UL–UPV study visit accelerates ViroiDoc research

ViroiDoc supervisors and doctoral candidates met in Valencia to discuss research progress and future plans.

In May 2026, researchers from the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana (BF UL), the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), and the Spanish National Research Council ( IBMCP, CSIC) gathered in Valencia, Spain, to review the progress of the ViroiDoc MSCA Doctoral Network project and plan its next steps. Prof. Dr. Nataša Štajner and Asist. Dr. Ester Stajič (BF UL) visited project partners Prof. Dr. Purificación Lisón (UPV) and MSCA Fellows Teodora Stojkovska at UPV and Linh Thi Thuy Le at CSIC.

During the visit, Prof. Štajner delivered a lecture to UPV Master’s students, presenting the research activities of the Department of Agronomy with a focus on RNA interference and small RNAs. The UL team also toured UPV laboratories and the Institute for Plant Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMCP), where they met researchers and exchanged scientific insights and practices.

Teodora Stojkovska presented her experimental work and progress on her individual research project, “Development of novel antiviroidal strategies: towards drug discovery,” and discussed future research directions with the visiting team.

In the laboratory, Teodora is currently maintaining a BY2 cell culture to optimize a low-scale screening system on a 12-well plate. She extracts RNA from each well and does RT-qPCR to quantify the viroid titer. Teodora is also conducting greenhouse experiments to observe the symptoms in tomato plants treated with volatiles and infected with CEVd. She also samples the plants and measures their ethylene levels. Through these experiments, Teodora is investing the role of volatiles in the plants´ defence mechanism against viroids.

Linh Thi Thuy Le, ViroiDoc MSCA Fellow at CSIC, joined the discussions and worked with Prof. Štajner to coordinate plans for her upcoming 2027 secondment in Slovenia, which will focus on validating CRISPR/Cas technology in the CBCVd–hop pathosystem.

The visit also included productive discussions on laboratory organization and working practices for both PhD and MSc students, including comparisons between the partner laboratories and research systems. Additional discussions focused on the experiences and working conditions of PhD candidates within the ViroiDoc network. The participants also highlighted the excellent overall organization and coordination of the ViroiDoc project, emphasizing the importance of strong project management for the successful implementation of international doctoral networks. At the same time, the consortium identified the need to secure additional mechanisms or funding schemes to support travel costs for PhD supervisors participating in network activities.

The visit also included a meeting with the UPV International Office. Alongside the scientific programme, the visit provided valuable opportunities for networking and strengthening professional relationships within the consortium. Informal discussions continued over excellent Spanish cuisine, contributing to an open and collaborative atmosphere.

This study visit further strengthened collaboration among ViroiDoc partners and reinforced the consortium’s shared commitment to advancing innovative viroid research.

Did you know that in May 2026, the IBMCP, UPV-CSIC was awarded the prestigious Severo Ochoa Excellence Accreditation? This is truly exciting news, as the distinction is among the highest scientific honours in Spain. Along with the recognition, the IBMCP also receives additional funding to further strengthen its research capacities.