The specialization focuses on the biology of plant individuals, among others photosynthesis, the plant associations, such as plant-associated fungi, plant-microbe interactions and pathogenic processes, the tolerance of environmental stress factors, and research on bioactive plant and fungal compounds. The topics are closely related to the scientific fields of analytical chemistry, forestry, horticulture, and agriculture. In the training, students acquire a broad methodological foundation: from genome-, transcriptome-, and proteome-level analyses to modern microscopic and non-invasive physiological techniques, field surveys.

Main courses of the specialization introduce the molecular characteristics of plants and fungi, the isolation and investigation of bioactive substances, and the main processes of plant stress physiology, with particular attention to environmental challenges affecting agriculture and natural ecosystems. Focus of the lecturers and researchers ranges from the diversity of plant-associated fungi to plant ionomics, from physiological and ultrastructural stress adaptations to the taxonomy of macrofungi. Leading molecular, microscopy, physicochemical, and bioinformatics methods are applied, and MSc students are welcome in the research work.

The research topics focus on the key issues of the 21st century – climate change, extreme environmental impacts, nutrition quality and the growing demand for food. Field studies and laboratory methods play a role in understanding these challenges. Plant cell biology research examines the role, uptake and regulation of essential metals (e.g. iron, manganese) and their relationship with metabolic processes necessary for the survival of the plant organism. Stress biology research analyses the mechanisms of salt, drought and trace metal stress, investigating adaptation mechanisms by plant defense responses and gene expression patterns. Research directions include the exploration of the diversity and ecological function of fungi, the exploration of the role of endophytic fungi and mycorrhizae, and the investigation of the medicinal potential of plant and fungal-derived bioactive metabolites.

Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Plant Biology

• Ferenc Fodorstudies the heavy metal stress and iron homeostasis of plants, focusing on phytoremediation issues by biomass plants.
• Ádám Solti investigates the organellar transition metal homeostasis, and the role of autophagy and nitric oxide signaling in cell-level metal distribution.
• István Parádi focuses on symbioses between plants and microbial organisms, biostimulants, and their application for agricultural purposes.

Department of Plant Anatomy

• Imre Boldizsár conducts research on the analysis of bioactive compounds of plant and fungal origins.
• Bálint Dima focuses on diversity, taxonomy and systematics of macrofungi.
• Gábor M. Kovács studies the diversity, function and metabolic products of plant-associated fungi.
• Katalin Solymosi studies ultrastructural adaptations of photosynthetic systems under salt and drought stress of plants.

Graduated students have been employed in cell biology and agricultural biotechnology research centers, in pharmaceutical and R&D laboratories, in environmental and nature conservation organizations, in national parks, but graduation in the specialization also enables an entry to domestic and international PhD programs. Thus, alumni continued their careers in universities, in research institutions and at companies, in Hungary and worldwide.