Plants constitute an important part of biology but are often neglected and understudied. One aim of the Plant Biology Lab is to highlight the unique biology of plants, how they function as organisms and how plant productivity contributes to food, fuel, and fiber. Climate change has intensified abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, and poor nutrient availability, which significantly impact plant productivity. By better understanding the mechanisms plants use to cope with environmental stresses, we can guide agricultural management practices, enhance germplasm through breeding or genetic engineering, and ultimately improve agricultural yields, plant performance in natural ecosystems, and the nutritional value of crops. This knowledge also supports the use of plants and their associated microorganisms in environmental remediation efforts.

 

The Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Lab at UCY (Bassil Lab), works at the intersection of basic and applied plant biology and uses techniques in cell biology, molecular biology, biotechnology and whole plant physiology to investigate how fundamanetal plant biological processes drive physiological responses to abiotic stresses such as high slainity, limited water availability and nutrient imbalances.

 

A major focus of the Bassil lab is characterizing the function of a group of transporters collectively known as cation exchangers (NHX), which play critical roles in cellular processes in all plants. To dissect these functions, the Bassil Lab uses the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Recently, the Bassil Lab has implemented plant phenotyping systems to monitor plant performance under controlled greenhouse conditions. By tracking physiologically significant parameters in real time, the lab aims to deepen our understanding of how plants acclimate to environmental changes.

For more information, please explore the lab’s publications or contact Elias Bassil for details about ongoing projects and research opportunities.

 

de Camargo Santos A, Schaffer B, Rowland D, Bremgartner M, Moon PA, Tillman B, Bassil E.. Cultivating resilience: use of water deficit to prime peanut production and improve water stress tolerance. Plant Stress in press https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stress.2024.100637

Edmond VV, Moon PA, Bremgartner M, Wu X, Bassil E. 2024. Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, selection and regeneration of Vanilla pompona. Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture 158 (2), 41

 de Camargo Santos A, Schaffer B, Rowland D, Bremgartner, M, Moon PA, Tillman B, Rodrigues de Souza E, Bassil E. 2024 Cross‐Generational Effect of Water Deficit Priming on Physiology of Peanut Plants Under Water Stress. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science 210 (4), e12736

de Camargo Santos A, Schaffer B, Ioannou AG, Moon P, Shahid MA, Rowland D, Tillman B, Bremgartner, M, Fotopoulos V, Bassil E. 2024. Melatonin seed priming improves early establishment and water stress tolerance of peanut. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 211, 108664

Platani M, Sokefun O , Bassil E, Apidianakis Y. 2023. Genetic engineering and genome editing in plants, animals and humans: Facts and myths. Gene 856, 147141

Yin MH, Vargas AI, Fuentealba C, Shahid MA, Bassil E, Schaffer B. 2022. Differences in physiological and biochemical responses to short-term flooding among the three avocado (Persea americana Mill.) races. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 196, 925-939

Sanchez F, Bassil E, Crane JH, Shahid MA, Vincent CI, Schaffer B. 2022. Spectral light distribution affects photosynthesis, leaf reflective indices, antioxidant activity and growth of Vanilla planifolia. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 182, 145-153

Zhang S, Tajima H, Nambara E, Blumwald E, Bassil E (2020). Auxin homeostasis and distribution of the auxin efflux carrier PIN2 require vacuolar NHX-Type Cation/H+ antiporter activity. Plants 9:1311

Wimmer MA, Abreu I, Bell RW, Bienert MD, Brown PH, Dell B, Fujiwara T, Goldbach HE, Lehto T, Mock H-P, von Wirén N, Bassil E, Bienert GP (2019). Boron: an essential element for vascular plants. New Phytologist doi:10.1111/nph.16127

Vincent C, Rowland D, Schaffer B, Bassil E, Racette K, Zurweller B (2019). Primed acclimation: A physiological process offers a strategy for more resilient and irrigation efficient crop production. Plant Science:110240

 

Bassil E, Zhang S, Gong H, Tajima H, Blumwald E (2019) Cation specificity of vacuolar NHX-Type cation/H+ antiporters. Plant Physiology 179: 616-629. DOI:10.1104/pp.18.01103. recommended by f1000

Ying H, Resende MRF, Bombarely A, Brym M, Bassil E and Chambers A (2019). Genomics-based diversity analysis of Vanilla species using a Vanilla planifolia draft genome and Genotyping-By-Sequencing. Scientific Reports. DOI/10.1038/s41598-019-40144-1.

Sade N, Wilhelmi MDR, Ke XJ, Brotman Y, Wright M, Khan I, De Souza W, Bassil E, Tobias CM, Thilmony R, Vogel JP, Blumwald E (2018) Salt tolerance of two perennial grass Brachypodium sylvaticum accessions. Plant Molecular Biology 96: 305-314

Suzuki N, Bassil E, Hamilton JS, Inupakutika MA, Zandalinas SI, Tripathy D, Luo Y, Dion E, Fukui G, Kumazaki A, Nakano R, Rivero RM, Verbeck GF, Azad RK, Blumwald E, Mittler R (2016) ABA Is required for plant acclimation to a combination of salt and heat stress. PLOS ONE 11: e0147625

