Three studies at IUMS 2026 in Lisbon

From 4 to 6 November 2026, I’ll be at IUMS 2026, the biennial congress of the International Union of Microbiological Societies, in Lisbon, Portugal. This year’s theme is Beyond the Microscope: AI & Innovation in Microbiology.

I’m part of three studies developed at UNESP.

The first two look for alternatives to conventional fungicides against Fusarium verticillioides, a fungus that attacks maize and can produce mycotoxins:

1. Dolomite–silver composite: an abundant, low-cost mineral impregnated with silver, tested against the fungus in the laboratory.
2. Red propolis from Alagoas: a Brazilian natural product, evaluated at different concentrations with dose-response curves.

The third one is in the Microbes for Sustainable Agriculture session:

3. Microbial consortia and organic fertilization in Astronium fraxinifolium seedlings: composted sewage sludge mixed with sugarcane bagasse was combined with the bacterium Bacillus subtilis and the mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus clarus. We evaluated seedling growth, quality and water use. The study is led by Philippe Silva, in a partnership between FEIS/UNESP and FCA/UNESP in Botucatu.

Behind-the-scenes updates will be on Instagram, and the abstracts will be added to the Publications page after the event.

More about the congress: iums2026.com.