Ms Nazgol Emrani

Head of the Professorship Crop Genetics Leading Researcher (R4)
University of Rostock
ORCID iD : 0000-0001-5673-3957

Research Units

Member In the research unit:

Research Teams

Member In the research team:

Disciplines, scientific fields, research areas

  • Agricultural Sciences – Food Science & Technology
    • Agricultural biotechnology
      • Molecular and genomic plant breeding, market assisted selection

Keywords

  • Plant breeding
  • molecular breeding
  • Biotic and abiotic stress
  • Protein crops
  • Oil crops

Bio

The research of our group focuses on the genetic and molecular basis of crop adaptation to biotic and abiotic stress factors. A central objective is to understand how environmental stresses such as drought, frost, submergence and heat interact with biotic stresses caused by pathogens, and how these interactions influence plant performance and resilience.

Using modern genomic approaches, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS), QTL mapping, and transcriptomics, we identify genes, regulatory networks, and metabolic pathways involved in plant stress responses. In addition, we investigate the genetic basis of important quality traits in crops, particularly oil, protein, and secondary metabolite content.

Another aspect of our research addresses domestication and selection processes as well as the genetic architecture of complex agronomic traits. Our work focuses mainly on oilseed rape (Brassica napus), sugar beet (Beta vulgaris), and quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), aiming to support the development of climate-resilient crop varieties with improved quality and productivity.

Projects

Quinoa for future diversified agricultural systems

01/05/2025 - 30/04/2029
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a highly nutritious pseudo-cereal originating from the Andean region, known for its exceptional protein quality, broad abiotic stress tolerance (such as drought and salinity), and adaptability to marginal environments. In recent years, quinoa has gained much attention as an important crop for diversifying European agricultural systems. However, its successful large-scale cultivation in Central Europe is currently limited by insufficient adaptation to local climatic conditions and vulnerability to emerging pathogens.

The Q4F project aims to accelerate the development of quinoa varieties adapted to European environments by combining genomic resources, quantitative genetics, and modern breeding mechanisms. A particular focus lies on improving resistance against biotic stresses, especially the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, which represents a growing threat for quinoa cultivation particularly in Germany.

The overarching goal of the project is to exploit the extensive genetic diversity available within quinoa to develop ideotypes that combine agronomic performance, yield stability, and durable stress resistance under Central European conditions.
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Genetic determinants of biotic and abiotic stress responses in quinoa

01/10/2024 - 30/09/2028
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a highly nutritious crop belonging to the Amaranthaceae family, which also includes important crops such as sugar beet and spinach. It is valued for its exceptional nutritional composition, providing a balanced set of essential amino acids, proteins, lipids, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Because of this unique nutritional profile, quinoa is considered an important crop for global food security.

Originally domesticated in the Andean region more than 7,000 years ago, quinoa has adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions, including high altitudes, saline soils, and drought-prone areas. Its tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, frost, and heat makes quinoa a promising crop for sustainable agriculture under changing climatic conditions. However, despite its resilience to abiotic stress, quinoa remains vulnerable to several diseases, particularly downy mildew (Peronospora variabilis), which represents a major constraint for production, especially in temperate regions.

Our research focuses on understanding the interaction between abiotic and biotic stress factors in quinoa. In particular, we investigate the genetic and metabolic mechanisms underlying drought tolerance and resistance to downy mildew. Since environmental stresses can influence plant immune responses and disease susceptibility, uncovering the genetic basis of these interactions is essential.

Using an integrative approach that combines genome-wide association studies (GWAS), transcriptomics, and metabolomics, we aim to identify key genetic loci, metabolic pathways, and molecular regulators involved in stress adaptation. These insights will contribute to the development of improved quinoa varieties with enhanced stress tolerance and stable performance under diverse environmental conditions.
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Plants as Protein Factories for the Production of Growth Factors for Use in Animal Cell Culture

01/01/2025 - 31/12/2027
Animal cell culture systems for meat production have gained increasing attention in recent years, as they represent a promising alternative to conventional meat production from livestocks. This approach offers the potential for more sustainable production with reduced land, water, and energy consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and improved animal welfare.