Reguera M*, Bassil E*, Tajima H, Wimmer M, Chanoca A, Otegui M, Paris N and Blumwald E. (2015) pH regulation by NHX-type antiporters is required for receptor-mediated protein trafficking to the vacuole. Plant Cell 27:1200-1217 *equal contribution

McCubbin, T.; Bassil, E.; Zhang, S.; Blumwald, E. (2014). Vacuolar Na+/H+ NHX-type antiporters are required for cellular K+ homeostasis, microtubule organization and directional root growth. Plants 3:409-426. http://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/3/3/409

 

Bassil, E., and Blumwald, E. (2014). The ins and outs of intracellular ion homeostasis: NHX type cation/H+ transporters. Current Opinion in Plant Biology 22: 1-6. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369526614001198

Martins, V, Teixeira, A, Bassil, E, Blumwald, E and Geros, H. (2014). Metabolic changes of Vitis vinifera berries and leaves exposed to Bordeaux mixture. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry. 82:270-278 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2014.06.016

Martins, V, Teixeira, A, Bassil, E, Hanana, M, Blumwald, E and Geros, H (2014). Copper-based fungicide Bordeaux mixture regulates the expression of Vitis vinifera copper transporters. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research DOI: 10.1111/ajgw.12096

Martins V, Bassil E, Hanana M, Blumwald E and Geros H (2014). Copper homeostasis in grapevine: functional characterization of the Vitis vinifera copper transporter 1. Planta 240:91-101. PUBMED ID 24691572

Martinière A, Bassil E, Jublanc E, Alcon C, Reguera M, Blumwald E, Paris N (2013). In vivo intracellular pH measurements reveal an unexpected pH gradient in the plant endomembrane system. Plant Cell tpc.113.116897 PUBMED ID 24104564

Reguera M, Bassil E and Blumwald E. (2013). Intracellular NHX type cation/H+ antiporters in plants. Molecular Plant. Doi:10.1093/mp/sst091 PUBMED ID 23956073

 

Bassil, E, Krebs M, Halperin S, Schumacher K, Blumwald E. (2013).
Fluorescent Dye Based Measurement of Vacuolar pH and K+ Bioprotocols (3)13. http://www.bio-protocol.org/wenzhang.aspx?id=810

Bassil E, Coku A, Blumwald E.(2012). Cellular ion homeostasis: emerging roles of intracellular NHX Na+/H+ antiporters in plant growth and development. Journal of Experimental Botany. 63:5727-5740. (Darwin Review) PUBMED ID 22991159

Brown PH and Bassil E. (2011). Overview of the Acquisition and Utilization of Boron, Chlorine, Copper, Manganese, Molybdenum, and Nickel by Plants and Prospects for Improvement of Micronutrient Use Efficiency, pp 377-428. MJ Hawkesford and P Barraclough (Eds). The Molecular and Physiological Basis of Nutrient Use Efficiency in Crops: Wiley-Blackwell, UK. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9780470960707.ch17/pdf

Bassil E., Tajima H., Liang YC., Ohto M., Ushijima K., Nakano R., Esumi T., Coku A., Belmonte M., and Blumwald E. (2011) The Arabidopsis Na+/H+ antiporters NHX1 and NHX2 regulate vacuolar pH and K+ homeostasis to control growth flower development and reproduction. Plant Cell 23:3482-3497 PUBMED ID 21954467
*Highlighted article for the issue; selected for cover and recommended by f1000

 

Bassil, E., Ohto, M.A., Esumi, T., Tajima, H., Zhu, Z., Cagnac, O., Belmonte, M., Peleg, Z., Yamaguchi, T., and Blumwald, E. (2011). The Arabidopsis intracellular Na+/H+ antiporters NHX5 and NHX6 are endosome associated and necessary for plant growth and development. Plant Cell 23:224-239. PUBMED ID 21278129 * recommended by f1000

Wimmer MA, Lochnit G, Bassil ES, Mühling KH Goldbach HE (2009) Membrane-associated, boron-interacting proteins isolated by boronate affinity chromatography. Plant Cell Physiology 50:1292–1304 PUBMED ID 19478072

Wimmer MA, Bassil ES, Brown PH, Läuchli AE. (2005) Boron tolerance in wheat is genotype dependent and related to boron uptake, translocation and allocation as well as plant growth. Functional Plant Biology 32:507-515 http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/FP04165.htm

Bassil ES, Hu, H., and Brown, P.H. (2004). Use of phenylboronic acids to investigate boron function in plants: possible role of boron in trans-vacuolar cytoplasmic strands and cell to wall adhesion. Plant Physiology 136:3383-3395 PUBMED ID 15466241

Brown, PH, Bellaloui, N, Wimmer, MA, Bassil, ES, Ruiz, J, Hu, H, Pfeffer, H, Dannel, F, and Römheld, V (2002). Boron in Plant Biology. Plant Biology 4:205-223. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1055/s-2002-25740/abstract

Bassil, ES, and Kaffka, SR (2002). Response of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) to saline soils and irrigation I: Consumptive water use. Agric. Water Manag. 54:67-80.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377401001482

 Bassil, ES, and Kaffka, SR (2002). Response of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) to saline soils and irrigation II: Crop response to salinity. Agric. Water Manag. 54:81-92. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377401001445

 

Bassil, ES, Kaffka, SR and Hutmacher RA (2002). Response of safflower to residual soil nitrogen. J of Agric. Sci 138:395-402. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377401001445