Research Plan

X-biopesticides for Xylella control

Testing of bacteria and plant-based extract for Xylella targeting X biopesticides
Testing will be conducted in two locations:
- in olive orchards in Apulia (Italy)
- and almond & olive orchards in Mallorca
Identification of best application methods of biocontrol agents for Xylella prevention and curative approaches
Available test results to be compiled and thoroughly evaluated
One or more bacterial strains & plant-based extract will be selected and applied in small field trials
Promising solutions to be considered for large-scale testing and IPM

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Work Package led by:

Jose M. Garcia Madero

José Manuel García Madero is the Project Manager of DOMCA, a Spanish company with more than 40 years of experience offering innovative solutions for the agrifood sector. Jose holds a Master’s Degree in Project Management and is currently responsible for several national and international projects at the company. Among others, José currently coordinates Biopromedfood (PRIMA), Active Honey (Eureka) or Aquagarlic (SME Instrument) projects.

What excites you most about your Work Package?

WP1 focuses on evaluating and optimising the active compounds of biocontrol solutions acting against the Xylella pathogen. This WP is the starting point of the project and the preliminary results will be used in subsequent Work Packages as well as in the large scale field trials that will be carried out for several years in different locations of the South of Europe. It is very exciting and a great responsibility to coordinate this Work Package because the success of this preliminary results could lead to the success of BIOVEXO project.

What inspires you about BIOVEXO?

I am particularly aware of the importance of the almond and olive sector in the European Union, and particularly in Andalusia. My family, as well as many other families of this region have always worked in the olive and almond harvest, being a major source of income for many Andalusian families. I am deeply concerned about the devastating consequences that this disease could have for this region. Furthermore, olive oil is a distinctive and quality product for the Mediterranean area that we should fight to preserve. Besides, it is very exciting to collaborate with first-class academic partners, companies of different sizes and countries of the EU and farmers of the affected area to find a solution for this devastating disease.

V-biopesticides for vector control

Production of active substances for vector targeting V-biopesticides
Identification of best application methods for preventing Xylella infections
Lab testing of V-biopesticides against the different life stages of insects
Establishment of a protocol for optimized production
Small-scale field trials in Apulia, Italy

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Work Package led by:

Dr. Liesbeth Zwarts

Biography

Liesbeth Zwarts has 13 years of research experience in insect behavior, genetics and pest management. She did her PhD in collaboration with KULeuven/ VIB/ NCSU followed by a post-doc at KULeuven. She works for three years at Globachem as an R&D project manager finding new and innovative solutions for insect pests.

What excites you most about your Work Package?

When trying to tackle a problem such as X. fastidiosa, an integrated approach will be necessary. It is exciting to be involved in an important part of this by using our products to prevent the spread of the disease via its insect vector.

What inspires you about BIOVEXO?

Biovexo aims to provide an integrated approach tackling X. fastiodosa on multiple levels. The development of the products in BIOVEXO have the potential to provide practical solutions to the farmers by the end of the project.

Biopesticide formulation and upscaling

Formulation of X- and V-biopesticides from lab-scale to industry scale, which includes production for field trials
Development of parameters of bio-process control
Evaluation of optimal efficacy and economic viability

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Work Package led by:

Alberto Baños Arjona

Biography

Alberto Baños Arjona, PhD in Microbiology, is currently the Head of the Microbiology and Biotechnology department from DMC Research Center SL. a technological-based company belonging to DOMCA group dedicated exclusively to Research and Development of new natural compounds with antimicrobial properties against emergent pathogens with interest in all agrifood sectors. He has coordinated several research projects boosting the R&D department of the company.

What excites you most about your Work Package?

WP3 allows formulation and upscaling of production of biopesticides against Xylella and its vector. What I like the most about my WP is the challenge to develop innovative products against this emerging pathogen. Taking the step from laboratory work to field work in real conditions is a very exciting challenge that will take into market several years of work effort in the laboratory and in basic research.

What inspires you about BIOVEXO?

As a microbiologist, the opportunity to collaborate in a project like this is one of the most exciting experiences in my career, as we will challenge one of the most serious threats for the agrifood sector in Europe using environmentally friendly natural compounds, compatible with organic production. While using traditional methods against Xylella is already a big challenge to fight this plague, using natural methods is an even greater challenge, which motivates me, both at the professional level as well as at the human level.

