- Written by Ivan Dulgerov
Students from European Schools Visited CPSBB Within the Erasmus+ Programme
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More than 50 students from schools in Italy, Greece, Portugal, Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria visited CPSBB within the Erasmus+ Programme. The visit was initiated by the Plovdiv Secondary School “Konstantin Velichkov” within the “GoGreen” initiative.
The students were welcomed by Dr. Nikola Staykov and Dr. Eng. Alicja Wieteska Georgieva. Dr. Staykov held a brief presentation on CPSBB, showcasing some of the leading scientific projects currently conducted at the CPSBB with the main goal of improving the quality, yield and resilience to climate changes of socially important crops. Some of these projects are NatGenCrop, CropPrime, BOOSTER, HealthyDiets4Africa, BELIS, CAFTA, RESIST, and also the large-scale metabolomic research of CPSBB’s scientists of more than 2,000 plant species from botanical gardens in Germany and Bulgaria.
Dr. Alicja Wieteska guided the visitors through the greenhouse facilities of CPSBB, equipped with cells with individual control climatization and technologies which allow the realization of multiple research projects simultaneously, each of them conducted in different climate conditions, depending on the project’s goals, simulating drought, salinity, high temperatures, etc.
Dr. Staykov presented the scientific complex of CPSBB, allowing the students to enter the laboratories and get acquainted with some of the technological equipment and main functionalities. He showed the plant growth rooms, where scientists conduct research with Haberlea rhodopensis and Arabidopsis thaliana, as well as some labs with bioreactors, mass spectrometry technologies, freezers and cold chambers.
As one of the main goals of CPSBB is to serve as a hub for innovation, research, and practical learning, it is crucial to showcase its advanced technologies and facilities to students. By providing access to state-of-the-art resources and expert guidance, CPSBB strives to enhance students’ understanding of world standards and trends in science. This is important for fostering hands-on experience, encouraging collaboration, and cultivating critical skills for future careers. The main goal is to inspire students by demonstrating the real-world applications of science, to spark their curiosity and interest, and to encourage them to delve deeper into science and explore related fields for their future professional growth.