Laimburg - Stadlhof
Working under a fume hood
The fume hood is mainly used when working with chemical substances, such as preparing samples for examination. The laminar flow hood is used especially when working with micro-organisms such as bacteria, yeasts and fungi. One example is the isolation of fungi and bacteria of different organs of the apple tree, in order to identify possible antagonists of the phytoplasma responsible for apple proliferation disease.
Centrifuge
This device can be used to quickly separate the solid part from the liquid part of a sample.
Apple proliferation disease
Research is conducted in the Laboratory for Molecular Biology into apple proliferation disease, one of the most significant infectious diseases in apples. The disease can cause serious economic damage, as it leads to the growth of small fruits and thus yield reduction, and infected trees must be rooted out immediately. The disease is triggered by bacteria - phytoplasms - which are spread by certain insects, namely Cacopsylla picta and Cacopsylla melanoneura.
LABORATORY FOR MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
The laboratory explores the genetic foundations for the cultivation of new varieties and investigates apple proliferation disease. In addition, the laboratory offers variety proof of authenticity for apple and grape varieties.
Genetic analyser
This instrument is used for marked assisted selection analyses as part of the apple breeding programme at Laimburg Research Centre. These are used to examine the molecular markers in new varieties, with the aim of identifying certain characteristics at an early stage (in the seedling), such as resistance against disease (e.g. scab) or the organoleptic characteristics of the fruit (e.g. red flesh). They are also used for identifying varieties of apples and grapes.
Pipetting robot
The robot pipettes fully automatically according to a template prescribed by the researcher. Small volumes can be accurately and reproducibly pipetted. As soon as the robot has completed its work, the researcher receives a notification on their smartphone.
Quantitative real-time PCR
With this method, it is possible not only to replicate nucleic acids in the DNA, but also to quantify the DNA obtained.
PCR
The polymerase chain reaction is a method of replicating hereditary material (DNA) with the help of the enzyme DNA polymerase. The method utilises a chain reaction, as products of previous cycles act as source materials for the next cycle, thus enabling exponential replication. At Laimburg Research Centre, PCR is used in various laboratories, including for identifying virus infections, generating and identifying genetic fingerprints and producing proofs of variety authenticity.
Genetic Analyser
This device carries out DNA analyses automatically. It is able to sequence DNA or fragments thereof, i.e. determine the nucleotide sequence in a DNA molecule.
PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL LABORATORY
In phytopathology, various plant diseases are investigated. The most important plant diseases in South Tyrol are powdery mildew (oidium), downy mildew (peronospora), fire blight and botrytis.
Autoclave
Gastight sealable pressure container which is used for sterilising culture media. Culture media must be sterile in order to preserve pure fungal or bacterial cultures without contamination by other fungi or organisms.
Centrifuge
It is also possible to use the refrigeration option to work with lower temperatures.
Incubators
Controlled conditions for growth processes can be created and maintained in incubators. Each fungal culture needs a different temperature to grow well.
Sterile environment
All activities requiring a sterile environment such as the multiplication of micro-organisms are conducted under a sterile hood. Otherwise, contact with the ambient air could lead to contamination with fungal spores.
Wireless pH measurement
The device connects itself wirelessly to the probe via Bluetooth. Every micro-organism prefers a particular pH value at which it grows especially well. Therefore it is important to keep the pH values of culture media and culture liquids for cultivating bacteria and fungi under control and to be able to adjust them.
Vortex
: the homogenisation of liquid samples is facilitated by mechanical movement.
Bain-marie
Laboratory instrument for heating liquids or solids homogeneously up to a temperature of 100°C.
TASTING ROOM
Foods are assessed in total in 16 separate booths; the sensory impressions are recorded directly in situ, in digital format, using a tablet. photo: Laimburg Research Centre/ivo corrà
Sample preparation room
A professionally equipped kitchen and a separate preparation room are connected to the booth by serving hatch for efficient, hygienic sample management.
Flavour Wheel
During the panel's training, olfactory references and flavour wheels are used. Flavour wheels are a visual map of olfactory notes for a specific product (e.g., apple or cheese) and they help the panellist/s to classify flavours more clearly, developing a common vocabulary. During the training, they support the panel in recognising flavours more quickly, naming them with greater precision, and giving a structured description of sensory impressions.
Descriptive analysis: panel work and development of a common vocabulary
Descriptive analyses describe products such as apples, speck or cheese in a detailed fashion, based on defined attributes, and they make sensory differences measurable. This serves for the characterisation and quality assessment of new apple varieties or the development of new foods. Descriptive analyses require a panel, a group of people trained in sensory evaluation, able to judge foods objectively, according to clearly defined criteria. It is important for the panel to develop a common vocabulary so that everyone understands and uses the same terminology in the same way. A common vocabulary is developed by first and foremost bringing together the sensory characteristics that are important for a product. The next stage is to select the most important terms for taste, aroma and consistency, defining them clearly and comprehensibly. Lastly, the panel is trained to understand and use these terms uniformly.
The history of Stadlhof
In 1891, the regional Council of Tyrol, based in Innsbruck, bought up 150 hectares of land to build a reformatory specifically for boys at risk and with educational problems. As part of their education, the boys were to work the farmlands of the facility. The institute was closed in 1924 and the annexed farm was allocated to the San Michele all’Adige Agricultural Institute. It was only in 1938, under the direction of the psychiatric clinic in Pergine, that the facility was transformed and reopened in the form of a “provincial agricultural psychiatric facility for calm patients”, initially housing 25 men. In 1963, what had then become the Maso Stadio/Stadlhof psychiatric centre for occupational therapy obtained its own medical direction with 150 beds (100 for men and 50 for women). The Stadlhof psychiatric institute was definitively closed in 1985, following legislative reform. Works to demolish the facility began in 2012, making way for the current building, which is home to research and study areas, not only for Laimburg Research Center but also for the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and the Laimburg Professional School.
