Team news
BRT Brings Applied Research Expertise to International Events in Ukraine
Head of the BRT laboratory and postdoctoral researcher Assistant Professor Dr. Viktoriia Chubur contributed to two international scientific events organised by Mykolaiv National Agrarian University in Ukraine. Through presentations addressing biotechnology and renewable energy, she joined international discussions on strengthening the connections between education, scientific research and practical application.
Bridging Education, Research and Industry
The first event, the International Forum “Integration of Education, Science and Production,” brought together representatives of universities, research institutions, public authorities and industry to discuss current challenges in the agricultural sector and explore opportunities for innovation-driven development.
A central theme of the event was the need to strengthen cooperation between academic research, education and practical implementation. By bringing together participants from different sectors, the forum provided a platform for exchanging perspectives on how scientific knowledge can be translated into solutions that respond to real-world needs.
Beyond the Laboratory: Exploring Sustainability in Uzbekistan through Erasmus+
To broaden and develop the professional skills of our team members and widen their scientific network and cultural experiences, the BRT encourages its students to embark on various internships, traineeships, academic mobilities, and development opportunities. These opportunities are connected to their scientific journey and enable them to have hands-on, practical and in-field experiences, which are critical to their future careers.
Our PhD student, Chhorth Chhiengputheavy, shares insights from her experience at the Tashkent State Technical University (TSTU) in Uzbekistan.
Enjoy reading as she takes you on her journey!
Visiting Internship Insights – Aissa Neyra
BRT offers internship opportunities for visiting students and early-career professionals who wish to expand their scientific networks, gain international and cultural experience, and contribute to a collaborative research environment. These internships support professional growth, encourage the exchange of ideas, and help build meaningful connections across disciplines and backgrounds.
Recently, we hosted Aissa Neyra, a student from Peru. Read her introductory blog HERE.
Enjoy reading about her experience with BRT!
When I wrote my introductory blog, I said that I would mainly support the Communications team. That was true, but it quickly became only part of the story.
BRT Coordinates BIO-CAPITAL Consortium Meeting in Bucharest to Advance the Project’s Next Phase
The BRT coordinated the BIO-CAPITAL Consortium Meeting at the Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences in Bucharest, Romania, bringing project partners together for several days of strategic discussions, technical exchange, and collaborative planning.
The meeting opened with remarks from project coordinator and BRT Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hynek Roubík, followed by sessions focused on strategic alignment and integration. Partners reflected on review outcomes, aligned expectations for the project’s next phase, and worked to strengthen the BIO-CAPITAL Integration Framework.
A key focus of the meeting was improving coordination across work packages and connecting policy, monitoring, certification, finance, and use cases into a clearer operational structure. Through workshops and cross-work package task forces, partners discussed how to translate project concepts into practical workflows and implementation pathways.
New Paper Published! Biodegradation of Benzo[a]pyrene Using a Novel Gut Isolate Bhargavaea beijingensis BP14 from Perionyx excavatus
BRT Postdoctoral researcher Dr. Sandipan Banerjee from the Faculty of Tropical Agrisciences (FTZ) at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU) recently published an article in the in Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.
The publication examines the ability of bacteria isolated from the gut of an earthworm to degrade Benzo(a)pyrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon commonly abbreviated as BaP. Although the microbial breakdown of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons has been studied for decades, the biodegradation of BaP by gut-associated microorganisms has received comparatively limited attention. The study investigated Bhargavea beijingensis BP14, a bacterial strain isolated from the gut of the earthworm Perionyx excavatus.
The findings showed that B. beijingensis BP14 was capable of degrading almost 65% of BaP within 14 days. To investigate the capabilities of the selected bacterial isolate, the researchers conducted whole-genome sequence analysis. This enabled them to predict genes, perform functional annotation, and identify coding sequences, tRNA and rRNA genes, and proteins potentially associated with BaP degradation.
deSalSea Consortium Meeting Held at FTZ to Advance Sustainable Desalination Research
The Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (FTZ), Czech University of Life Sciences Prague(CZU), welcomed partners from the DeSalSea Project for a consortium meeting held in Prague from 17–19 June 2026. The meeting took place at FTZ and brought together representatives from the University of the Basque Country, Donostia International Physics Center, Institut Européen des Membranes, and Czech University of Life Sciences Prague.
Titled "Novel Sustainable Forward-Osmosis Seawater Desalination Process,” the DeSalSea project focuses on the development of an integrated, energy-efficient forward-osmosis seawater desalination system. Built around biomimetic membranes and stimuli-responsive draw solutions derived from sustainable resources, the project aims to support clean water solutions with significantly reduced energy consumption, lower environmental impact, and minimal reliance on fossil-based materials.
The meeting offered an important opportunity for partners to exchange updates, reflect on progress, and align on the next stages of project implementation. Following an opening session hosted by BRT members representing CZU, and the project coordinator from EHU, the programme continued with partner presentations from DIPC, EHU, IEM-CNRS, and CZU/BRT. These sessions focused on progress in relation to planned work, deliverables and milestones, technical insights, key challenges, and discussion among the consortium.
