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Three studies at IUMS 2026 in Lisbon

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

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:

Dolomite–silver composite: an abundant, low-cost mineral impregnated with silver, tested against the fungus in the laboratory.
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:

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 page after the event.

More about the congress: .

The website is live!

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This website brings together my conference abstracts, publications and research projects, always with links to the original sources. I will also share news about events, results and life in the lab.

Follow along on Instagram and LinkedIn too — the links are on the home page.

Honorable mention at the 38th CIC Unesp

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Our study “Nutritional characterization of spent Pleurotus ostreatus compost for use as a biofertilizer” received an honorable mention in the first round of the 38th Unesp Undergraduate Research Congress (CIC). This round took place in Ilha Solteira (São Paulo, Brazil) on 23–24 September 2026. With the mention, the study advanced to the second round of the event.

This year’s theme was Unesp 50 Years: Science, Education, Innovation and Transformation in the Territories.

Title slide of the presentation (in Portuguese).

About the study

After oyster mushrooms are harvested, a large volume of growing substrate is left over: the spent compost. In this study, we analyzed its nutritional composition to assess its use as a biofertilizer, turning a residue into a source of nutrients for plants. Learn more on the page.

Authors: Gabriel Felix da Silva, Philippe Solano Toledo Silva and Ana Maria Rodrigues Cassiolato (FEIS/UNESP).

Thanks to my advisor, Prof. Dr. Ana Maria Rodrigues Cassiolato, to my colleagues at the FEIS/UNESP Microbiology Laboratory and DEFERS, and to our partners Funghi & Flora and Cogumelos Coloniais.

Video: Grow your future in Agronomy at Unesp FEIS

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Unesp’s Ilha Solteira campus (FEIS) released the video “Cultive seu futuro na Engenharia Agronômica da Unesp Feis” (Grow your future in Agronomy at Unesp FEIS), which introduces the program: how it is organized, career areas and opportunities during the degree.

I had the opportunity to contribute to promoting the program as narrator and participant in the video.

The video is in Portuguese and is also available on .

Brazilian Network Meeting on Aspergillus fumigatus Antimicrobial Resistance Theme: Protecting Health in the Face of Agricultural Pressures

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

special edition.

From December 3 to 5, 2025, the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences—Botucatu Campus—hosted the meeting titled “Meeting of the Brazilian Network on Antimicrobial Resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus: Theme: Protecting Health in the Face of Agricultural Pressures.” The conference addressed topics related to Brazilian and international legislation on pesticides, particularly the use of fungicides, and featured representatives from government and nongovernmental organizations in North, Central, and South America, as well as Europe.