Large scale validation of control strategies for integrated pest management

Testing of X-and V-biopesticides in real field management conditions in
Southern Italy and mainland Spain
Large scale field trials to reduce bacterial spread
Large scale field trials for Xylella control
Assessment of integrated control strategies
Recommendation for integrated pest management strategies

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Work Package led by:

Pasquale Saldarelli

About

Plant pathologist with main research interests in diseases of grapevine and Mediterranean crops. He described several new viruses and associated diseases using NGS technologies, developed biotechnological methods and tools for virus detection. He is devoting his efforts to the study of Xylella fastidiosa outbreak in olive in Apulia, contributing to the genome studies of Italian and Spanish isolates, to the analysis of olive response to the infection, to the description of the microbiome of olives infected by Xylella and to the study of Xylella resistance in olive. He served in the Scientific Committee of the Italian Society of Plant Pathology and is member of the Scientific Committee of the International Council of Virus and Virus-like Diseases of the grapevine. He participated in several EU projects and is currently responsible for work packages in the H2020 Projects POnTE, XF-ACTORS and BIOVEXO.

What excites you most about your Work Package?

Work Package 4 is the operative hub of the Project, in which the experiments carried out in the previous two-year will find a summary and will thus translate in real opportunities of controlling Xylella epidemics at plant and vector levels. At the same time, I feel excited and full of responsibility as large field trials will form the base to the development of an integrated strategy of control based on biological tools, perfectly in line with the invoked European “green deal”, and will take further steps towards achieving an eco-friendly and sustainable policy of agri-food management in the EU.

What inspires you about BIOVEXO?

BIOVEXO is a melting pot of competencies and skills, from the academic and private sectors that stimulate my interest and oriented research to develop practical solutions to a high rank damaging plant pathogen. I find it very gratifying that the research effort conducted in recent years in my laboratory, as well as by numerous European and non-European research groups, to find solutions to the plague of Xylella, can gain an applicative context, through the convergence between academic research and industrial and productive segments. This is an opportunity, in our plans, to provide an answer to the pressing demand from the sectors most affected by this unprecedented phytosanitary emergency. The fact that proposed tools are sustainable and environmental friendly is an added value that pushed me to be involved in the project.

Mode of action of biopesticides

Evaluation of plant strengthening effects
Definition of mode of action of X- and V-biopesticides
Studying behaviour of applied biopesticides
Support in product development and registration

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Work Package led by:

Stéphane Compant

Biography

Stéphane Compant (Ph.D. 2007 in Plant Biology and Physiology in Reims France, Assoc. Prof. Microbiology at INP Toulouse in France 2009-2012, Project leader/Scientist AIT since 2012, Habilitation in functional ecology in 2017 at Bordeaux Sciences Agro/INRA France) has coordinated several research and training programmes for national and international agencies. He is a leading research expert on microbial ecology of endophytic bacteria and fungi interacting with plants. He also works on beneficial plant-microbe interactions in general, and biocontrol of plant diseases using various biocontrol agents from different sources. SC has 65 publications, edited 1 book (CABI UK 262 pp.), has 2 granted patents, 15 book chapters, and has also edited 3 special issues as guest editors and has more than 100 abstract communications in conferences. He was member of the management committee France as well as STSM member on European cost action FA1103. SC also represented Austria on European cost action FA1303, co-chair of microbial ecology, served in EIP-Agri, in various review committees and scientific journal boards (Plant and Soil, Frontiers, Oeno One and Plants as section Editor). Role: scientific coordinator, project management and mode of actions work package leader.

What excites you most about your Work Package?

I am very glad that we will explore the mechanisms of action of our biopesticides and decipher how they work throughout hypothesis driven approaches. This will not be used only for fundamental knowledge but also for registration dossiers of our biopesticides. Studying the behaviour on and inside plants of our microbial biopesticides, in addition to plant defence immunity and vector and Xylella control, will further allow us to determine the release of our beneficial microbes in the environment as well as how they interact with olive plants, a pre-requisite for a better understanding of plant microbe interaction as well as for a successful knowledge before commercialization our products.

What inspires you about BIOVEXO?

