Traditional conference Green for Good aims at global challenges this year
Not only plant research and plant biotechnology, but also other continuing global challenges will be addressed at the international scientific conference Green for Good VI, which is organized by the Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN) of Palacký University together with the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB) from 12 to 15 September in Olomouc. Experts from the Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, USA, Finland, and other countries will focus on hot issues like climate change, sustainable agriculture, circular economy, or harnessing and storing energy in biological systems. The conference is held under the auspices of the Minister of Science, Research and Innovation Helena Langšádlová.
“We are pleased that, after the covid-19 pandemic, we are able to continue the tradition, which goes back to 2011. The seven conference sections reflect seven key societal challenges. Experts from the particular fields can discuss their latest results and establish new collaborations. Traditionally, one of the important missions of the conference is to enable especially young scientists to meet with world-renowned colleagues in the field,” said Ivo Frébort, a member of the conference’s Scientific Board and Vice-President of the EFB.
The opening lecture will be delivered by Alan Schulman from the University of Helsinki, who currently acts as the President of the European Plant Science Organization (EPSO). His research group uses genetics, genomics, and cell biology to understand the genome dynamics processes. He and colleagues are also studying drought resistance and other sustainability traits in barley and beans. The main lecture will be delivered by Gary Vallad from the University of Florida, who focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases common to both vegetables and ornamental plants, with an emphasis on the development and implementation of biological-based disease control strategies.
“As one of the new areas that we will focus the attention on is bioeconomy, we are very pleased to see Martin Greimel—Head of the Centre for Bioeconomy at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna (BOKU), who represents it in the European Bioeconomy University (EBU). We will also welcome Petra Jorasch from the Belgian company Euroseed, a promoter of modern plant breeding methods and innovative technologies,” said Michaela Holecová from CATRIN on behalf of the organizers.
Participants will also commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of the founder of genetics, Gregor Johann Mendel. A painting dedicated to the founder of genetics as well as other works of art inspired by natural sciences will be exhibited by Jitka Brůnová Lachmann during the conference.
The Green for Good VI conference will take place in the building of the UP Faculty of Law. The programme is available at https://www.efbiotechnology.org/G4G/programme. The conference used to be held in Olomouc every two years, but, due to the covid-19 pandemic, the last season was in 2019.