Biotechnology For Climate Resilient Agriculture & Urgent Solutions for Food Security
Tirana, 12-13 September 2025
P R O G R A M
THE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP
“Biotechnology For Climate Resilient Agriculture & Urgent
Solutions for Food Security”
will be held at the Academy of Sciences of Albania, in the vibrant city of Tirana, Albania from 12-13
of September 2025 organized and supported by the COST Action CA22157- Reproductive Enhancement of
Crops Resilience to Extreme Climate-RECROP.
It is co-organized by the Academy of Sciences of Albania as a Satellite event to the European
Biotechnology Congress-2025 (www.eurobiotech.eu).
RECROP is an initiative supported by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology, that
stands at the forefront of combatting the increasing threat of climate change on global food security.
Main goal of the team is deciphering the basis of crop sensitivity during reproduction and developing
sustainable strategies to boost yields in the face of a changing climate.
The Workshop will Include four main Topics:
1. Plant Abiotic and biotic stress responses
2. New emerging biotech solutions for improved plant tolerance
3. New pathogen detection tools
4. New Agrobiotechnology approaches
Other topics related to the main ones will be:
Development of biosensors for non-destructive, real-time, and monitoring postharvest product
quality (decay processes, cold damages, pathogens presence, insect’s presence).
Development of bioassays for determination of fruits and vegetable shelf live.
Epigenetics and plant eco-physiological adaptation mechanisms.
Being organized as a satellite event to the European Biotechnology Congress-2025 the RECROP
Workshop will promote interactions among speakers, poster presenters, participants that are experts and
newcomers, as well as early career researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds who work on
LOCAL ORGANIZERS
Prof. Dr. Ariola Bacu, Coordinator of the event, University of Tirana, Albania & Academy of
Sciences of Albania, Member of Commission for Biology, Agriculture and Veterinary &
CG Member of RECROP CA.
Prof. Asoc. Dr. Stela Papa, Department of Biotechnology, University of Tirana, Albania &
MC Member of RECROP CA
Dr. Linda Luarasi, Department of Biotechnology, University of Tirana, Albania
RECROP ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Dr. Sotirios Fragkostefanakis, Goethe University, Frankfurt,
Germany
Dr. Helene Boisvon, CEITEC Masaryk University, Czech Republic
Dr. Christos Bazakos, ELGO DIMITRA, Greece
BOOK OF ABSTRACTS
Abstracts of presentations will be published at The Eurobiotech Journal
(https://sciendo.com/journal/EBTJ) Special No for the Proceedings of the EuroBiotech Congress-2025
P R O G R A M
12 September 2025
8:00-09:00 Registration, Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Aleks Buda” Hall
09:00-09:30 Opening of EBTNA Congress-2025,
09:30-11:00 Albanian Biotechnology Panel
SESSION 1: PLANT ABIOTIC AND BIOTIC STRESS RESPONSES
(Venue “Libri Akademik”)
11:00-11:30 Sotirios Fragkostefanakis, RECROP CA Chair: Introduction of RECROP CA
Goal and objectives
11:30-11:45
COFFEE BREAK
11:45-12:15 Helene Boisvon, CEITEC, Czech Republic.
Hairy roots as a powerful tool to study hormonal and abiotic stress response.
12:15-12:45
Jan Hila, Institute of Experimental Botany ASCR, Czech Republic.
Revealing protein phosphorylations in male gametophyte by phosphoproteomic
approaches.
12:45-13:45
LUNCH BREAK
13:45-14:15
Christos Bazakos, ELGO DIMTRA, Greece.
Multi-Omics insights into chilling injury responses in peach (Prunus persica) fruit.
14:15-14:45 Stela Papa, Department of Biotechnology, University of Tirana, Albania.
Metabolome profiling for a better selection of winter wheat cultivars (Triticum
aestivum L.) tolerant to heat stress.
14:45-15:15 Federico Martinelli, University of Florence, Italy.
Investigating drought intergenerational memory in legumes using chickpea as a
model.
15:15-15:45 Dragana Dudic, Bojana Banović Đeri, Ana Nikolić, Faculty of Computer Science
and Informatics Union-Nikola Tesla University, Belgrad, Serbia.
Genetic Background-Dependent Cold Stress Response in Maize.
15:45-16:15
COFEE BREAK & POSTER VIEWING
16:15-16:45 Kostandinos Vlachonasios, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Histone Acetyltransferase Gcn5 And The Associated Coactivator Ada2b Interplay
With Plant Hormones Biosynthesis And Signaling In Arabidopsis".
16:45-17:15 Ariola Bacu, Department of Biotechnology, University of Tirana, Albania.
Does Fusarium infection impact the epigenetic memory of wheat to repeated HT.
17:15-17:45 Linda Luarasi, Department of Biotechnology, University of Tirana, Albania.
Micro and macro morphology for Fusarium detection at wheat cultivars in use in
Albania and more..
From 19:00
Gala Dinner EBTNA Congress & Satellite Events
13 September 2025
SESSION 2: New Agrobiotechnology Approaches for improved plant
tolerance and pathogen detection
09:00 - 09:30 REGISTRATION
9:30-10:00
Andre Rosado, Department of Plant Breeding, Swedish University of Agricultural
Sciences.
Policy and legal developments of agricultural biotechnologies: A focus on the
European Union and the Global South.
10:00-10:30
Bekim Gashi, University of Pristina, Kosovo.
Leveraging stress tolerance mechanisms of resurrection plants for climate-resilient
crop breeding: The role of modern technologies.
10:30-11:00 Elektra Papakosta, Centre for Agricultural Technology Transfer, Vlora, Albania.
Interaction of Biological and Physical Factors in Optimizing Microclimatic
Conditions for the Preservation and in Vitro Conservation of Indigenous Grapevine
Cultivars Kallmet, Vlosh and Shesh i Zi.
11:00-11:30 Adi Avni, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
Can I put some logic inside my sensor plants?
11:30-12:00
COFFEE BREAK & POSTERS VIEWING
12:00-12:30
David Honys, Institute of Experimental Botany ASCR, Czech Republic.
Molecular Strategies for Thermotolerant Pollen: A Translational Perspective
12:30-13:00 Evgeni Eltzov, VOLCANI Centre, Israel.
Rapid identification of quiescent C. gloeosporides in fruits: A new approach to
minimize postharvest loses.
13:00-14:00
LUNCH BREAK & POSTER VIEWING
Sotirios Fragkostefanakis, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
14:00-14:30
From understanding heat stress response to developing a thermos-resilient tomato.
POSTERS
Sindi Ymet, Danja Dollaku, Adela Sinani & Ariola Bacu, Department of
Biotechnology, University of Tirana, Albania.
Movement protein mediated approaches in the development of virus-resistant
transgenic plants.
Haviola Rystemi, Department of Biotechnology, University of Tirana, Albania.
Expression of Rca at Fusarium infected wheat during early development.
Esmeralda Sallaku, Department of Biotechnology, University of Tirana, Albania.
Integrated methodological approach - a success story on the investigation of FSC
at local wheat cultivars during early development.
14:30-15:00
Discussions & Concluding Remarks
From 15:00
Closing Ceremony and Awards of EBTNA Congress
For a detailed City Guide to Tirana, you may check https://eurobiotech.eu/city-guide-of-tirana/
You can find Full PDF with program below.