Building a globally leading partnership between the UK National Biofilms Innovation Centre and Argentina

Lead Research Organisation: University of Nottingham
Department Name: School of Life Sciences

Abstract

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Publications

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Description BBSRC Workshop Award - Argentina visit and partnership building. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC), in collaboration with a group of Argentine researchers, organised a Workshop on Biofilms in Agriculture, which took place in Los Cocos, Córdoba, Argentina on the 24th October 2022.
Microbial biofilms play a crucial role in the global economy with an estimated value of $5 trillion. In the agricultural sector, biofilms are utilized as biofertilizers, biostimulants, soil bioremediators, and biocontrol agents. Despite their potential benefits, there is still much to learn about the complex interactions between biofilms and plants, and how to harness these interactions for enhanced plant growth and disease prevention. A deeper understanding of biofilms in this context is essential for effectively managing and directing microbial communities towards creating a sustainable environment.
The 'Biofilms in Agriculture' workshop brought together researchers and industry representatives from the UK's National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC) and Argentina, to address this knowledge gap and improve agricultural productivity in both countries reducing the use of chemical treatments and their environmental impact.
The objectives of the meeting were to:
• Bring together complementary academic / industrial expertise from these countries on exploitation of biofilms in agriculture.
• Identify key knowledge gaps and research challenges in this area of agricultural impact.
• Develop a white paper that establishes priority research areas to address these gaps.
• Create future research collaborations on the use of biofilms in crop production between the UK and Argentina.
The meeting was organised within the framework of the SAMIGE (Argentinean Society for General Microbiology) annual congress and was funded by a UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Global Partnering Award.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL http://www.quimicaviva.qb.fcen.uba.ar/v21n3/samige2022.pdf
 
Description Biofilms in agriculture workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact The National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC), in collaboration with a group of Argentine researchers, organised a Workshop on Biofilms in Agriculture, which took place in Los Cocos, Córdoba, Argentina on the 24th October 2022.
In agriculture, biofilms have been exploited as biofertilizers, biostimulants, soil bioremediators and biocontrol agents. However, there are still many knowledge gaps with regards to the mechanisms of interaction between natural polymicrobial biofilms and plants, and how to exploit these interactions to promote plant growth and prevent crop diseases. Improved understanding of biofilms, in this context, is key to discovering, controlling and directing the behaviour of microbial communities to create a sustainable environment.
The 'Biofilms in Agriculture' workshop brought together researchers and industry representatives from the UK's National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC) and Argentina, to address this knowledge gap and improve agricultural productivity in both countries reducing the use of chemical treatments and their environmental impact.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Key note Presentation at 17 SAMIGE Meeting in Argentina 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact This was an invited key note presentation at a the SAMIGE 17 conference. During the talk an overview of NBIC and some of the research activities taking place in in the Centre were highlighted with a particular emphasis on those taking place at Nottingham University. There was a discussion around the data presented from academics, postdoctoral researchers and PhD students.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://samige.org.ar
 
Description Meeting with Simon Chater, FCDO LATAM 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Miguel Camara and Paulina Rakowska met with Simon Chater (Head of Science and Innovation, FCDO LATAM (UK Embassy in Buenos Aires)) and gave an overview on the outcomes from the "Biofilms in Agriculture" and the 3 key priority areas identified by the workshop participants, addressing key unmet needs in agriculture and drawing on synergism between the two countries. A draft of the white paper (based on the outcome from the workshop discussions) was requested by Simon to aid his further discussions with UK and Argentina funders on the 'Biofilm in Agriculture' initiative.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description NBIC and Argentina Partnering Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact we organised a workshop in Argentina (funded by BBSRC to NBIC) to identify priority areas of collaboration between the two countries on the impact of biofilms in agriculture which can have a significant impact on economic growth. We brought together researchers and representatives from industry and government bodies from both countries. This meeting was also facilitated by the Argentinian Society for Microbiology (SAMIGE). During this meeting we identified 3 key priority areas addressing key unmet needs in Agriculture and showing a real synergism between the two countries.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation of the outcomes from 'Biofilms in Agriculture' workshop as part of NBIC international strategy 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact Miguel Camara met with Professor Sir Robin Grimes (Foreign Secretary, Royal Society), Ian Wiggins (Director of International, Royal Society), Susie Kitchens (Deputy Director Global Research & Innovation, BEIS), Frances Wood (Director of International, UKRI) and Dr Paul Hollinshead OBE (Chief Executive, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) to present on NBIC internaitonal strategy. The workshop in Argentina was discussed and the outcomes from the workshop presented, including identified priority areas in the use of biofilms in agriculture, where the international collaboration between the UK and Argentina could be beneficial.
The meeting was followed by further email exchanges and sharing the draft of a white paper, summarising findings and decisions from the workshop, ahead of the visit of a delegation from CONICET ( National Scientific and Technical Research Council is an Argentine) to the UK.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023