Animal cell culture relies on complex growth media that support cell proliferation and differentiation. These media are commonly supplemented with fetal bovine serum (FBS), which contains more than one hundred biologically active proteins at high concentrations. However, FBS has several disadvantages: it exhibits high batch-to-batch variability, may be contaminated with transmissible pathogens, and its collection raises ethical concerns. In regenerative medicine and pharmaceutical applications, animal cell culture systems are also of growing importance, leading to an increasing demand for serum-free cell culture media.

Plants can serve as efficient platforms for the production of recombinant proteins, similar to widely used bacterial or mammalian expression systems. Compared to established systems, plant-based production offers several advantages. Production platforms range from cell suspension cultures and transient expression systems to protein production in whole plants. Proteins can be targeted to specific tissues or cellular compartments. Depending on the system used, advantages may include very high expression levels, as observed in transient expression systems. Stable expression enables straightforward scalability and improved storage stability, particularly when proteins are produced in seeds. Importantly, all plant-based systems are free from animal or human pathogens.
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Breeding of quinoa for adaptation to temperate regions

01/03/2023 - 31/05/2026
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a traditional Andean crop that was domesticated approximately 5,000–7,000 years ago. In recent years, quinoa production and consumption have expanded rapidly worldwide due to its exceptional nutritional value and broad environmental adaptability. Despite its long history of cultivation, systematic breeding and genetic improvement programs have only been initiated in the past few decades. With the recent availability of high-quality genome sequences, genomic approaches can now be used to accelerate quinoa improvement and support its cultivation far beyond its region of origin.

Quinoa germplasm harbors extensive genetic diversity, providing valuable opportunities for crop improvement. The adaptation of quinoa to Northern European environments can strongly benefit from this diversity. Understanding the genetic basis of agronomically important traits is essential for the efficient development of improved varieties. In Central and Northern Europe, successful quinoa cultivation requires improved adaptation to long-day conditions as well as the enhancement of key agronomic traits, including plant performance and seed yield.
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CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Genome Editing in Plant Breeding

Mutations constitute a fundamental tool in plant breeding to enhance genetic diversity and generate novel traits. Historically, the introduction of mutations into plants was limited to non-targeted approaches, such as physical or chemical mutagenesis. The advent and establishment of CRISPR/Cas9 technology now enable the precise introduction of targeted mutations in virtually any plant species, allowing specific modification of gene sequences. This approach requires detailed genomic information, either at the whole-genome level or for the gene of interest.

In modern research, CRISPR/Cas9 has become an indispensable tool in functional genomics. Targeted gene knockouts facilitate the elucidation of gene function in plant metabolism and development.

In this study, the pea (Pisum sativum L.) was used as a model to demonstrate the targeted inactivation of the raffinose synthase gene. Raffinose synthase is a key enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway leading to raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs), including raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose. These soluble carbohydrates are indigestible for humans and other monogastric organisms due to the absence of α-galactosidase activity. Consequently, they undergo anaerobic fermentation by intestinal microbiota, resulting in gas production. This can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort in humans. In animal nutrition, high dietary inclusion levels of peas are associated with reduced feed efficiency, increased moisture content of excreta, and a higher susceptibility to foot diseases. Despite these limitations, peas represent a valuable domestic protein source for both human and animal nutrition due to their high protein content and favorable amino acid composition.
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Trivia about me

I am Professor of Crop Genetics at the University of Rostock. My research focuses on the genetic basis of crop adaptation, flowering time regulation, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, with a particular emphasis on quinoa, sugar beet, and oilseed rape. A central objective of my work is to understand how environmental stresses such as drought, frost, submergence, and heat interact with biotic stresses caused by pathogens, and how these interactions influence plant performance and resilience.
Using modern genomic approaches, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS), QTL mapping, genome editing, and transcriptomics, my group investigates genes, regulatory networks, and metabolic pathways involved in plant stress responses. In addition, we study the genetic basis of important quality traits in crops, particularly oil, protein, and secondary metabolite content, with the aim of developing climate-resilient crop varieties adapted to local environments.
I have led and secured multiple nationally and internationally funded research projects, including projects supported by the German Research Foundation, the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity. In addition to my research activities, I am an award-winning lecturer and currently serve as Executive Editor of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture and as Editor of the Journal of Crop Health.

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