The lab performs the following analyses:
• determination of the mineral nutrients content in the soil and plant tissues
• analysis of total N
• analysis of mineral elements (P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cl, Na)
• analysis of nitrate (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+) ions in solutio
• evaluation of the activity of enzymes and metabolites involved in plant development and in the response to abiotic and biotic stress
• extraction and quantification of enzymes of the cellular antioxidant system
• quantitative-qualitative analysis of the main metabolites produced by plants in response to stress.
Equipments
In addition to the basic equipment (autoclave, fume hoods, pH-meters, heating magnetic stirrers, thermostatic baths, freeze dryers, freezers and super freezers, centrifuges, ultra-centrifugal mill, etc.), the laboratory hosts with the following intruments:
• HPLC equipped with DAD detector, column thermostat and autosampler
• UV-VIS spectrophotometer
• continuous flow ion autoanalyser
• digester Kjeldatherm Gerhardt
• distiller-titrator Vapodest Gerhardt
• microwave digestion station
• muffle furnace
• sample desalination apparatus.
Educational activities and training
The laboratory allows students to carry out internships and thesis (BsC and MsCs degree). The laboratory hosts Italian and foreign doctoral students, both from the 'Doctoral School in Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences and Technologies' and from other research institutes, together with national or foreign students, as well as research fellows and Erasmus students.