Isabel Luci Pisa Mata da Conceicao

Experiência

Assistant Professor at the Department of Life Sciences, UC, and a senior researcher at NEMATO-lab, Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE). Since 1988 she has been developing research on Nematology and Plant Pathology studying the most economically important Plant Parasitic Nematodes (PPN), using taxonomic and molecular based approaches, to assess their distribution, virulence and genetic mechanisms of plant infection She has been doing research also in PPN control using environmentally friendly methods like microorganisms and trap crops. Current interests include biochemical and molecular identification/characterization of root knot nematodes (RKN-Meloidogyne spp.) and potato cyst nematodes (PCN-Globodera spp.); Plant-nematode-interactions and Control of nematodes. Current projects: H2020-ECOSTACK; Euphresco ERA-NET-MeloTrop, Global warming and distribution of RKN species and Survey of pathotypes of G. pallida occurring in Europe; EU Framework Programme: Microbiome of potato fields contaminated with PPN; FCT: TREND and HANDLER related with PCN and RKN detection and control in tomato and potato fields. Since 2015 she is Scientific Coordinator of the FitoLab (IPN) that acts on the detection and research of plant pests and diseases affecting horticulture, fruit production and forestry. It is an independent Phytopathology laboratory, supervised and managed by researchers and lecturers at the UC and CFE, and holds the skills and knowledge to deliver a prompt quality service, employing and following the international standard procedures of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). The FitoLab is licensed by the Portuguese national authority DGAV – General Agency for Food and Veterinary, for the detection of several EPPO A2 quarantine list organisms. She is one of the responsible for the NEMATO-lab CFE-UC. She is the supervisor of three PhD theses related with PPN control using Phytochemicals. Two on PCN and RKN and their control using S. sisymbriifolium and S. linnaeaenum and one on the control of RKN using biocontrol agents (Pasteuria penetrans). One of them was defended in 2024 and the other two are finishing.