CPSBB presented over 400 scientific publications and scientific developments for sustainable agriculture and human health

CPSBB presented with an official press conference project BG16RFPR002-1.014-0003 “Sustainable Development of the Center for Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology (CPSBB)”, funded with BGN 13,857,943 under the “Research, Innovation and Digitalization for Smart Transformation” Program, 2021-2027, co-financed by the European Union.

The event marked 10 years since the establishment of CPSBB in Plovdiv and presented strategic goals for the sustainable development of the Center as an independent research institute and Bulgarian Center of Excellence in plant systems biology and biotechnology.

The press conference was attended by Mr. Yanislav Yanchev – Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Bulgaria, Prof. Hristina Yancheva – Governor of Plovdiv, Mr. Ivan Popov – Executive Director of the Executive Agency “Programme for Education”, Prof. Tsanko Gechev – Director of CPSBB, Prof. Milen Georgiev – Head of the Plant Cell Biotechnology Department, Prof. Vesela Kazashka – Administrative Director of the Center, journalists, partner organizations and academic representatives.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food, Mr. Yanislav Yanchev, emphasized the importance of cooperation between science, innovation and economy. “CPSBB is an excellent example of how Bulgarian science not only follows the global trends, but also creates them. In times of climate change and urgent need for sustainable agriculture, you provide solutions with global potential,” he welcomed CPSBB’s management and research team.

“The establishment of CPSBB received support at all territorial levels within the European Union. At the European level, the Center prevailed in strong competition and won funding through the financial instrument “Teaming” of the Horizon Europe program. At the national level, the project was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science and the Operational Program “Science and Education for Smart Growth”, and at the local level it was strongly supported by the Municipality of Plovdiv. That is why I am confident that CPSBB has an important role for the development of Plovdiv and the South Central Region, for Bulgaria, as well as within the European Research Area.” This was emphasized by Mr. Ivan Popov – Executive Director of Executive Agency “Programme for Education”.

The Governor of Plovdiv, Prof. Hristina Yancheva, presented the Director of CPSBB with an honorary plaque for outstanding contribution to the development of fundamental and applied science.

“CPSBB is a leading scientific organization in Bulgarian and European science. You are creating the future by educating the next generation of scientists. The Center attracts and retains leading specialists from Bulgaria and abroad, actively works for the connection between business and industry, contributing to the sustainable development of the country. I am convinced that CPSBB will play a leading role in the scientific and innovation ecosystem in Europe,” emphasized Prof. Yancheva.

“Thank you for supporting us all these years. We achieved all this together!”, Prof. Gechev addressed the guests from the Government, the Regional Administration and the Bulgarian institutes and associations. He then held a presentation on the strategic goals of CPSBB, the main scientific directions, the development of the institute’s capacity over the years and its place as a leading scientific institute in Bulgaria, based on objective criteria, such as number of publications, citations and h-index. In addition to the over 400 published scientific articles, CPSBB has developed partnerships with over 100 universities, scientific institutes and companies from all over the world.

Prof. Milen Georgiev presented research in the areas of longevity, photoaging and obesity. The identification of an organic substance in a specific type of Bulgarian honey, which extends the life of a model laboratory organism by 30%, a product with a completely organic composition and sunscreen properties, which is about to be tested and commercialized, multidisciplinary approaches for exploring the signaling pathways associated with the development of obesity and metabolic disorders were also presented as part of the developments of CPSBB, headed by Prof. Georgiev.

Prof. Vessela Kazashka outlined four strategic priorities for the development of CPSBB – scientific productivity, market commercialization  of innovations, retention in Bulgaria of young scientists and attraction of international experts, as well as a closer connection between science, policy and industry. She emphasized the importance of  human and professional potential of the researchers and the innovative team, as well as the key role of established scientists and doctoral students for effective joint scientific work.

The technological equipment and the research team of CPSBB were presented to the guests, as well as some of the scientific developments in the laboratories and ongoing experiments in the greenhouses and specialized rooms.

The development of new varieties of economically important crops with rich nutritional content and improved tolerance to climate change and diseases, the development of organic biostimulants for plant protection, the creation of a prototype of human epidermis for exploring the activities of plant substances and their potential to prevent premature skin aging, the identification of natural substances for longevity and healthy aging, as well as for combating obesity, were some of the scientific developments that were presented by CPSBB’s scientific team.