Profilling of sRNA expression in germinating barley seeds maintained in long-term storage

The project focuses on the germination process of the seeds, which have aged in long-term storage. The main aim of the project is to characterise the dynamics of expression of miRNA during the germination of seeds with different viability and age. A lot of research has been done recently on aging, dormancy, and germination of seeds, but there is no answer to the question of which mechanisms are responsible for aging and germination of seeds during long-term storage. The project will be based on plant material that is unique in the world, i.e. barley seeds from the 1972 harvest stored dry in hermetically sealed containers. It is worth noting, that for the comparative studies in the project, two groups of seeds are available: the seeds with different germination capacity; and reproduced seeds, in which the aging process has not yet taken place. The results obtained will be important for understanding the role of miRNAs in the regulation of seed germination after long-term storage in gene banks.