Last November 23, in Fátima, took place the Portuguese Annual Wine Forum. Within this event, the winners of the Comissão Nacional da Organização Internacional da Vinha e do Vinho (CNOIV) Awards were announced. Among the list of the awardees, there are three BioISI – Ciências ULisboa researchers: Marisa Maia and Joana Figueiredo, respectively, junior researcher (CEEC) and PhD Student from Grapevine Pathogen Systems Lab, and Ana Margarida Fortes, principal investigator at the Fruit Genomics and Biotechnology Lab. Marisa was distinguished with CNOIV Innovation Award. Joana and Ana Margarida were given the CNOIV Distinction Award (in Viticulture), ex aequo.

The CNOIV – which name can be translated to the Portuguese Committe in the International Organization of Grapevine and Wine – has been working to enhance the scientific and technical knowledge sharing and to create fora to discuss important issues for the Portuguese grapevine and wine sector. The CNOIV awards (attributed every two years) are a result of those efforts and aim at stimulating research and innovation in this field. While CNOIV Distinction awards are meant to highlight the best experimental, innovative or communication works published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, CNOIV Innovation awards distinguish the scientific whose work for its high degree of novelty.

We have talked to each one of the three awardees to understand the details of the distinguished research and to find out what is the impact of such distinctions in their carrers. Read the (tiny) interviews below to discover more.

Marisa Maia | CNOIV Innovation Award

for the research work reported in the paper Integrating metabolomics and targeted gene expression to uncover potential biomarkers of fungal/oomycetes associated disease susceptibility in grapevine, in representation of its collective of authors, first authored by Marisa Maia herself.

[BioISICom] What was the research question distinguished with the award and why are its main findings important?

[Marisa Maia, MM] The main aim of this work was to unravel if grapevine plants that are naturally susceptible or tolerant to fungal and oomycetes have a different basal content on metabolites aiming at identifying biomarkers for disease susceptibility or tolerance. We have shown that through the metabolome characterization it is possible to discriminate grapevine genotypes through their susceptibility or tolerance and we propose a susceptibility associated biomarker. After further validation, the main findings of this work may be applied on breeding programs to aid plant selection in a more effective and fast approach. Moreover, this approach may also be used to develop disease associated biomarkers that enable a fast diagnosis before symptoms appear.

[BioISICom] What does this award mean to you?

[MM] This award shows that all the dedication and effort that I have been putting in my research work is being recognized at the at the national level by the “Comissão Nacional da Organização Internacional da Vinha e do Vinho (CNOIV)”. Also, collaborating with other researchers that are really motivated, dedicated and with the will to succeed, publishing our results together and winning this award, makes me feel very proud of what we have accomplished so far and motivates me to continue doing it.

[BioISICom] In what ways does the award encourage you to continue your work?

[MM] This award will undoubtedly strongly contribute to my career development by promoting a more independent career, national and international projection and will aid on acquisition of funding. Moreover, it will strengthen previous national collaborations and aid on establishing new ones with winegrowers/wine producers. Also, it will increase my will to succeed in science and to share and transmit my passion of working with grapevine as well as being an example to the younger generation.

 Joana Figueiredo | CNOIV Distinction Award in Viticulture

for the research reported in the paper An apoplastic fluid extraction method for the characterization of grapevine leaves proteome and metabolome from a single sample in representation of its collective of authors, which includes a strong collaboration with Ana Rita Cavaco – researcher at the Plant Functional Genomics Group at BioISI – and first authored by Joana Figueiredo herself.

[BioISICom] What was the research question distinguished with the award and why are its main findings important?

[Joana Figueiredo, JF] The big question that led to the development of this work was: How can we better understand grapevine response to pathogen infections? For that, we established a methodology that allow us to look inside of grapevine leaves, particularly into the extracellular space – where plant and pathogen molecules actively interact during infection, and reveal its molecular composition, independently of grapevine cultivar or plant development stage.

[BioISICom] What does this award mean to you?

[JF] This award means a scientific recognition, by our peers in the viticulture field, of our dedication, hard work and resilience in grapevine research field. It was very grateful for me to see that we have contributed for science and that it was recognized. Of course, it was a collaborative work with a college and friend, Ana Rita Cavaco, and thus this award is even more special and represents our commitment to this cause.

[BioISICom] In what ways does the award encourage you to continue your work?

[JF] This recognition makes me truly believe that “we can do this”, seriously! And confirm us that we are in the right place and in the right way to achieve so must more. This award, and specially, the recognized work was an “open door” to the future in grapevine research field.

Ana Margarida Fortes | CNOIV Distinction Award in Viticulture

for the research reported in the paper Transcriptional, hormonal, and metabolic changes in susceptible grape berries under powdery mildew infection, in representation of its collective of authors, first authored by Diana Pimentel.

[BioISICom] What was the research question distinguished with the award and why are its main findings important?

[Ana Margarida Fortes, AMF] The work identified the molecular, hormonal and metabolic mechanisms of grape susceptibility under powdery mildew infection together with strategies of fungal virulence. This can open the doors to establish grapevines more resilient to this fungal disease and enable a more sustainable viticulture.

[BioISICom] What does this award mean to you?

[AMF] This work received wide recognition by the scientific community by being elected Editor´s Choice of an issue in a prestigious plant journal (Journal of Experimental Botany). It is rewarding that this was also accompanied by recognition among wine producers and viticulturists.

[BioISICom] In what ways does the award encourage you to continue your work?

[AMF] These recognitions strongly motivate us to pursue this field of research which is particularly important for Portugal’s economy and will have dramatic challenges under environmental transition.

 

Find out more about Grapevine-Pathogen Systems Lab here.

Discover more about Fruit Genomics and Biotechnology Lab here.

More info on CNOIV Awards here.

Joana Figueredo and Andreia Figueiredo (the last two awardees in the right) – who receive the award on behalf of Marisa Maia – at the Portuguese Annual Wine Forum [courtesy of Andreia Figueiredo] 

Andreia Figueiredo and Joana Figueiredo holding the awards’ certificates, at the Portuguese Annual Wine Forum [courtesy of Andreia Figueiredo]