Objective THE RESEARCH SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW METHODOLOGY FOR THE GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF CEREALS. IF SUCCESSFUL, SIGNIFICANT MODIFICATIONS COULD BE MADE TO BARLEY AND WHEAT WHICH, IN THE LONG TERM, WOULD EXPRESS PROPERTIES SPECIFICALY ADAPTED TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE AND TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW INTERFACE BETWEEN AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY. New techniques of manipulation of the genome of higher plants are being developed and adapted to plants of agronomic importance. In an integrated approach, the following cell biotechnology methods were developed:regeneration systems from single cells to plants;introgression of foreign genetic material via protoplast fusion;isolation of single chromosomes;selection of mutant cell lines and plants;elaboration of direct gene transfer techniques to introduce deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) into plant following these manipulations;application of methods developed with a model system (essentially Nicotiana plumbaginifolia) to the crop species Solanum sp, tomato and cereals.Using these techniques the following results were obtained: regeneration of plants from explants of various crops; production of useful somaclonal variants of tomato and potato; isolation, culture and regeneration from protoplasts (single, wall free cells), especially in the case of barley for which green plantlets have been obtained; production of both symmetric and asymmetric (partial) somatic hybrids, using both chemical fusion and electrofusion.Such methods were used to introduce useful agronomic characters (virus resistance genes in potato) and to develop asymmetric hybrids where only a limited amount of the donor genome is present. Further research involved the direct transfer of genes into protoplasts (DGT) by electroporation and chemical treatment, associated with transient expression study and analysis of the stable integration of the introduced genes. Techniques for the isolation of micronuclei as well as methods for transfer of organelles by microinjection were also perfected.THE RESEARCH WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN THE FRAMEWORK OF AN INTEGRATED EFFORT BY THE MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PARIS-SUD THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE CONTRACTANT TO THIS JOINT EFFORT WILL ESSENTIALLY CONCERN THE TRANSFORMATION, BY GENETIC ENGINEERING METHODS, OF WHEAT AND BARLEY PROTOPLASTS WITH THE VIEW OF PRODUCING SUPERIOR CULTIVARS WITH NEW QUALITIES AND PROPERTIES. Fields of science medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologygenetic engineeringgene therapynatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNAnatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsgenomesagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturegrains and oilseedscerealsnatural scienceschemical scienceselectrochemistrybioelectrochemistryelectroporation Programme(s) FP1-BAP - Multiannual research action programme (EEC) in the field of biotechnology (BAP), 1985-1989 Topic(s) Data not available Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V. EU contribution No data Address Carl-von-Linné-Weg 10 50829 KOELN Germany See on map Total cost No data Participants (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITE DE PARIS-SUD XI France EU contribution No data Address RUE GEORGES CLEMENCEAU 15 91405 ORSAY See on map Total cost No data