On April 25, 2024, the virtual event “NTGs as a Key Tool for Sustainable Agriculture in the European Union” was held, aiming to present the latest technological advancements and capabilities in this area from IBMCP through practical examples and projects developed with sector companies.
The session, which had more than 70 attendees, highlighted the fundamental role of genetic editing techniques as a more precise and efficient mechanism for making genetic changes that allow for the development of plant varieties more resistant to both abiotic and biotic stress. The potential of CRISPR-Cas technology was presented through the public-private collaboration project RESISMELO, carried out by researchers from the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Plants (IBMCP – UPV/CSIC) and the multinational Sakata Seed Iberica.
This approach demonstrated the importance of establishing closer collaboration between research centers and companies with the aim of generating new innovative projects that address the current challenges of the agri-food sector. In fact, during the session, it was also indicated that the recent support from the European Union towards the regulation of these technologies should serve as an incentive to apply them and continue advancing towards more sustainable agriculture, with crops that are more resistant to pests and pathogens, and increasingly less dependent on pesticides.
Program
- 16:30 h. Welcome and introduction. Carlos Baixauli Soria and Gonzaga Ruiz de Gauna Gutiérrez
- 16:35 h. The NGTs as a key tool for improving the competitiveness of the agri-food sector. Practical application in collaboration with the company: RESISMELO project. Benito José Pineda Chaza and Agatha Agudelo
- 17:15 h. Collaboration modalities between IBMCP and companies. Laura Zacarés Sanmartín
- 17:30 h. Panel discussion. Moderator: Gonzaga Ruiz de Gauna Gutiérrez
- 18:00 h. End of the event