Dr. Juozas Proscevičius

Biography

  born December 7, 1953, Lazdijai district, Lithuania Education and occupation 1976, graduated fromVilniusUniversity, speciality of Biology (Genetics and Selection), qualification of teacher of Biology and Chemistry; Scientific degrees and titles From 1978 to 1981, post graduate studies at Laboratory of Genetics,InstituteofBotany. The doctoral thesis of Doctor of Biological sciences defended in 1988 atUniversityofSt. Petersburg. Professional experience 1976–1978, Junior Scientific Researcher, Department of Botany and Genetics, Institute of Botany; 1981–1987, Senior Laboratory Assistant, Laboratory of Genetics, Institute of Botany; 1987–1989 Junior Scientific Researcher of Laboratory of Genetics, Institute of Botany; 1989-2011 Senior Scientific Researcher in Cell Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Botany; 1994–1997, Assistant of the Department of Agrobiology, VPU; Since 1997 – to date Docent, Department of Biology, LEU; Participated in various international schools focusing on Engineering and Biotechnologies of Plant Genes: 1989Kiev(Ukraine), 1992 Godollo (Hungary); 1993–1994, trip of professional development in the Centre of Genetics,SwedishUniversityof Agriculture (Uppsala); 1994–1996 trips of professional development in Laboratory of Gene Engineering of Biotechnology Institute; 2004, worked as a visiting scientist in the Laboratory of Biotechnology and GMO of Joint Centre of Research (Italy,Spain).

Research Interest

Molecular and general genetics of plant, genetic engineering and biotechnology, ecological aspects of genetic engineering. Genetic mechanism of reproduction isolation between distantly related species and study compatibily of genomes in interspecific hybrids. Search for new methods that allow for distant interspecic hybrids, necessary for investigation in relations of genomes. The author was a pioneer to apply methods of somatic cell hybridisation via plant protoplast fusion and used methods of plant genetic transformation. Created unique distant hybrids beween species of genus Lilium and investigate recombination between distant genomes. By protoplast fusion received hybrids between cultivars of potato Solanom tuberosum and frost resistant species S. commersonii. Differ from analogous hybrids received by others authors these are highly asymmetric and possessed full genome of cultivated potato with only several integrated fragments of chromosomes from S. commersonii. As alternative way to asymmetric interspecific hybridization started to perform transformation of protoplast by genomic DNA. Possibilities how to rule recombination between alien chromosomes by chromosomes breaking investigated expression of gene taqRl coding restriction end nuclease from thermophilic bacteria Termus aquaticus in plant. It was shown that in model transgenic plants possible to induce and rule experimentally plant. These research are sometimes conducted by students working on bachelor or master thesis in the field of genetics.