Somatic Embryogenesis

Somatic embryogenesis, the initiation of embryos from previously differentiated somatic cells, is a unique process in plants. This volume expands our view of a subject that is important for plant biotechnology, genetics, cell biology, development, and agricultural applications. All chapters present the latest research progress, including functional genomic, genetic, and proteomic approaches. A special focus is placed on the effects of stress, environment, and plant growth regulators on embryogenesis. The role of genes such as Leafy Cotyledons and Baby Boom in defining and maintaining cell competence is discussed.

A. Mujib is senior lecturer at the Department of Botany, Hamdard University, New Delhi, India. He received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Kalyani (India) working on in vitro studies of bulbous ornamentals. Later he was appointed to a position in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur. He teaches molecular genetics, cytogenetics, and plant biotechnology. His current research interests include somatic embryogenesis and gene expression, analysis of somaclonal variants with a focus on transposons, and in vitro mutagenesis using cell culture as a system. His scientific work has resulted in more than 55 publications including research papers, review articles, and book chapters.

Jozef Šamaj received his Ph.D. degree from the Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. He completed three post-doctoral programmes supported by Eurosilva, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and the EU Marie Curie Programme in well-recognized laboratories in Toulouse, Bonn, and Vienna. His scientific work has focused on the cell biology of somatic embryogenesis, lignification in tree species, arabinogalactan proteins, the cytoskeleton, and signalling proteins. Jozef Šamaj has co-authored more than 60 research papers, reviews, and book chapters. Currently he is a senior lecturer and associate researcher at the Institute of Cellular and Molecular Botany in Bonn, Germany. His main research interest centers on the role of stress-induced MAP-kinase cascades in relation to vesicular trafficking and the cytoskeleton during stress responses in Arabidopsis thaliana.