[Open Workshop] Plant Biotechnology for Sustainability and Global Economy” Open Workshop Plant Biotechnology for Sustainability and Global Economy

Plant Biotechnology for Sustainability and Global Economy

Plant Biotechnology can help to address the challenges to produce more plant-derived food products and raw materials, in more environmentally-sustainable conditions. In this seminar several examples will be provided and discussed.

The event is integrated in the “Plants for Life” International PhD Program and will count with the invited speakers:
Dr. William Otim-Nape – Africa Innovations Institute (Kampala, Uganda), and    Dr. Alfredo Mateo – Corteva Agriscience (Seville, Spain).
They will share their experiences of two very different realities.
Chairing the Workshop we will have Dr. Benvindo Maçãs (Plant breeder and Director of the Biotechnology and Genetic Resources Unit, INIAV, Portugal) and Prof. Margarida Oliveira (Director of FCT Research Unit Bioresources for Sustainability, and of the Plant Functional Genomics Laboratory of ITQB NOVA).

PROGRAM

In a scenario of climate changes and need to increase global production of plant-based products, plant biotechnology is increasingly providing tools to face the challenge to produce more food products and raw materials, while increasing care for environmental sustainability. Wisely used, the available tools can  help to preserve the planet ecosystems and still support a bio-based economy. In this workshop some very relevante examples of applied research conducted in a company located in south Europe, and another conducted in Africa (Uganda) will be provided by the responsible scientists and discussed in light of the impact it had/may have in production, environment and economy.

The event is organized within the commemorations of the International Fascination of Plants Day and is integrated in the "Plants for Life" International PhD Program.
 

It will count with the invited speakers:

Dr. George William Otim-Nape - Chairman of the Africa Innovations Institute (Kampala, Uganda) , since 2005, and Agricultural Development Expert. This Institute is devoted to excellence in research and innovation in agriculture for  Africa’s development.
Plant Biotechnology for Sustainability and Global Economy - an African Perspective illustrated by the challenges of cassava mosaic pandemic in Africa, approaches to control and impact of interventions on livelihoods in Uganda
   

Dr. Alfredo Mateos - Researcher in charge of Corteva Agriscience (Seville, Spain), an agrochemistry company raised from DowDuPont to specifically develop new solutions to the farmer's challenges.
Plant Biotechnology for Sustainability and Global Economy - case studies of innovation in Corteva.

Additionally within this workshop, the Plants for Life students will contribute with three case studies of Biotic threats affecting crop production - state of-the-art and approaches to achieve protection from:

- Tuta absoluta  (tomato leafminer)  (Bárbara Rebelo and Matilde Lopes)

- Puccinia graminis (stem rust)  (Maria Faustino and Merijn  Moens)

- Drosophila susuki  (spotted wing drosophila) (Hugo Alves and Diana Barata)

Chairing the Workshop we will have Dr. Benvindo Maçãs (Plant breeder and Director of the Biotechnology and Genetic Resources Unit, INIAV, Portugal) and Prof. Margarida Oliveira (Director of the FCT Research Unit "Bioresources for Sustainability", and of the Plant Functional Genomics Laboratory of ITQB NOVA).