Event 1: 26th to 30th June, 2000 PLANT ANATOMY Second University of Naples

MULTIDISCIPLINARY   SYNERGISM   TO   IMPROVE   EUROPEAN  ALLELOPATHY   RESEARCH
 
 

Scientific Highlights:

        Allelopathy has traditional roots in Europe : the first mention of those plant-plant chemical interactions has been described by Pliny the Elder (23-79 A.D.) whereas the term "allelopathy" has been coined by Molisch (1937). It is one of the scientific disciplines in modern biology to which European scientists try to contribute significantly to the rapid progress of the field.
        A better understanding of allelopathy needs competencies in various disciplines such as organic chemistry, plant anatomy, plant physiology, plant ecology… The first event of the Eurolabcourse in allelopathy series aimed not only at gathering knowledge of few European teams involved in this field but also at creating a synergism by multidisciplinary exchange of methods. This holistic perception of allelopathy should benefit to young scientists, giving them tools to extend the knowledge on chemical interactions in plant science.
        Therefore, the goal of this training course has been to organise an advanced training course in plant anatomy, focusing on allelochemicals effects on morphology and anatomy of target-plants. One of the most famous teams working on these aspects organised this event. By means of stereo, light and electronic microscopy, they showed clear insights into precise morphological perturbation of allelochemicals in plant organisms, determining the specific site(s) of their action. In this respect the elucidation of the microscopic methods whereby allelochemicals alter plant growth and development has been presented to young scientists theoretically and in practice.
 

Training:

        The programme of the course has been divided in modules. Dr. Giovanni ALIOTTA (Second Univ. of Naples) presented the historical basis of life sciences and allelopathy, by means of a multimedia approach (CD-Rom). He also guided the visits of the English garden of the Royal Palace of Caserta and the Botanical Garden of Naples, which allowed participants to discover many plants, well-known as allelochemical producers. Dr. Vincenzo De FEO (Univ. of Salerno) presented Ruta graveolens, one of the most potent allelopathic plant. Water extracts from this species have been then used during hands on. The first of those was managed by Drs. Gabriele PINTO and Antonino POLLIO (Univ. of Naples Federico II), whom showed allelopathic effects of R. graveolens of different microalgae morphology, by means of photonic microscopy. Thanks to Drs. Simonetta GIORDANO and Adriana BASILE (Univ. of Naples Federico II), a second hands on allowed participants to observe the effects of the same allelopathic species on mosses and liverworts. A full day (theory and practice) has been proposed by Dr. G. ALIOTTA and Dr. Gennaro CAFIERO (Univ. of Naples Federico II) to study the effects of rue allelochemicals against seed germination and seedling growth. The last day was then dedicated to ultrastructural aspects of previously investigated organisms, by means of  TEM and SEM, under the guidance of Dr. G. CAFIERO. A final discussion on which improvements can be made in experimental approach to evaluate allelopathy was introduced and guided by Drs. G. ALIOTTA, Manuel REIGOSA (Univ. of Vigo) and François PELLISSIER (Univ. of Savoie).
 
 

European Added Value (incl. Networking):

During this event, participants and the three organisers stood together in the hotel. This allowed stimulating discussions throughout the seminar. Further, each time that it was possible, lecturers and keynote speakers were invited to the restaurant in order to guaranty an almost ideal mixing between the young investigators at the doctoral level and the leading scientists in the field. After having had such a meeting for the first time, there is no doubt that this series should be continued since it is clear that in particular young scientists will benefit tremendously from the critical and enthusiastic discussions during the meeting and, even more importantly, from the hands on that allowed them to get advice from the leading figures in the field. And, last but not least, we can also expect some future collaborations between the young scientists in the forthcoming years.
 
 

Lecturers and Keynote Speakers :

ALIOTTA, Giovanni, Local Coordinator
RIZVI S. J. H.
DE  FEO  Vincenzo
PINTO Gabriele
POLLIO Antonino
GIORDANO Simonetta
BASILE Adriana
CAFIERO Gennaro
 

Participants :
 

BACH JENSEN Louise SINKKONEN Aki CHIAPUSIO Geneviève BERTIN Cécile ERHARD  Daniela WEISS Oliver Axel KARAMANOLI Katerina BRÜCKNER Dénes DE  MASI  Luigi PETRICCIONE Milena CANGIANO Tiziana SILVESTRINI Andrea OLIVA Anna SORBO Sergio TOMA Maricela GARCÍA Galindo J. C. COBA de la PEÑA T. MARTÍNEZ Ana SANCHEZ MOREIRAS A SANTOS COSTA X. X. BAAMONDE CES M. D. RIVERO JARDÓN M. C.

Copenhagen, DK Pori, FIN Le Bourget-du-lac, F Ithaca, US Konstanz, D Vigo, E Tessaloniki, EL Mosonmagyaróvár, HU Napoli, I Caserta, I Caserta, I Leiden, NL Caserta, I Napoli, I Bucharest, RO Cádiz, E Vigo, E Vigo, E Vigo, E Vigo, E Vigo, E Vigo, E

 
 
 

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