PratyOmics project workshop brings together national and international nematology experts in Évora

Last Wednesday, 12 February, the Colégio do Espírito Santo of the University of Évora hosted the final workshop of the PratyOmics project: PratyOmics: “Metabolómica de plantas para o controlo do nemátode das lesões radiculares Pratylenchus penetrans“ (PTDC/ASP-PLA/0197/2020), led by Cláudia Vicente – MED researcher at the University of Évora. The event brought together teams of national and international experts in the field of nematology, as well as other researchers involved in the project and interested in the topic.

The opening session was given by Dora Teixeira, Pro-Rector for Integration and Promotion of Student Success at UÉvora and team leader of the HÉRCULES Laboratory, which is also part of the project. The workshop featured presentations by international consultant Paulo Vieira (United States Department of Agriculture) and national researchers Lurdes Inácio (INIAV), Carla Maleita and Joana Figueiredo (CEF, University of Coimbra), Sofia Costa (CBMA, University of Minho), and Cláudia Vicente and Pedro Barbosa (MED-UÉvora). The morning sessions were moderated by Manuel Mota, a MED researcher and retired UÉvora professor, and Isabel Abrantes, a full professor at the University of Coimbra, both of whom are leading figures in Portuguese nematology. The afternoon sessions were moderated by Margarida Espada, a researcher at MED-UÉvora, and Jorge Faria, a researcher at INIAV.

The workshop covered innovative topics in the field of nematology and plant protection, including the emergence of new phytoparasites, the development of bionematicides, and the impact of nematodes on soil conservation. The results of the PratyOmics project show the potential of plant metabolomics for identifying new molecules with nematodicidal potential.

The closing session was given by Cláudia Vicente, the researcher responsible for the project and current head of the Nematology Laboratory (NemaLab, MED-UÉvora), who highlighted the main results of the project and the future prospects for research in this area.