr V. Vaitkūnienė, Dr S. Žilinskaitė.
Teaching assistant: Dr G. Štukėnienė.
Doctoral students: V. Stakelienė, I. Žiemytė.

RESEARCH AREAS

Genomics, Biomolecules and Biotechnologies: Fundamental and Applied Research

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Introduction and investigation of ornamental and horticulture plants
Collection, assessment and conservation of plant genetic resources
Plant molecular taxonomy
Genetic polymorphism, genetic instability of plants
Biotechnology of cultivation and reproduction
Micropropagation in vitro
Phytopatology, mycorrhizal fungi diversity

MAIN CONFERENCES ORGANIZED IN 2021

Botanical Gardens as a Part of European Cultural Heritage. B-Ardent. Erasmus+Project, CZ, PL, LT, D. Vilnius, VU Botanical Garden, 8-11 August 2021.

Search for Connections between Nature and Ethno Culture in Modern Education. Ministry of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Centre of Non-formal Youth Education, Botanical Garden of Vilnius University, 08 October 2021.

Online seminar Irises and peonies in Vilnius University Botanical Garden B-Ardent. Erasmus+Project, CZ, PL, LT, D. Vilnius, VU Botanical Garden, 08 June 2021.

RESEARCH PROJECTS CARRIED OUT IN 2021

Projects Supported by University Budget

Biological, Molecular Research and in vitro Technologies of Plant Genetic Resources and Natural Ecosystems. Habil. Dr I. Pašakinskienė, 2021–2025.

Long-term dynamics of ectomycorrhizal community of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings in the clear-cut forest were investigated. Investigation on the genome size and structure of natural plant polyploid Festuca gigantea L. was continued. Genomes of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) mutant tw2 and blue-berried honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) by molecular methods were investigated.
Plants of genus Syringa L, Rhododendron L. Lilium L. were multiplied microvegetatively and maintained in vitro.

Main publication:

Šiukšta, R., Vaitkūnienė, V., Mačkinaitė, R., Rančelis, V. Application of Barley Tweaky Spike Mutants for the Study of Effects of Plant Immunity-Related Substances. Agronomy. 2021, 11: 2180. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112180

National Research Projects

Research Council of Lithuania. Impact of Climate Change on Sustainability of Aquatic Vegetation in Water Courses with Ranunculion Vegetation (habitat of European importance 3260). No. S-SIT-20-1. Dr D. Naugžemys. 2020–2021.

We focused on Ranunculus (sect. Batrachium) species and their communities to assess the changes in the habitats in the Lithuanian rivers due to rising temperatures. In Lithuania, 22 rivers were surveyed and 254 descriptions of plant communities were made. In parallel, 20 descriptions of control communities were made in Italy and 17 in Russia. All the studied Lithuanian rivers populations were characterized by relatively low genetic diversity, but specific genotypes were identified. The obtained results in Lithuania allowed the preliminary identification of six Ranunculus (sect. Batrachium) species.

Main publication:

Naugžemys, D., Lambertini, C., Patamsytė, J., Butkuvienė, J., Khasdan, V., Žvingila, D. Genetic diversity patterns in Phragmites australis populations in straightened and in natural river sites in Lithuania. Hydrobiologia. 2021, 848: 3317–3330. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-021-04606-w

International Research Projects

Project: Ribes/Rubus European Central Data Base. Dr D. Ryliškis.
Internet: http://projektai.vu.lt/ribes-rubus.
The Central Ribes/Rubus Europe Database was managed (the IPGRI and ECP/GR request).
Botanical Gardens as Part of European Cultural Heritage (B-Ardent!). Erasmus+, KA2, Nr. 2018-1-CZ01-KA202-048171. Dr G. Štukėnienė. 2019–2021. With the support of the Erasmus+Programme of the European Union: Czech Republic, Pruhonice Botanical Garden; Poland, University of Wroclaw Botanical Garden; Lithuania, Vilnius University Botanical Garden; Germany, Garten Kulturzentrum Niedersachsen Park der Garten.
Internet: https://www.botanikos-sodas.vu.lt/news/322/42/Botanikos-sodai-kaip-dalis-Europos-kult%C5%ABrinio-paveldo

Main publications:

Machačkova, M., Caspers, Z., Ehsen, B., Grzeszczak-Nowak, H., Hermann, D., Kącki, Z., Mularczyk, M., Sekerka, P., Skalka, M., Štukėnienė, G. Botanical Gardens as a Part of European Cultural Heritage. Methodology. 2020, 140 p. Botanicky ustav AV ČR, Pruhonice, Czech Republic. Sekerka, P., Dymny, T., Gataveckienė, S., Kącki, Z., Kiersnowska, J., Štukėnienė, G. Botanical Gardens as a Part of European Cultural Heritage. Paeonia. 2020, 112 p. Botanicky ustav AV ČR, Pruhonice, Czech Republic.

