Two International Awards for the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies at the ISPLORE 2025 Congress in Japan
Simone Castellana and Alicja Kunkowska awarded at the ISPLORE 2025 International Congress in Nagoya for the excellence of their research conducted at the Institute of Plant Sciences of the Sant’Anna School.
The Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies received two important awards at the ISPLORE 2025 International Congress, held in Nagoya, Japan, one of the world’s leading events dedicated to plant sciences and the latest innovations in plant biology.
The award for Best Oral Presentation was granted to Simone Castellana, Ph.D. in Agrobiodiversity at the Sant’Anna School, for research exploring the use of single-cell transcriptomics to study the role of hypoxia in plant growth and development processes. This work, which integrates advanced molecular biology approaches with an ecological and physiological perspective, provides new tools to understand how plants respond to oxygen variations in their natural environments, with potential applications in the sustainable management of agricultural systems.
The Best Poster Presentation Award was awarded to Dr. Alicja Kunkowska, research fellow at the Institute of Plant Sciences of the Sant’Anna School, for presenting the results of an innovative study on the role of microRNAs in gene regulation in plants. This research significantly advances the understanding of gene expression control mechanisms and the molecular networks that govern plant development and adaptation.
The ISPLORE 2025 Congress, held in Nagoya from 22 to 26 September 2025, brought together researchers, academics, and professionals from universities and research centers around the world. The event provided an important opportunity to discuss the latest discoveries in plant biology and physiology, with particular focus on emerging technologies, sustainability, and strategies to address the challenges posed by climate change. Scientific sessions, oral presentations, and poster sessions promoted knowledge exchange and fostered the development of new international collaborations, strengthening ISPLORE’s role as a global reference point for the plant science community.
The two awards represent a significant recognition of the scientific excellence and international impact of the research conducted at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, and confirm the outstanding quality of the training programs and activities of the Institute of Plant Sciences and the Ph.D. in Agrobiodiversity, which are distinguished by their interdisciplinary approach and their ability to promote innovation and sustainability at a global level.
