PestSpace at "Metagenomics 2026" - Our Research Supports Modern Plant Health Monitoring

This is precisely the cutting-edge approach we are developing in the PestSpace project, creating tools for rapid pathogen monitoring and sustainable crop protection.

During the jubilee 10th National Microbiological Symposium “Metagenomics of Different Environments” (June 29-30, 2026, Warsaw), our team – consisting of Prof. Małgorzata Jędryczka,  Julia Pawłowska, Ph.D., Mikołaj Dziurzyński, Marta Tischer and Maksymilian Nowak – presented the project’s latest results and future directions. Despite the record-breaking hot summer days, the scientific atmosphere was just as hot!

Three Presentations, One Common Goal

The conference program clearly demonstrated that the research conducted under PestSpace addresses the real, contemporary challenges of agriculture and environmental biology:

Plenary Lecture by Prof. Małgorzata Jędryczka

“Metagenomics in monitoring and support for plant production”

The Professor explained to the audience how genomic analyses are revolutionizing sustainable crop production. As a perfect example of the practical implementation of these innovations, she highlighted our PestSpace project.

Result-Oriented Presentation by Maksymilian Nowak

“Culturing or Metabarcoding? Mapping the Boundaries of Pathogenic Fungi Detection in Faba Bean (Vicia faba)”
Authors: Maksymilian Emil Nowak, Małgorzata Jędryczka, Witold Irzykowski, Asli Çimen, Mikołaj Dziurzyński, Julia Pawłowska

Maksymilian presented detailed data obtained directly within the PestSpace project. He compared traditional laboratory culturing methods with rapid DNA “reading” (metabarcoding) for detecting faba bean diseases. This is a massive step towards precision diagnostics in the field!

Award-Winning Presentation by Mikołaj Dziurzyński, Ph.D.

“From eDNA to isolation: metabarcoding-informed targeted isolation of novel Mortierellaceae species from high-mountain soils”
Authors: Mikołaj Dziurzyński, Sophie Szedlacsek, Maraike Probst, Ursula Peintner, Julia Pawłowska

Mikołaj’s talk won a distinction in the Young Scientists competition! It beautifully showcases how precisely we can track and isolate microorganisms from challenging environments using DNA-based (eDNA) methods. Our warmest congratulations!

Another Step for Agriculture in the Era of Climate Change

Progressing climate change, droughts, and the emergence of new, aggressive plant diseases demand swift and uncompromising solutions. Metagenomics is our “superweapon” – allowing us to peer deep into the agricultural microbiome and anticipate threats before they become visible to the naked eye.

Participating in the symposium in Warsaw was an excellent opportunity to disseminate our developed solutions and exchange experiences with leading experts. The tools we are developing in PestSpace will, in the near future, help farmers make faster, more ecological, and more precise decisions in protecting their crops.

We thank the organizers from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) Institute of Biology for creating a wonderful space for discussion and building scientific cooperation!

📸 Scroll down to see a few snapshots of our team in action, including a group photo of the symposium participants during this inspiring event!

Programme Manual Online

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