PurPest Consortium

COORDINATOR

logo - NIBIO
NIBIO - Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health  

NorwayNIBIO is one of the largest Research Institutes in Norway and contributes to food security and safety, sustainable resource management, innovation and value creation through research and knowledge production within food, forestry and other biobased industries. NIBIO delivers research, managerial support and knowledge for use in national preparedness, as well as for businesses and the society at large.

The Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health conducts research to understand the fundamental biogeochemical mechanisms around the outbreak of plant pests (including plant pathogens), development of prediction models, damage thresholds and diagnostic tools to assess pest risks.

In Purpest, NIBIO will determine volatile organic compounds emitted by the cotton ball worm and by Phytophthora ramorum and related species as well as the host plants attacked by these pests. NIBIO is coordinating PurPest by supporting active scientific interaction between the partners and mediates the interaction between the EU commission and the PurPest consortium. 

NIBIO team:

(Responsible)

Birgitte Henriksen

Birgitte Henriksen

Venche Talgø

Venche Talgø

Venche Talgø

Per Stålnacke

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PARTICIPANTS (14)

logo - SINTEF
NIBIO - Division of Biotechnology and Plant Health  

Norway

SINTEF is Scandinavia's largest independent research institute. In PURPEST we will lead the overall technical project management in the project, while also leading WP2 – Sensor development and optimisation. SINTEF will do detailed characterisation of the collected VOCs in WP1. In WP2 we will develop optical sensors and selective coatings for the detection of the identified VOCs

SINTEF team:

(Responsible)

Anders Brunsvik

Anders Brunsvik

Christian Simon

Christian Simon

Firehun Dullo

Firehun Dullo

Guido Sordo

Guido Sordo

Karolina Milenko

Karolina Milenko

Knut Thorsdhaug

Knut Thorsdhaug

Thor Aarhaug

Thor Aarhaug

Mats Carlin

Mats Carlin

logo - NTNU

Norway

NTNU is an international oriented university, has a main profile in science and technology, a variety of programmes of professional study, and great academic breadth that also includes the humanities, social sciences, economics, medicine, health sciences, educational science, architecture, entrepreneurship, art disciplines and artistic activities. 

NTNU’s campuses in Trondheim, Gjøvik and Ålesund

NTNU team:

Bente Gunnveig Berg

Bente Berg

(Responsible)

Xi Chu

Xi Chu

logo - Julius Kühn Institute (JKI)

Germany

The Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) is the Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants in Germany and an autonomous superior federal authority in the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).
The Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) maintains research facilities and teams at 10 locations in Germany. The JKI headquarters is based in Quedlinburg.

Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI)

JKI team:

Jürgen Gross

Jürgen Gross

(Responsible)

logo - SAFTRA Photonics

Slovakia

SAFTRA Photonics is a Slovak high-tech company estabilished as a spin-off from the P.J. Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia in 2014.

The development and the business strategies of the company are based on the research activities in the fields of photonics and biomedical research and development.

SAFTRA Photonics team:

Stanislav Roucka

Stanislav Roucka

(Responsible)

Pavol Miskovsky

Pavol Miskovsky

Roman Oros

Roman Oros

logo - Plante Og Importkontroll AS

Norway

Plante Og Importkontroll AS is a small Norwegian privately owned company. Our mission is to assist and help other companies and private purchasers with importation and acceptance control of plants. We also specialize in training and certification of companies and employees in the flower industry. Our role in the project is to test the sensors and report feedback from the users perspective.

Plante Og Importkontroll team:

Martin Uthus

Martin Uthus

(Responsible)

Manjit Singh

Manjit Singh

logo - Universita Degli Studi di Padova

Italy

The Universita Degli Studi di Padova (UNIPD) is one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious seats of learning. As a multi-disciplinary institute of higher education, the University aims to provide its students with professional training and a solid cultural background. The qualification received from the University of Padua act as a symbol of the ambitious objectives respected and coveted by both students and employers alike.

UNIPD team:

Luca Cappellin

Luca Cappellin

(Responsible)

logo - INIAV

Portugal

The National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinary Research, I. P. (INIAV, I.P.) is the Portuguese State Laboratory, in the area of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, which develops research activities in the agronomic and veterinary areas.
INIAV holds the National Reference Laboratories for plant diseases and pests, for animal diseases, including zoonoses, for analysis of residues of prohibited substances, veterinary drugs and environmental, chemical and microbiological contaminants and other parameters within the scope of Food Safety.

Plant Nematology Lab - INIAV

The Plant Nematology Lab of INIAV, is the national reference laboratory for the monitoring and management of diseases caused by nematodes.
In PURPEST, we will use our quarantine facilities to lead greenhouse bioassays with the pinewood nematode, a quarantine pest of pines, and collect volatile samples for profiling. Also, we will lead Work Package 6 – Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation, and help spread the word about PURPEST activities and results.  

INIAV team:

(Responsible)

Luís Bonifácio

Luís Bonifácio

Edmundo Sousa

Edmundo Sousa

logo -  Mendelova Univerzita V Brne (MENDELU) and Phytophthora Research Centre Lab

Czech RepublicThe Phytophthora Research Centre Lab of the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology at Mendel University in Brno (MENDELU) hosts a research team focused on research of Phytophthora species and the diseases they are causing.

