IX Scientific Conference in CBGP

CBGP (UPM-INIA) has just celebrated its ninth annual Scientific Conference. Fifteen researchers from the centre presented the results achieved during the last two years.

The Scientific Conference was opened by Dr. Asunción Gómez (UPM Deputy Rector for Research, Innovation and Doctorate) and Dr. Antonio Molina, the CBGP´s Director.

The IX Scientific Conference in CBGP consisted of three scientific sessions. In the first one, chaired by Dr. Pedro Crevillén, the researcher Luis Gómez discussed several aspects of forest biotechnology and the use of trees for phytoremediation. Mar Castellano presented her recent data about the response mechanisms in plants to high-temperature stress and the new regulators identified by her group. Luis Oñate described the role of new transcriptional factors in the regulation of seed germination and its vigor. Joaquín Medina described the interaction between abiotic stresses and nutritional deficiencies and the applicability of some transcriptional factors which regulate these processes. Mariano Perales presented the new regulation model of the response to vernalization and vegetative development in black poplar. Finally, Miguel Ángel Moreno-Risueño addressed different aspects of lateral roots development and new regulator elements recently discovered.

During the second session, moderated by Dr. Israel Pagán, Fernando García-Arenal described the results of the study about the co-evolution of virus and plants in natural populations and the impact of floral-transition processes in viral virulence and adaptation. Fernando Ponz presented new nanotechnological applications of plant viruses in decontamination and health areas developed by his group. María Ángeles Ayllón described mycovirus applications in plant-pathogen fungus control. During the last morning dissertation, Mark Wilkinson presented the difficulties in using ´omic´ data generated in laboratories and his group´s progresses in the implementation of the FAIR iniciative (Findable Accesible Interoperable and Reusable) in CBGP.

Finally, during the afternoon session, chaired by Dr. Manuel Piñeiro, the researchers Luis Rubio, José Palacios and Manuel González-Guerrero presented their groups´ advances in the development of new technologies for improving plant nutrition, such as the generation of plants obtaining their own nitrate through inorganic nitrogen fixation, the improvement of legume colonization by symbiotic bacteria, and the characterization of metal capture (microelements) by plants to improve nitrogen-fixation efficiency by symbiotic bacteria. Pablo Rodríguez-Palenzuela presented several of their developed bioinformatic tools, among which he remarked those allowing them to perform predictions about plant-associating bacteria. Lastly, Soledad Sacristán described the progress in the knowledge of molecular bases of plant/endophite fungus interactions, and the benefits they may have in plant nutrition and production.

The Scientific Conference was an excellent opportunity to show that presenting CBGP groups have made significant advances over the last two years.