ViroiDoc Days in Bari: First in-person meeting of project partners with MSCA fellows

The event not only advanced the MSCA fellows’ scientific training but also laid the groundwork for sustained collaboration and engagement across the project network.

The ViroiDoc project marked a major milestone with the first live meeting of its partners and selected MSCA fellows during the ViroiDoc Days event, held in Bari, Italy, from 24 to 25 September 2025. This hybrid event brought together international researchers, fellows, and stakeholders both in person and online, fostering a dynamic environment for scientific exchange, training, and collaboration.

The two-day event served as a key opportunity for the ViroiDoc open call-selected MSCA fellows to meet project partners face-to-face for the first time. The programme featured dedicated networking sessions, scientific lectures, and interactive training activities designed to support early-stage researchers in the field of viroids and viroid-like RNAs.

A highlight of the event was the lecture series delivered by leading experts in plant pathology and viroid research. These lectures, will be soon available on the ViroiDoc YouTube channel, included:

• More than 50 Years of Viroid Research by Prof. Kriton Kalantidis, University of Crete (Greece)
• RNA Structure and Viroid-Plant Protein Interactions by Prof. Ying Wang, University of Florida (USA)
• NGS-Enabled Transcriptomic Insights into Plant–Viroid Interactions and Discovery of Viroid and Viroid-like Species by Prof. Jernej Jakše, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)
• Plant Immunity and Host Defence by Prof. Purificación Lisón, Valencia Polytechnic University (Spain)
   

These sessions offered fellows state-of-the-art insights into viroid research, combining molecular biology, genomics, and plant immunity to present a comprehensive overview of the field.

In addition to lectures, MSCA fellows actively participated in a case study challenge, engaging with real-world scientific questions in small interdisciplinary teams. The case studies focused on:

1. Unmasking Viroid Variants
2. Silent Spreaders in Crops
3. Decoding Host Response to Viroid Infections
 

Under the guidance of Prof. Nataša Štajner (University of Ljubljana) and a team of experienced supervisors, the fellows explored these challenges collaboratively, applying their diverse expertise to develop innovative approaches and present preliminary findings. The exercise was designed to encourage peer learning, strengthen networking among young researchers, and foster collaborative thinking.

The results were highly encouraging: each group demonstrated scientific creativity, analytical rigour, and a strong capacity for teamwork. The activity stimulated fruitful discussions between early-career and senior researchers, reinforcing the project’s aim to build a vibrant, interdisciplinary viroid research community.

The ViroiDoc Days, organised by the project consortium in cooperation with the National Research Council (CNR), University of Bari (UniBa), and Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (IAMB), not only advanced the fellows’ scientific training but also laid the groundwork for sustained collaboration and engagement across the project network. This successful ViroiDoc event marks a promising start for the project’s next phases.

Before ViroiDoc Days, the ViroiDoc partners attended the international Viroids 2025 conference in Bari to learn about the latest knowledge on viroids and viroid-like RNAs. MSCA fellows presented their ViroiDoc individual research projects at the poster session.

Photo by almafilms ©ViroiDoc in Bari, 2025.