In PURPEST, we will study within Work Package 1 the volatile profiles of Phytophthora and other oomycete species, and Fagus sylvatica and Quercus suber trees growing in soil artificially infested with these pathogens. Also, we will lead Work Package 4 – Tests and demonstration in relevant environment.

Phytophthora team:

Mendelu

(Responsible)

Anna Hýsková

Anna Hýsková

Petra Dolezelova

Petra Dolezelova

Iñigo Saiz Fernández

Iñigo Saiz Fernández

logo -  Volatile Technologies LT UAB

LithuaniaVolatile AI combines chemical analysis instrumentation with artificial intelligence algorithms.
Our products include a gas sensor platform for chemical and electronic nose research, as well as, algorithms and data science to interpret chemical composition data from virtually any lab and out-of-lab analysis tools. 

You can check out our Scout2 instrument here: https://volatile.ai/enose

Volatile -Team

Volatile team:

Adomas Malaiska

Adomas Malaiska

(Responsible)

Lucas Lopez

Lucas Lopez

logo - Chromatotec and Airmotec

France

airmotec AG is part of the Chromatotec Group, which designs and manufactures online analytical solutions for gases and liquids characterization. airmotec AG is integrating the research & development activities, which are completely integrated in the development strategy of the group, with a policy of continuous improvement of the quality of the instruments. For this, the company integrates engineers with strong experience and knowledge in analytical solutions and dedicated laboratories. airmotec also develops its own proprietary electronics and IT. 

For PurPest project, airmotec will use its expertise in VOCs analysis to develop and implement a portable GC system to monitor and analyse BVOCs.

airmotec AG

airmotec AG team:

(Responsible)

logo - Wageningen University & Research

NetherlandsThe Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy (AEP) Group of Wageningen University and Research, leading Work Package 5 – “Analyze the impact and implementation of PurPest”, will conduct and facilitate research unveiling the socioeconomic impact of PurPest. More specifically, the identification of the preferred management options, the assessment of the cost-benefit balance of the VOC-sensor and its effect on different stakeholders, the socioeconomic and ecological damage of the PurPest species and the relevant regulatory framework will aid in the development of policy recommendations regarding the most appropriate management options/interventions, to tackle the challenge of biological invasions. Ultimately, the expected outcome of WP5 is to increase the knowledge about the benefits and costs of invasive species control resulting in better control policies at the EU and member state level supported by stakeholders.

Agricultural Economics and Rural Policy (AEP)

AEP team:

(Responsible)

logo - DGAV

PortugalThe Directorate General for Food and Veterinary Medicine (DGAV) is a Portuguese State body whose mission is to define, execute and evaluate policies for food safety, animal protection and animal health, plant protection and plant health, being invested in the functions of the National Veterinary and Phytosanitary Authority, the National Authority for Veterinary Medicines and Authority responsible for the management of the Food Safety System.

DGAV team:

(Responsible)

logo - Centro Pinus

PortugalCentro PINUS is a non-profit private association gathering the main stakeholders from the Portuguese pine-based sector, including representatives of forest landowners, contractors, the national agronomy research agency (INIAV), the national forest services (ICNF), Higher Education entities and the main industrial players.
Its main goal is to improve maritime pine forest production and productivity according to industry needs.

Centro Pinus team:

(Responsible)

logo - Universidade de Évora
logo - HERCULES Lab

Portugal

Established in 2009, the HERCULES Lab is a research infrastructure from University of Évora, devoted to the study and valorisation of cultural heritage, focusing on the integration of physical and material sciences methodologies and tools in interdisciplinary approaches.

University of Évora :

HERCULES Lab :

HERCULES Lab team:

(Responsible)

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PARTNERS (3)

logo - Universite de Neuchatel (UNINE) - Farce

SwitzerlandFundamental and applied research in chemical ecology (Farce) is a lab from Institut de Biologie de l'Université de Neuchâtel. We study the role of chemicals in the interactions among organisms, with an emphasis on plant-insect interactions. We are interested in the mechanisms, as well as the ecological and evolutionary implications of these interactions. Our research has lead to several key discoveries of how plant-produced chemical mediate the interactions among plants, herbivores that feed on the plants, and the natural enemies of these herbivores. In addition to trying to complete our fundamental understanding of these interactions, we currently explore ways to use this knowledge for the development of novel crop protection strategies.

Farce team:

Ted Turlings

Ted Turlings

(Responsible)

Christele Borgeaud

Christele Borgeaud

Carla Marques

Carla Marques

Marine Mamin

Marine Mamin

Emmanuel Defossez

Emmanuel Defossez

logo - WBF – Eidgenoessisches Department fuer Wirtschaft, Bildung und Forschung

Switzerland

Agroscope (part of WBF) is the Swiss center of excellence for agronomic research. Its research is primarily targeted towards practice-oriented applied research for the agriculture and food sector. Involved in this project is the Biosafety Research Group that is engaged in studying and assessing the environmental impact of invasive species and organisms used for pest control in agriculture including biological control agents and genetically engineered organisms.

Agroscope team:

(Responsible)

logo - UWAR - University of Warwick

United Kingdom

UWAR - The University of Warwick

UWAR team:

(Responsible)

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