16 Abstracts / Journal of Biotechnology 161S (2012) 13–18 international scientific journals from Turkey. This study will help in giving direction to the future biotechnological studies in these crops. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiotec.2012.07.024 ORAL PRESENTATION Biotechnology in Agriculture In vitro regeneration of Turkish dwarf chickling (Lathyrus cicera L.) from longitudinally sliced cotyledon node explants Sevil Saglam Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ahi Evran University, Kirsehir, 40100, Turkey E-mail address: saglamsevil@gmail.com. The forage legume cicera chickling (Lathyrus cicera (L.) D.C.) dis- tributed in Mediterranean region is gaining importance in terms of economy and agriculture in Turkey. However, full potential of the legume has to be realized yet due to the presence of neu- rotoxin, -N-oxalyl-l-a,-diaminopropionoc acid (ODAP) causing lathyrism. This study aimed to develop efficient micropropagation system using longitudinally sliced cotyledon node explants for use in Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation in the future. In this study, instead of the agar as a gelling agent alternative gelling agent isubgol was used. The results showed that the maxi- mum number of shoots per explant was achieved on MS medium solidified with 10 g/l isubgol gelled medium containing 0.60 mg/l BAP–0.2 mg/l NAA. Shoots were rooted by pulse treatment with 30 mg/l IBA for 5 min followed by culture on 10 g/l isubgol gel solid- ified MS medium. The results showed 80% rooting in treated shoots. The rooted plantlets were transferred to pots containing sand and organic matter in pots and acclimatised. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiotec.2012.07.025 ORAL PRESENTATION Entomology and Plant Pathology Genotyping of Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum isolates by microsatellite markers Emre Yörük 1,∗ , Aylin Gazdagli 2 , Gulruh Albayrak 2 1 Programme of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Institute of Science, Istanbul University, Istanbul, 34134, Turkey 2 Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, Istanbul, 34134, Turkey E-mail address: eyoruk@istanbul.edu.tr (E. Yörük). Correct diagnosis of the causal agents and genotyping of them by using PCR based techniques is necessary for plant pathology in agriculture and then for struggling with diseases. Twenty Fusar- ium culmorum and 43 F. graminearum isolates from Turkey and Iran were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in this study. Ms-Fg6808, FusSSR17 and FusSSR22 microsatellite markers were amplified in all isolates in order to determine repeat motif and number differences into (GAAA)n, (GA)n and (GAT)n, respectively. Amplification product sizes were in the range of 261–407 bp for Ms- Fg6808, 176–250 bp for FusSSR17 and 193–309 bp for FusSSR22. Four isolates belong to each marker were selected and sequenced. Each of repeat motifs in all sequenced isolates showed repeat num- ber differences. Single nucleotide changes were detected in all isolates for FusSSR22 and in only F3 for FusSSR17 (T → A, A → G, respectively). Genetic variation among microsatellite locus in these isolates was also determined (max 40%). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiotec.2012.07.026 ORAL PRESENTATION Entomology and Plant Pathology The influence of western corn rootworm – Diabrotica Virgifera Virgifera Le Conte attack, upon quality of corn seeds Teodora Florian 1,∗ , Ion Oltean 1 , Horia Bunescu 1 , Vasile Florian 1 , Camelia Todoran 2 , Laura Dale 3 1 Enviromental and Plant Protection Department, University of Agri- cultural Science and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, 400372, Romania 2 Economical Science Department, University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, 400372, Romania 3 Animal Science Unit, Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, 5030, Belgium E-mail address: florian.teodora@yahoo.com (T. Florian). Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Le Conte is considered one of the most important pests of corn grown in monoculture. Damage caused by the Western Corn Rootworm is considerable. The attack is pro- duced by larvae and adults, serious affecting the grain production. Following laboratory analyzes may notice a decrease in the val- ues of all track quality indicators for ears harvested from plants attacked by Diabrotica virgifera virgifera compared with the cobs from the healthy plants. Values of fat content of attacked cobs ranged from 2.76 and 4.23%, protein content ranged from 9.1 to 10.6% and starch between 69.7 and 70.5%. The average fat content of the cobs attacked percentage decreased by 11%, protein content by 16% and starch content dropped by less than one percent. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiotec.2012.07.027 ORAL PRESENTATION Food and Nutritional Sciences Growth and biomass profile of Spirulina (Arthrospira) Platensis production from Turkey (Nazilli-Aydın) Edis Koru, Begum Atasayar ∗ Dept. Of Aquaculture, Fisheries Faculty, Ege University, Bornova, ˙ Izmir, 35100, Turkey E-mail address: beguma 777@hotmail.com (B. Atasayar). The filamentous cyanobacterium Spirulina (Arthrospira) is pro- duced commercially all over the world. And dried Spirulina biomass product is a valuable food supplement, feed and is used as a food coloring and additive. In this study, Spirulina was grown in open raceway ponds in Aegean Region (Aydın-Turkey), and several physicochemical (e.g., temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen concen- tration, conductivity and irradiance) and biological (e.g., biomass concentration and yield) variables were studied. Dissolved oxygen concentration in the cultivation ponds ranged between 10 mg l -1 in winter (110% of O 2 saturation) and 30 mg l -1 in summer (230% of O 2 saturation); a clear decrease of biomass concentration was found when dissolved oxygen was >20 mg l -1 . Neither biomass concentration nor productivity was saturated at the maximum temperature achieved in the open pond during this study (approx-