The course, taught by Assistant Professor Dr. Mahmoud Shaker Hashim at the Marine Science Center at the University of Basra, aimed to teach participants how to produce new plants in sterile conditions using in vitro propagation techniques.

The course focused on the basic principles and practical techniques for preparing and designing laboratories, preparing nutrient media, and dealing with various factors to ensure the success of the process.

The course included an explanation of the concept of tissue culture, its importance in developing disease-free plants that are tolerant to environmental stresses, and the basic requirements for establishing a tissue culture laboratory, including sterilization, ventilation, control of environmental conditions, the basic stages of tissue propagation, and the selection of suitable plant parts. It also covered the preparation and sterilization of nutrient media, the stages of establishment, propagation, bud formation, elongation, rooting, and acclimatization, which is an essential step in transferring seedlings from the sterile laboratory environment to natural conditions in the field.

The course also addressed the use of advanced techniques

for producing secondary compounds from plants.

It also covered the study of plant diseases and dealing with and treating pollution, as well as methods of storing and handling cells for future research and testing.

Marine Science Center Media