Caspers, Z., Dymny, T., Galinskaitė, L., Kurczakowski, M., Kącki, Z., Štukėnienė, G. Botanical Gardens as a Part of European Cultural Heritage. Iris. 2020, 92 p. Botanicky ustav AV ČR, Pruhonice, Czech Republic.

Machačkova, M., Ehsen, B., Gębala, M., Hermann, D., Kącki, Z., Rupp, H., Štukėnienė, G. Botanical Gardens as a Part of European Cultural Heritage. Hemerocallis. 2020, 92 p. Botanicky ustav AV ČR, Pruhonice, Czech Republic.

MAIN R&D&I (RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION) PARTNERS

BGCI – Botanical Garden Conservation International
LUBSA – Lithuanian Association of University Botanical Gardens (Lithuania)
IPGRI – International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (Italy)
Institute of Dendrology, Kornik (Poland)
Lithuanian Plant Gene Bank (Lithuania)
Lithuanian State Forest Service (Lithuania)

OTHER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Dr Gitana Štukėnienė –

chairman of the organizing committee of the conference Botanical Gardens as a Part of European Cultural Heritage. B-Ardent. Erasmus+Project, CZ, PL, LT, D. Vilnius, VU Botanical Garden, 8–11 August 2021;
chairman of the organizing committee of the online seminar Irises and peonies in Vilnius University Botanical Garden B-Ardent. Erasmus+Project, CZ, PL, LT, D. Vilnius, VU Botanical Garden, 08 June 2021.

Dr Silva Žilinskaitė –

member of the organizing committee of the international scientific conference Herbaria of the 21st century: achievements and challenges dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the National Herbarium of Ukraine (KW) – the Herbarium of M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, NAS of Ukraine, 1 October 2021, Kyiv.

Dr A. Skridaila –

editorial board member of the of the Polish Dendrology Society Yearbok Rocznik Polskiego Towarzystwa Dendrologicznego, https://www.ptd.pl/ptd/?page_id=542;
editorial board member of the periodical publication of the Lithuanian Association of Landscape Architects: Landscape Architecture – the Theoretical and Practical Aspects. 2020, No. 1(5), https://lkas.lt/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Krastovaizdzio-architektura-%E2%80%93-teorijos-ir-praktikos-aspektai_online-compressed.pdf.

Habil. Dr I. Pašakinskienė –

editorial board member of the journal Botanica Lithuanica.

BEST REPORTS DELIVERED AT CONFERENCES ABROAD

G. Štukėnienė. Collection of daylilies (Hemerocallis L.) at the Vilnius University Botanical Garden. Seminar Botanical Gardens as a Part of European Cultural Heritage. B-Ardent. Erasmus+Project, CZ, PL, LT, D. Poland, Wroclaw University, 14–16 August 2021.
S. Žilinskaitė, D. Naugžemys, J. Patamsytė, Y. Hoshino, D. Žvingila. Investigation of genetic diversity and relationships of blue-berried honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) cultivars, genetic lines and populations at the Vilnius University Botanical Garden. Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resources Management based on a Biotechnological approach to Plant-Microbe interaction under a Changing Environment. Symposium Lithuania-Japan, 26–27 August 2021, Kaunas, Vilnius, Sapporo, 2021 (on line).
G. Štukėnienė. Collection of peonia (Paeonia L.) at the Vilnius University Botanical Garden. Seminar Botanical Gardens as a Part of European Cultural Heritage. B-Ardent. Erasmus+Project, CZ, PL, LT, D. Czech Republic, Pruhonice, Institute of Botany, Botanical Garden, 29–30 August 2021.

MOST IMPORTANT PARTICIPATION CASES OF RESEARCHERS IN WORKING GROUPS OR COMMISSIONS SET UP BY STATE AUTHORITIES, STATE AND MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS, BUSINESS ENTITIES

Dr A. Skridaila. Member of the Council of Control of Invasive Species by the Ministry of Environment. https://am.lrv.lt/lt/veiklos-sritys-1/gamtos-apsauga/invazines-rusys/invaziniu-rusiu-kontroles-taryba.
Dr A. Skridaila. Member of the First Council for the Evaluation of the Real Cultural Heritage (Greenery Expert) by the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture.
Dr A. Skridaila, Habil. Dr I. Pašakinskienė. Members of the Standing Commission on National Genetic Resources for Plants by the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania.
Habil. Dr I. Pašakinskienė. Executive Team Expert of the National Science Program for Sustainability of Agro-, Forest- and Aquatic Ecosystems by the Lithuanian Research Council.
Habil. Dr I. Pašakinskienė. Member of the Project Evaluation Committee by the Lithuanian Research Council.

MOST IMPORTANT RESEARCH DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES

30 articles in magazines and portals, 6 TV interviews, 1 radio interview, exhibition “Botanical Gardens as a Part of European Cultural Heritage. B-Ardent. Erasmus+Project, CZ, PL, LT, D. Vilnius, VU Botanical Garden, 07–31 June-August 2021.