As the group’s support staff member, I use different approaches to cultivate plants, both in the greenhouse and in vitro. This enables us to study plant growth in controlled environments. I carry out specialized seed treatments to enhance germination rates, thereby ensuring a good starting point for our experiments.

As the plant reaches the flowering phase, I use the flowers for various experiments. One aspect of my investigations involves the detailed analysis of flower anatomy and structure. To obtain high-quality pictures of the cellular anatomy of flowers, I developed a method where pieces of flower are embedded in an artificial resin. Ultra-thin slices are cut from the embedded petals. These cross-sections are then stained to enhance contrast and can be examined using light microscopy. This method is used to visualize and analyze various flower structures.

We also study the color, morphology and fertility of pollen. I developed a technique to study pollen fertility in vitro using a sucrose solution. By conducting such experiments under various temperatures, we can determine the optimal pollen germination temperature, which helps us explain how the ambient temperature and floral microclimate determine pollen fertility.