Developing Tissue culture protocols for Cucurbita pepo (squash/kabak)

Cucurbita pepo L. (summer squash / kabak) is an important horticultural crop in Türkiye and worldwide.  Ongoing projects in our lab are researching molecular disease and stress response in this species.
In order to carry out functional genetics experiments, reliable tissue culture models are needed for this species.  In this project, starting from preliminary work carried out in summer 2023, the students will work to test and optimize methods for C. pepo propagation from growing plant tissues, and also isolation and characterization of protoplasts (individually separated cells with the cell wall removed).