Holistic analysis of signalling molecules involved in the gibberellins/ abscisic acid – dependent response mechanism of Triticum aestivum seeds to pre-sowing treatment with magnetic field.

Title of the project	Holistic analysis of signalling molecules involved in the gibberellins/ abscisic acid – dependent response mechanism of Triticum aestivum seeds to pre-sowing treatment with magnetic field.
Primary and secondary scientific disciplines	*Primary scientific discipline: biology* *Secondary scientific discipline: physics*
PhD student	Daniele Cecchetti
Supervisor	Prof dr hab. Adriana Szmidt-Jaworska, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Chair of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Science, Lwowska 1 St., 87-100 Toruń (Poland)
Co-supervisor	Prof. Massimo Maffei, Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, Plant Physiology-Innovation Centre, University of Turin, Via Quarello 15/A, I-10135 Turin (Italy)
Description of the project	Currently, every year new evidences are revealing the ability of plants to perceive and respond to varying magnetic field (MF) by altering their phenotype and even their gene expression but the details of biological action of MF and its mechanism are still insufficiently understood. Over the years, research results have been also collected to determine the effect of the MF used as a safe alternative method to improve agricultural crops. In the project we want to answer the question whether changes in the level of specific signaling molecules and hormones are the basis of the mechanism of response to pre-sowing treatment of wheat seeds with magnetic field. A more holistic insight into the role of signaling molecules in the mechanism of gibberellins/ abscisic acid – dependent response under action of different MF values, as a pre-sowing treatment, will be given. Moreover, during MF treatment, we plan to tightly control the value of electric field, which is new and lacking approach in scientific experiments concerning MF effects on plant cells.