Seminars, workshops and conferences

Conference 2011

The international conference “Environmental Impact of Genetically Modified Crops: European Experience” (5^th EIGMO meeting) was held in České Budějovice on June 22-25, 2011 as the second conference planned in frame of MOBITAG project. Conference was organized in cooperation with IOBC-WPRS. Number of participants reached 101 persons. Conference attendants arrived from 17 countries and 13 EU member states were represented. The purchase of 2 triplicate double-faced poster stands and participation of MOBITAG “GMO lab” team members, invited speakers and other MOBITAG collaborators, and organization team (27 persons in total) were paid from MOBITAG budget according to the plan. All other MOBITAG team members had possibility to join any chosen lecture for free.

Program consisted of 7 sessions. Scientific program and all abstracts of the conference were subject to brochure “Ecological Impact of Genetically Modified Organisms; Program and Abstracts” issued by Institute of Entomology AS CR under ISBN: 978-80-86668-14-7 (72 pages) which is also available in electronic form at conference web page.

Organization team got very positive feedback from many attendants. The meeting was judged as excellent event that promoted information exchange about issue which is in many countries still delicate. It enabled to compare different results and approaches and also enabled to show off that there are also scientists in the Czech Republic who are working on this topic and who might be useful partners in research projects in the EU.

Conference 2010

“International Conference on Invertebrate Reproduction and Development in the Age of Genetic Modifications” (ICIRD 2010) was organized by the Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in frame of WP 5, T 5.2. According to the project schedule, 1st international meeting should have been accomplished in project month 24. However, ICIRD 2010 was realized earlier, in fact just before the end of first reporting period and was of a big success. Event took place in Prague from 16th August to 20th August 2010. Few persons cancelled their attendance shortly before conference beginning, nevertheless final number of conference participants reached 119 scientists plus 30 accompanying persons. Conference attendants arrived from 24 countries across all over the world (Germany, Israel, Japan, Mexiko, Sweden, South Africa etc.). The conference was thematically structured into 7 sessions to cover broader scientific area. Detailed information on ICIRD 2010 is available on the conference webpage.

Concerning spending, costs related to rental of conference rooms and related facilities were covered from EU financial contribution. Also participation costs for MOBITAG members, invited conference speakers, and organization team (27 persons) were withdrawn from MOBITAG budget.

Seminars

Half-day seminars on the advance of agricultural biotechnologies will be organized four times per year for the MOBITAG participants (within the frame of WP5 Organisation of workshops and conferences). The remaining staff of BCAS and the students of adjacent University of South Bohemia will also be invited. Seminar lectures will be delivered by key Czech officials and eminent foreign experts. The purpose of these seminars is to inform MOBITAG researchers about the legislative aspects, the advances of agricultural biotechnologies, and the progress of MOBITAG.

Workshop “Luminex´s xMAP multiplexing technology for detection of biological markers“

Multiplex detection in solution (xMap technology) represents highly sensitive and universal method capable of analysing and evaluating of serological tests as well as nucleic acids hybridization tests. We are skilful to prepare analyts conjugated with antibodies and perform serological detection of antigens, recently. Also detection of specific nucleic acids from complex samples works in our hands. However the xMap technology is in the Czech Republic used still in limited extent.

Therefore a methodological workshop related to the instrument “BioPlex 200” was organized on February 2, 2012 as an opportunity for meeting of all users of this modern analytical technology in the Czech Republic. The intention was to gather Czech scientists working in life sciences (parasitology, entomology, and plant pathology), medicine and students from the University of South Bohemia and introduce deeper potential of the method. Invited experts described detection principles, demonstrated practical use in nucleic acid hybridization-based detection performed with this device. Czech experts showed serological detection of plant viruses and GMO, application for human pathogens and medicine was also presented. Final number of attendants reached 20.

Participants had a chance to consult their problems with an expert from the BioRad company and with the main lecturer Dr. J.H.W. Bergervoet who was invited from the collaborating University in Wageningen.