Helena Volk

Prof. Dr. Nataša Štajner

Dr. Helena Volk is a Teaching Assistant at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, working within the Department of Agronomy’s Chair of Genetics, Biotechnology, Statistics and Plant Breeding, where she contributes to teaching and research in plant biotechnology, plant–pathogen interactions, and plant genetics. Her scientific work has focused on viroids, particularly Cocadviroid rimocitri (CBCVd) and its molecular effects on hop (Humulus lupulus). She has mentored several secondary-school projects, Master’s theses, and undergraduate theses, most of them focused on viroids, hop pathology, DNA methylation, and plant–pathogen interactions.

List of representative bibliography

1. VOLK, Helena, LAP, Patricija, ČERENAK, Andreja, JAKŠE, Jernej. Evaluation of hop varieties (Humulus lupulus L.) for their response to HLVd, HSVd, and CBCVd viroids in tissue cultures. European journal of plant pathology. Jun. 2025, vol. 172, issue 2, str. 329-335, ilustr. ISSN 0929-1873.  

2. ROSTOHAR, Zala, MUROVEC, Jana, VOLK, Helena. Potential of the citrus bark cracking viroid (CBCVD) to infect hemp (Cannabis sativa L.). Genetika : časopis Saveza društava genetičara Jugoslavije. 2025, vol 52, no. 2, str. 267-274. Acta biologica Iugoslavica. ISSN 0534-0012.

3. SEČNIK, Andrej, VOLK, Helena, KUNEJ, Urban, RADIŠEK, Sebastjan, ŠTAJNER, Nataša, JAKŠE, Jernej. Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of CBCVd-infected hop plants (Humulus lupulus var. “Celeia”) provides novel insights into viroid pathogenesis. Microbiology spectrum. [Spletna izd.]. Jun. 2025, vol. 13, issue 6, [article no.] 0039424, 20 str., ilustr. ISSN 2165-0497.

4. LOBATO, Alnilan Cristina Barros, KONJEVIĆ, Ivan, RADIŠEK, Sebastjan, JAKŠE, Jernej, VOLK, Helena, HERMANOVÁ, Monika, FOJTA, Miroslav, PAŠTIKA, Jan, SOFER, Zdeněk, GUSMÃO, Rui, HOČEVAR, Samo B., TASIĆ, Nikola. Label-free and sensitive detection of Citrus Bark Cracking Viroid in hop using Ti3C2Tx MXene-modified genosensor : Alnilan Lobato ... [et al.]. Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical. [Online ed.]. 15 Jan. 2025, vol. 423, [article no.] 136762, str. 1-10, ilustr. ISSN 1873-3077.

5. VOLK, Helena, MARTON, Kristina, FLAJŠMAN, Marko, RADIŠEK, Sebastjan, TIAN, Hui, HEIN, Ingo, PODLIPNIK, Črtomir, THOMMA, Bart P. H. J., KOŠMELJ, Katarina, JAVORNIK, Branka, BERNE, Sabina. Chitin binding protein of Verticillium nonalfalfae disguises fungus from plant chitinases and supresses chitin-triggered host immunity. Molecular plant-microbe interactions. 2019, vol. 32, no. 10, str. 1378-1390. ISSN 0894-0282

Full publication list available on:

Helena Volk (0000-0003-2162-3146) - ORCID

Relevant Research/Industry Projects

  1. Z4-3214 Mechanisms of resistance of selected hop cultivars to the infection with citrus bark cracking viroid (CBCVd) – project leader
  2. V4-2203 Evaluation of genotypes and development of crossing families for resistance studies of hop
  3. J1-3017 Development of a sensitive and selective electrochemical genosensor for on-site detection of CBCVd
  4. J4-8220 Functional and structural analysis of Verticillium effector proteins