Fascination of Plants Day | May 18

Today is a day to celebrate and enthusiasm the public towards the importance of plants science. In fact, this scientific field  is of crucial importance in many sectors of our society as its research focuses’ range from agriculture and sustainable production of nutritious food,  horticulture, forestry to the production of plant-based non-food products (e.g.  timber, chemicals, energy and pharmaceuticals). 

“From one little seed, planted into soil, many green lives can arise – from small herbs up to big trees, or from ornamental flowers to substantial crops which all animals and mankind need to survive on this planet.”. These words, proffered by the Fascination of Plants Day organization, reflect the enormous variety of research questions that may arise within Plant Biology. At BioISI, there are several researchers working on this field and the topics are very diverse. At our research  unit, scientists chase the answer for question in: Plant Stress & Signalling; Environmental and Molecular Plant Physiology; Forest Genomics and Molecular Genetics; Fruit Functional Genomics & Biotechnology; Grapevine-Pathogen Systems and  DNA  & RNA Sensing. 

At BioISI we are, in fact, fascinated by plants. Therefore, to highlight this day, we share with you two major milestones we have achieved last year in Plants Science, that took our investigation outside academia and invite you to know more about the research developed in this field by present you the Plant Functional Genomics Research Group here.

Event “Frutos & Afins com Ciências” 

Last April 28, the organizing committee – comprised by Ana Margarida Fortes, Anabela Marques da Silva, Rita Teixeira, Mónica Sebastiana and Susana Serrazina, researchers at the Plant Functional Genomics Group – opened Ciências ULisboa’s doors for an event where fruit-related research was shared in a society-targeted way. Between lectures and presentations, a product fair (with tasting), a poster session, an art show (by Kim Schoen) and a dinner… with Science, everything was an opportunity to know a little more about the research developed in fruits and related products at BioISI.

During the dinner, participants had the special opportunity to be offered a live-cooking show, by the artist Paulo Brighenti, who prepared a vegetarian pasta dish. While the artist was preparing the meal, Conceição Colaço, researcher at Instituto Superior de Agronomia, explained the science “behind” the food products that were being used.

See some photos [provided by the Organizing Comittee] of the event below and get to know more about the industrial partners:

• Beirabaga, Fruits of Portugal
• Bfruit
• Centro de Competências para o Tomate Indústria;
• Goji Natur
• Montado do Freixo do Meio
• Serramel
• Sogrape Vinhos S.A.
• Zidra

Comissão Nacional da Organização Internacional da Vinha e do Vinho (CNOIV) Awards

Occurred last November 23,  this event included with the announcement of the winners of Comissão Nacional da Organização Internacional da CNOIV Awards. 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  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.

See some of images of the ceremony below.

Know more about this issue here.