ACTIONr PhD Summer School May 2025
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- March 6, 2025
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Biological Nitrification Inhibition: Integrating Microbial Functions, Plant Traits, and Technological Innovations for Sustainable Nitrogen Cycling
May 12-16, 2025
Larissa & Pelion, Greece
About this course
This summer school aims to provide an overview of the Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI) and its role in regulating nitrogen cycling in soil systems. Through lectures by leading scientists in the fields of environmental microbiology, microbial ecology, plant biotechnology, and soil biogeochemistry, participants will explore the mechanisms underlying BNI, the physiological and ecological roles of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms, and the potential for harnessing plant metabolic pathways and traits to improve nitrogen use efficiency. The course will also examine how plant-derived nitrification inhibitors can contribute to sustainable nitrogen management and mitigate nitrogen losses in agricultural systems. Theoretical sessions will be complemented by practical training, including high-throughput screening methods for BNI activity, amplicon sequencing techniques for microbial community analysis, and key aspects of big data analysis. Participants will be introduced to essential concepts for handling large biological datasets, covering principal component analysis (PCA) plots and clustering methods as fundamental tools for the interpretation of data related to BNI mechanisms and microbial interactions. Additionally, participants will explore novel approaches, such as soil phage therapy for microbial nitrogen cycling management, as well as strategies for breeding crops with enhanced BNI capacity. The program will feature discussions on the application of BNI in agricultural systems, highlighting current industry perspectives and future research directions. Lectures and laboratory sessions will provide participants with hands-on experience in state-of-the-art methodologies for assessing BNI activity and its interactions with microbial communities.
The course will be in English, starting on Monday 12.05 at 13:30, and ending on Friday 16.05 at 13:00.
Topics covered
• Mechanisms of Biological Nitrification Inhibition: Plant-derived compounds and microbial interactions
• High-throughput screening methods for BNI activity
• The importance of ammonia oxidation physiology for sustainable cropping systems
• Managing and interpreting large biological datasets
• Plant metabolic pathways and traits contributing to BNI
• Soil phage therapy for managing microbial nitrogen cycling
• Industry perspectives on BNI applications in agriculture
Speakers/Tutors
• Prof. Christa Schleper, University of Vienna
• Assist. Prof. Evangelia Papadopoulou, University of Thessaly
• Dr. Logan Hodgskiss, University of Vienna
• Dr. Christina Hazard, University of Lyon
• Assist. Prof. Sotirios Vasileiadis, University of Thessaly
• Prof. Kalliope Papadopoulou, University of Thessaly
• Dr. Maria Hernandez-Soriano, John Ines Centre
• Prof. Cecile Gubry-Rangin, University of Aberdeen
• Dr. Benjamin Thiombiano, Syngenta, Switzerland,
Research methods and skills covered
• Techniques for measuring BNI activity and nitrification inhibition profiles
• Workflows for analyzing and interpreting large biological datasets
• Practical methods for assessing microbial community composition using amplicon sequencing techniques
Learning objectives
By the end of the course, participants will:
• Gain insights into the physiological and ecological roles of ammonia-oxidizing microorganisms and their interactions with plants
• Learn how plant metabolic pathways and traits contribute to improving nitrogen use efficiency and sustainable agricultural practices
• Develop hands-on experience with high-throughput screening methods for BNI activity and amplicon sequencing techniques for analyzing microbial communities
• Gain practical skills in working with big data workflows for analyzing and interpreting large biological datasets related to the impact of BNI on the nitrogen cycle
• Gain knowledge of novel strategies for managing microbial nitrogen cycling, including soil phage therapy
• Learn the latest industry perspectives on BNI applications in agricultural systems and the potential for breeding crops with enhanced BNI capacity
Target group, capacity and ECTS credits
PhD students and junior postdocs with experience in environmental microbiology and ecology. Knowledge of nitrogen cycling and microbial physiology is advantageous but not required. The course has a capacity of 18–20 participants.
ECTS credits: 1.5
Upon successful completion of the program, the Summer School offers a Certificate of Attendance that mentions the workload of 40 hours. Students can apply for recognition of these credits to the relevant authorities in their home institutions, therefore the final decision on awarding credits is at the discretion of their home institutions. We will be happy to provide any necessary information that might be requested in addition to the certificate of attendance.
Format
Morning sessions will involve two interactive one-hour lectures with subsequent discussion starting at 10:00am. Afternoon sessions will involve practical sessions on cultivation screening methods for nitrification inhibition, amplicon sequencing for microbial community analysis and associated data-driven approaches, along with lectures on associated concepts and handling techniques.
The full program can be downloaded here.
Venue
• University of Thessaly, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology (DBB), Biopolis Campus, 41500, Larissa, Greece
• University of Thessaly, Paos Monastery, Pelion Greece
Costs and applying
No registration fee applies. The program covers all lunches and coffee breaks from May 12th to 16th, a social dinner (on the 14th of May), accommodation at Paos Monastery from Tuesday, May 13th to Friday, May 16th, and transportation from the DBB, Larisa to Paos Monastery on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 13th. The participants will have to cover their travel expenses to the venue and their accommodation to Larissa (Monday 12th of May).
The members of the Hellenic Society of MIkrobiokosmos will provide travel grants for its members that will attend the summer school. Applicants should mention their affiliation to the Society of Mikrobiokosmos in their application and also inform the Society itself about their application.
The global initiative CropSustaiN – BNI Wheat Mission will provide 4 travel grants to PhD students (up to 500 euros each) that are willing to attend the summer school. The applicants should state in their application that they apply for the CropSustaiN travel grants.
To apply, send a CV including a brief description of your current PhD topic and a short motivation statement to actionr@uth.gr, by Friday, 11th April 2025.