1. HURO/0901/1472.2.2 SZEGED - TIMISOARA AXIS FOR THE SAFE FOOD AND FEED SZETISA1 Disclaimer The content of this page does not necessarily represent the official position of the European Union. 2nd Progress Report Meeting Szeged, 22-23 September, 2011 Activities in the 2nd reporting period 01. 06. 2011 – 30. 09. 2011 Erdei László Department of Plant Biology University of Szeged

2. Reporting periods Activities 0. 01.11.2009- 31.01.2011 1. 01.02.2011- 31.05.2011. 2. 01.06.2011- 30.09.2011. 3. 01.10.2011- 31.01.2012. 4. 01.02.2012- 31.05.2012. A0 PreparationM A1 Management A2 Communication M M M M A3 Research Preliminary sample collection Szeged Timisoara Procuration and installation of equipments Szeged, Timisoara, Plant growing and sample collection Szeged, Timisoara Physiological and biochemical measurements Szeged Microbiological and toxin investigations Timsoara Element analysis Szeged Closing activities Szeged, Timisoara, Time-frame Bars represent the periods of activities. Locations of activities are noted under the bars. Bold M, meetings in Szeged; Italics M, meetings in Timisora.

3. Main events since the end of the 1st Reporting Period (June 1 2001 -22 September 2011) Contract and Reports ERDF Contract – signed September…. 2011 1st Partner Report submitted – June 15, 2011. spending: 58,21€ – LP; 0€ - PP 1st Partner Report accepted – july13, 2011. Notification on reporting and spending obligations – July 8, 2011 declaration submitted to JTS by 20th July, about 865,59€ and 0 € from the part of LP and PP, resp. Experimental events: sampling of wheat and maize, see resp. presentations; physiological, biochemical and element analysis measurements Report deadlines: PR- Partner Report: October 15, to VÁTI and BRECO, respectively, in HU: Szécsi Jenő, Békéscsaba, Tel. 66/ 520-250 PPR – Programme Report to JTS by 28 September (in HU: Kovács Gyula, Tel. 66/520-257)

4. 2nd Reporting period: : 01. 06. 2011. – 30. 09. 2011 Deadline of the Partner Report : 15. 10. 2011 Deadline of the Programme Report: 28. 01. 2012 1. Management and communication. 2. Procuration of instruments, installation, teaching. 3. Collection wheat plant parts (flag leaves, ears) from Fusarium-inoculated and control plants, different genotypes for element and biochemical analyses. Element analysis by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Collection of maize samples. 4. Physiological and in situ photosynthesis measurements. Determination of antioxidant enzymes. 5. Toxicology in Timisoara. 6. Progress report preparatory meeting in Szegeden.

5. Tasks for the 3rd reporting period (01.10.2011 – 31.01.2012) 1. Management and communication. 2. Collection of late plant material (maize, alfalfa - Timisoara). 3. Continuation of biochemical analysis of plant samples. 4. Data analysis of measurements. 5.Installation of ICP-MS instrument. Probe analysis of elements. 6. Proteomics: Glutamine synthetase isoenzymes and Rubisco. 7. Effects of Fusarium toxins on guard cell ion channels. 8. Progress Report Meeting in Timisoara.

6. Activity Package 0 11/2009 – presentPreparation activities Preparatory Meetings: -25.11. 2009 Szeged; 13.01.2010 Timisoara Activity Package 12/2011 – 5/2012 Project management Project preparatory meetings 2; Szeged 1, Timisoara 1 Progress reports and closing report progress report 3, closing report 1 Closing seminars 2; Timisoara 1, Szeged 1 Improved infrastrucure in the laboratoriesSzeged 1,Timisoara 3 instruments Activity Package 2 2/2011 – 5/2012 Communication activities Results - Project meetings 5; Szeged 3, Timisoara 2 Results - Publications 7; Szeged 5, Timisoara 2 Outputs - Number of participants in meetings 20 in each, altogether 100. Project Booklet, 100 pcs., Project brochure - 100pcs. Outputs - Number of readers in newspapersN/A Outputs - number of authors in scientific publications, number of students on courses 6 authors, 300 students

7. Activity Package 3 02/2011 – 05/2012 Research and Development 1. Procuration of equipments 2-7/2011 Szeged, Timisoara Procuration of equipments is planned in both localities to improve infrastucture. In Szeged, an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) is planned for the multielement analysis of microelements in environmnetal, food and feed plant samples in the region of mg/kg to pg/kg. In Timisora, the purchase of a Bioanalyzer, a UV-VIS Spectophotometer and a cooling centrifuge are necessary to improve molecular biological work. 2. Determination of microelements as affected by microbial infection or heavy metals presence. 7/2011 – 5/2012 Szeged, Timisoara These will be determined in 2 wheat cultivars, 2 corn genotypes (GM and conventional) and alfalfa cultivars of different susceptibilities. Microelements will be determined in Szeged, microbial presence and toxins in Timisoara. 3. Determination of antioxidant defence mechanisms as influenced by microbial toxins 7/2011 – 5/2012 Szeged The catalase, superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase activities will be determined in the same biological material. In addition, glutamine syntethase iso-enzymes and Rubisco levels will be determined by 2D gel chromatography. These will be carried out in Szeged. 4. Effects of genomic background on essential and toxic microelements 7/2011 – 5/2012 Szeged, Timisoara This subactivity is based on earlier results: we have shown out significantly different levels of Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn in wild, ancient and cultivated wheat species in the genera Triticum and Aegilops. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cultivars also show different phytoremediation potential for both inorganic and organic pollutants. Besides the analysis of wheat and alfalfa cultivars, investigation for their membrane-transport mechanisms and photosynthetic activities will also be carried out.

8. Increase laboratory infrastructure 2 laboratories, Szeged 1, Timisoara 1 Results - Determination of factors influencing food (wheat ) and feed (fodder corn and alfalfa) nutrient safety and mineral composition 3 groups, mineral factors, toxin factors, genetic factors Output - Equipments for mineral analysis and for molecular biological work Szeged, 1 ICP-MS equipment; Timisoara, 3 molecular biological equipments. Output - Mineral composition, toxins, genetic background 3 for wheat, 3 for corn and 3 for alfalfa: mineral composition 1, toxins 1, genetic background 1., each, together 9 Results and Outputs

9. Technical modification of the contract -only LP -changes in experts -reorganization of duties -some changes between main lines of personal costs and equipment costs (transfer of 2400€) Project objectives and indicators did not change.

10. Erdei László Tari Irma Pál Erika Csiszár Jolán Gallé Ágnes Horváth Ferenc Kolbert Zsuzsanna Pető Andrea Pécsváradi Attila Szepesi Ágnes Vashegyi Ágnes Wodala Barnabás Project manager Project assistant Financial manager Defence mechanisms expert Molecular biology expert Membrane-transport expert Signal transduction and microelement analysis expert Metal ion analysis expert Proteomics expert Antioxidants expert Macroelement analysis expert Photosynthesis expert Project Participants in LP

11. Acknowledgements Cereal Research Nonprofit LTD Prof. Dr. Mesterházy Ákos Szabó-Hevér Ágnes Toldiné Tóth Éva Gediminas Technical University of Vilnius Neringa Kisielyté Viktorija Krastinyté Department of Plant Biology, University of Szeged Ádámné Meszlényi Mária Kispálné Szabó Ibolya Horváth Edit Benyó Dániel Ördög Attila

12. Thank you for your attention

14. Analysis of wheat lines resistant or sensitive for Fusarium Some essential and toxic elements in wheat as determined by ICP