Georgi Bonchev

The main scientific interests of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Georgi Bonchev focus on the application of genetic marker technologies including DNA barcoding and metabarcoding for the assessment of natural and stress-induced plant genetic diversity with a wide range of applications in plant biology: fingerprinting of germplasm resources, biodiversity and evolutionary studies and assessment of the impact of abiotic stress on genome dynamics. In his role as a chair of the Executive Board of the Bulgarian Barcode of Life Consortium (BgBOL) and representative in the Scientific Committee of International Barcode of Life Consortium (iBOL), Dr. Bonchev is actively engaged in initiatives to promote the large-scale introduction of DNA barcoding technology in Bulgaria and to enhance collaborations at national and international levels.

Dr. Georgi Bonchev carried out a 2-month secondment in the group of Dr. Maria-Rosa Marano at IBR-CONICET (Rosario, Argentina). The main objectives of this secondment were to collect and explore the genetic diversity of germplasm resources of rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) comprising varieties (Criollo, Frances, Rastrero) and derived clones propagated in experimental fields in Argentina, covering areas differing in microclimatic conditions. The germplasm resources showed ecotype variations in phenotype, yield, metabolite content and the expectation was to find correlations with their genetic profiles. To achieve the goal of the study, DNA barcoding and transposon-based markers were applied. In addition, Dr. Bonchev aimed to associate these molecular markers with the differential bioactivity of rosemary extracts, particularly their protective effects against biotic stress. The research was pioneer in regard to exploring the genetic diversity of rosemary in Argentina from an ecological point of view. Moreover, this knowledge could be further exploited as a platform for the development of crop improvement strategies for this plant.