The research concept of BIOVEXO is well-grounded based on previous findings and results dealing with olive protection against Xylella. There are multiple impacts in finding effective and organic solutions to combat the disease. With BIOVEXO we aim to develop new biopesticides against Xylella or its insect vector, for which we already have interesting preliminary data. Olive oil production is in jeopardy due to the numbers of jobs that have been, and could be, lost due to this problem. It is important that we find and develop viable solutions to protect farmers’ incomes who have cultivated orchards, sometimes centuries old, across generations, as well as guarantee European olive oil supply with less chemical residues. Many of these olive groves are important, cultural heritage assets that have a far-reaching tourism value for Mediterranean countries. We need to act quickly to avoid farmers abandoning their groves, and turning to another crops, and with BIOVEXO, we can reach this point.

Product sustainability and toxicity

Life-cycle assessment of the selected biopesticides
Toxicity testing and evaluation (safety guarantee)
Regulatory compliance form market introduction of the bio-pesticides
Economic sustainability via economic risk – benefit analysis

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Work Package led by:

Dr. Liesbeth Zwarts

Biography

What excites you most about your Work Package?

What inspires you about BIOVEXO?

Dissemination, Exploitation & Communication

Development & implementation of a DEC strategy to enhance the innovation capacity of the Biovexo Project
Continuous communication of BIOVEXO’s objectives
Dissemination of project results
Establishment and implementation of communication tools (e.g. website, social media channels, social media videos, etc.) and building relevant audiences to maximise impact of the Project
Establishment of a Project community through DEC activities
IP Management and Exploitation planning

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Work Package led by:

Magdalena Kovacova

Biography

Magdalena Kovacova has more than 4 years of consulting experience in leading multi-million European projects & infrastructure pilots across several Member States. She enjoys managing and supporting large Consortia of international partners from diverse fields. She is also experienced in implementing successful Dissemination & Communication strategies and is social media & SEO expert. She obtained a double Master of Science in International Management and Marketing from Paris School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Management in The University of York.

What excites you most about your Work Package?

I am passionate about building and implementing creative DEC strategies for the Project. I am a firm believer, that together with our partners, we can leverage social media to our advantage and showcase the positive impact to all of our stakeholders. I am very excited to build our community around this exciting project!

What inspires you about BIOVEXO?

I am most excited about the positive impact of the BIOVEXO project, which is both socio-cultural as well as environmental. I am also inspired by our partners, who work hard to find a solution to the long-standing challenge and threat of the Xylella pathogen. It is indeed an exciting project, and I am proud to be a part of the BIOVEXO team.

Management

Monitoring of the BIOVEXO project & active risk management
Overall coordination and organization of partner meetings
Facilitation and implementation of a common strategy
Management of administrative tasks (internal reporting, periodic cost reporting, deliverables, etc.)
Communication with the funding authority BBI-JU
Data management
Financial management
Project Coordination: RTDS Association
Scientific Coordination: AIT Austrian Institute of Technology

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Work Package led by:

Dr. Stephen Webb & Magdalena Kovacova

Biography

Stephen Webb has 25 years’ experience with EU projects since FP4; as researcher, WP Leader, Project Manager and Coordinator. He has been involved in the development of more than 100 projects in various fields of life sciences, environment, health, transport, food and ICT. Stephen is founder and CEO of RTDS Group and has a PhD in life sciences and Master’s degrees in business and law (IPR). The BIOVEXO project is operatively managed by Magdalena Kovacova, who is also responsible for WP7&8. I am project Coordinator, but it is Maggie who makes it all happen!

What excites you most about your Work Package?

BIOVEXO is the fifth H2020 project coordinated by RTDS, as we continue to re-define best practice management of EU R&I projects. BIOVEXO is our fourth BBI project, the third of which as Coordinator – the only three BBI projects coordinated in Austria. RTDS is proud to provide professional and objective support in taking European research from the lab to the market – and make a difference to society!

What inspires you about BIOVEXO?

BIOVEXO contributes significantly to our portfolio of sustainability projects which include digitisation of forestry, development of bio-based binders and fertilisers, reduction of antimicrobials in agriculture, amongst others. In times of global warming, BIOVEXO plays a vital role in preserving crops essential to the economic and cultural well-being of southern Europe. We have a great consortium with a meaningful project, which I am proud to be part of!

X-biopesticides for Xylella control

V-biopesticides for insect vector control

Biopesticide formulation & upscaling

Large scale validation for IPM

Mode of Action of biopesticides of target organisms

Product sustainability and toxicity

Dissemination, Exploitation and Communication

Management

biovexo@rtds-group.com