Training Room
During their training, the 16 apple panellists were able to expand their knowledge of the workings of the human senses and increase their specific vocabulary (the so-called descriptors) to describe the apple varieties. With the aid of standardised samples in terms of taste and aroma, they also learned to confidently recognise the different aromas and to distinguish their intensity.
Lighting
Laboratory lighting can be flexibly adjusted: the ambient temperature remains constant and the walls and furnishings are maintained in neutral shades. The single ventilated booths and the possibility to switch from white to red light also serve a specific function: to create a calm, neutral environment, where tasters are not distracted and their perception remains as impartial as possible.
Descriptive sensory analysis applied to apples
As well as testing suitability for growing and storage, new apple varieties undergo a range of sensory tests before marketing. Sensory sciences answer practical questions: how can new apple varieties be described objectively to explain them to consumers? Does low humidity storage affect the consistency of PinkLady® apples? Are there sensory differences in ENVY™ apples grown at different altitudes?
Humans as a means of measurement
Here we apply the descriptive analysis method, which is an objective method where tasters describe the apples with attributes (characteristics) and assess the intensity of each one on a scale of 0 to 100. This assessment is made by an internal panel, i.e., a group of 10-16 people selected for their sensory capabilities and who have received specific training for the "apple" product. Tastings are repeated several times.photo: Laimburg Research Centre/ivo corrà
Sensory profile
The result of the descriptive analysis is a sensory profile, which represents and quantifies all of an apple's sensory qualities. It includes the family of aromas, taste, and consistency. The profile of an apple makes it possible to compare varieties but also to measure the effect of an external factor, such as growth conditions (for example, the fruit load), the harvest time or the storage conditions on the sensory characteristics.
Maintaining panel quality
The quality and reliability of the information depends a great deal on the performance of individual tastes. Monitoring the performance of a descriptive panel is carried out by repeatedly measuring the same samples. The evaluation criteria for the panellists' performance is individual repeatability, the ability to distinguish and the comparability of the individual with the group. If any weak points are identified, further training will be required.
Agroinfiltration
A technique that uses the Agrobacterium tumefaciens bacterium to introduce a specific gene into the leaves of the model plant, Nicotiana benthamiana. A modified plasmid-containing bacterial suspension is introduced into the leaf tissue using a syringe. A plasmid is a small DNA molecule, separated from the main genome of bacteria, such as Agrobacterium tumefaciens, used in the lab as a carrier to transfer a specific gene into other cells and study its function. Via this operation the bacterium in fact transfers DNA into the plant cells, which temporarily express it by producing the corresponding protein. This technique is quick and widely used to study the function, localization and interaction of proteins, as well as plant responses to different types of stress.
Grinding
Plant tissue is ground in liquid nitrogen using a mortar and pestle. Rapid freezing makes the tissue fragile and slows down DNA and RNA degradation. The sample is ground into fine powder to make the successive extraction of nucleic acids or proteins easier.
Fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC)
The FPLC system is used to purify recombinant proteins, separating them according to chemical and physical characteristics (such as size, net charge, hydrophobicity...). A protein mix passes through a column containing a matrix, and the proteins exit at different times, according to their properties. An instrument measures UV absorbency to identify the passage of proteins, while the system automatically collects the different fragments, making it possible to isolate the ones containing the protein of interest.
Nucleic acid analysis using agarose gel electrophoresis
It works like this: samples are loaded into a gel (a kind of porous "mesh") and exposed to an electric field. Since DNA and RNA are negatively charged, they move towards the positive pole. The smaller fragments cross through the gel more easily and therefore, migrate more quickly and further compared to the larger ones. The result makes it possible to evaluate whether a PCR has worked, to check the fragments obtained from enzymatic digestion, and also to assess the quality and integrity of the DNA or RNA.
Gel electrophoresis imaging
Serves to view and photograph DNA, RNA or protein gel using UV light or LED, making it possible to analyze the size and integrity of the fragments.
Pre-PCR Room
Incubators
These are used to grow bacteria and yeasts in petri dishes. They maintain a constant temperature as required for the growth of the microorganisms used in molecular biology experiments.
Automated nucleic acid extraction system
Automated system for the execution of sample preparation protocols using specific kits, e.g. DNA or plasmid DNA extraction, reducing manual work and increasing reproducibility of experiments.
GERMPLASM BANK
The cereal germplasm bank of the Laimburg Research Centre preserves and enhances local cereal varieties by collecting and maintaining traditional seeds, safeguarding agricultural biodiversity and supporting sustainable and resilient farming in alpine regions.
A heritage of local cereals
The cereal germplasm bank contains seeds of around 150 local varieties belonging to different cereal species (such as rye, buckwheat, oats, barley, wheat, flax, poppy and spelt), collected in South Tyrol. These traditional varieties are catalogued, stored and periodically reproduced to preserve agricultural biodiversity and maintain a vital genetic resource for research and future farming.
Key factors for proper storage
Storage under controlled conditions at low temperature and humidity keeps the seeds viable for as long as possible.
Seed Conservation and Propagation
The Arable Crops and Aromatic Plants Working Group stores seeds in these facilities. To maintain their germination capacity, the seeds are regularly sown in the field and propagated. During cultivation, the varieties are described and compared in order to obtain as complete a picture as possible of the individual landraces.
