Several directions are investigated in the Virology Department:
1. Detection and determination of economically important viruses, causing diseases on crops, cultivated in Bulgaria.
2. Investigation of strain diversity of important plant viruses.

3. Identification of new plant viruses, found within the country.

4. Development of different methods for virus purification and production of antiserа against important viruses in Bulgaria, used also for mass screenings.

5. Adaptation and modification of methods for serological, electron microscope and molecular diagnostics.

7. The control of economically important plant viruses over the country is one of the substantial tasks for the virologists in PPI. The department also puts significant effort in work on development of genetically resistant lines and hybrids of tomato, as well as investigation for sources of resistance in plums against Plum pox virus and in cereals against Barley yellow dwarf virus.
8. Virology Department participates in the Integrated Pest Management Systems.

Virology Department achievements

Specific polyclonal antisera with high titer (1:2048) against two CMV isolates are produced at the Virology Department. The method of Lot et al. (1974) with slight modifications of the first steps has been used for virus purification.

Interspecific tomato lines and hybrids F1 with complex resistance against Tomato mosaic virus – ToMV & Cucumber mosaic virus – CMV, ToMV & Tomato spotted wilt virus – TSWV have been elaborated. The work has been completed in cooperation with the Institute of Genetics.