The second expert visit related to the development of the Strategy for biomonitoring organized within the BIOLAWEB project
On March 27th and 28th, the researchers from the ICTM, as a coordinating institution of the BIOLAWEB project, had the privilege and pleasure to host partners from NIVA (Norwegian Institute for Water Research) and INRAE (French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment), as a part of the expert visit.
The goal of the visit was to define the first strategic steps for stepping up and stimulating scientific excellence in biomonitoring at ICTM and to discuss the first results of the questionnaire on the short and long-term research needs of the institute. The results obtained will serve as the basis for creating a tailor-made scientific strategy for the ICTM in the next phases of the BIOLAWEB project. During the second day of the expert visit, colleagues from partner institutions talked with ICTM researchers who were interested in helping the BIOLAWEB team to outline scientific strategies and formulate new joint research projects in the future.
BIOLAWEB project organized the first roundtable related to biomonitoring in Serbia
The first roundtable related to biomonitoring in Serbia, organized on March 28th at the premises of the ICTM by the BIOALWEB project, gathered together international experts from NIVA and INRAE, with relevant stakeholders responsible for water bodies in Serbia and their monitoring.
Issues related to the biomonitoring of surface waters in Serbia were discussed, as well as the possibility of implementing new methods, such as DNA metabarcoding. Participants together tried to identify the needs and problems of all stakeholders.
One of the BIOLAWEB goals is to establish good communication and cooperation with the institutions in Serbia relevant to biomonitoring. This will set the base for the future advance in the field of water bodies management in Serbia.
The Second consortium meeting of the BIOLAWEB project
The second BIOLAWEB consortium meeting took place in Belgrade on the 28th of March 2023, at the premises of ICTM. Partners from three consortium institutions participated in the meeting, ICTM, NIVA, and INRAE.
Discussions during the meeting were very productive. The progress during the past six months was analyzed, and the activities planned for the next six months of the project were presented.
The first workshop organized by the BIOLAWEB project on the topic: Metabarcoding of diatoms and phytoplankton for biomonitoring
The BIOLAWEB project organized the first workshop on "Metabarcoding of diatoms and phytoplankton for biomonitoring" from March 29-31, 2023, at the ICTM. The workshop was a hybrid event attended by almost 110 participants, of which about 60 were included via the ZOOM application.
The workshop was led by scientists from the French National Institute for Food, Agriculture and Environment (INRAE), Dr. Clarisse Lemonnier, Dr. Frédéric Rimet, Dr Agnès Bouchez, and Dr Benjamin Alric, the leading experts in the field of metabarcoding for biomonitoring.
Participants gained valuable knowledge about state-of-the-art science, general aspects of metabarcoding for biomonitoring, and specific methods and challenges in diatom and phytoplankton metabarcoding. Furthermore, being together with colleagues from different regions, institutions, and fields of science, this event gave us a chance to get to know each other better, discuss interesting subjects, and make plans for future cooperation.
BIOLAWEB team was delighted to have a chance to host such great lecturers and numerous guests.
