We are pleased to announce the awarded STSM grands.
The list contains information about applicants, institutions, countries, dates, titles and information.
| applicantFirstName | applicantLastName | applicantPrimaryInstitution | applicantCountry | grantStartDate | grantEndDate | title | extraInfo |
| Hela | YOUNSI | Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie | Tunisia | 31/03/2026 | 30/04/2026 | PCR amplification and preparation of fungal and bacterial amplicons for metabarcoding analysis in durum wheat | Host: Alia DELLAGI, Institut Jean-Pierre Bourgin (IJPB, France), FR |
| Yagmur | Atakav | Adana Alparslan Türkeş Science and Technology University | Türkiye | 30/07/2026 | 30/09/2026 | 2nd Call for Short-Term Scientific Missions 2026 | Host: Prof. Dr. Bahar Razavi, University of Kiel, DE |
| Alegria | Perez Guillen | Estación Experimental del Zaidín – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas | Spain | 03/08/2026 | 30/09/2026 | Hands-on training in fungal transformation techniques to functionally characterize genes involved in the onset of microbe-induced resistance | Host: Susanne Zeilinger-Migsich, University of Innsbruck, AT |
| LUIS | ESPAÑA LUQUE | CSIC – ESTACIÓN EXPERIMENTAL DEL ZAIDÍN | Spain | 01/06/2026 | 31/08/2026 | STSM: “Finding new signalling molecules in rhizosphere for plant-AMF communication.” | Host: Jenny Renaut, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), LU |
| Roberta | Faccilongo | University of Turin | Italy | 30/08/2026 | 12/09/2026 | Molecular assays for the characterization of small RNA – plant target gene interactions in the mycorrhizal symbiosis | Host: Ignacio Rubio-Somoza, CRAG (Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics), ES |
| Busra | ARIKAN-ABDULVELI | Selcuk Universitesi | Türkiye | 15/06/2026 | 29/07/2026 | Advanced in vitro functional screening of rhizosphere microbes | Host: Carmen Escudero Martinez, Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Salamanca, ES |
| Damilola | Olanipon | CNRS | France | 24/08/2026 | 11/09/2026 | Assessing the effects of green algae, biochar and basalt on soil carbon sequestration and microbial communities in a wheat culture | Host: Prof. Vittoria Catara, University of Catania, IT |
| ibrahim | isik | Inonu University | Türkiye | 15/06/2026 | 30/06/2026 | Modelling and Experimental Analysis of Rhizobacterial Chemotaxis and Biofilm Formation in the Presence of Whey | Host: Olga Muter, University of Latvia, LV |
| Morgane | Philippe | Botanicky Ustav Av Cr, V.v.i. | Czechia | 12/04/2026 | 10/05/2026 | Identification of drivers of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community assembly in European temperate grasslands: special focus on seasonality and identification of winter-active AMF taxa | Host: Inga Hiiesalu-Vahter, University of Tartu, EE |
| Álvaro | López García | Spanish National Research Council | Spain | 27/06/2026 | 04/07/2026 | Implementation of long-read rDNA sequencing for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi using the EEZ- CSIC AMF collection | Host: Martina Janoušková, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ |
| Jelena | Lazarevic | University of Montenegro | Montenegro | 15/07/2026 | 07/08/2026 | Evaluation of mycorrhization of oak seedlings using metabarcoding approach | Host: Audrius Menkis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE |
| Julio | Ascaso | Universidad de Salamanca | Spain | 04/05/2026 | 30/06/2026 | Chemotropic responses in Trichoderma and Fusarium to strigolactones, flavonoids and drought- modified wheat root exudates. | Host: David Turrà, University of Naples Federico II, IT |
| Alina | Kerner | M. G. Kholodny Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine | Ukraine | 01/06/2026 | 30/06/2026 | Dynamics and functional shifts of root-associated fungal communities along pollution gradients in war-affected Ukrainian soils | Host: Kateryna Davydenko, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE |
| Anna | Mlčochová | Institute of Botany – Czech Academy of Science | Czechia | 09/03/2026 | 10/04/2026 | Arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization dynamics drive plant-parasitic nematode attraction and host defense | Host: Juan Antonio Lopez Raez, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, ES |
| Antonio Manuel | Gavira Alvarez | Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea “La Mayora” (UMA-CSIC) | Spain | 09/03/2026 | 29/03/2026 | Isolation and establishment of avocado root-associated fungal endophytes | Host: Rasmus Kjøller, University of Copenhagen, DK |
| Wietze | Metzelaar | Utrecht University | Netherlands | 10/08/2026 | 21/08/2026 | Measuring of microbiome-mediated sulfur nutrition in soybean soils | Host: Stanislav Kopriva, Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Cologne, DE |
| Francesco | Berruto | University of Turin | Italy | 09/09/2026 | 30/09/2026 | Expanding methodological expertise in beneficial root-associated fungi: from in vitro cultivation to application | Host: Amaia Nogales, Institute of Research and Technology in Agro-Food (IRTA), ES |
| Antonia | Argyri | University of Thessaly | Greece | 30/06/2026 | 30/09/2026 | Deciphering dynamic DNA methylation landscapes in a beneficial fungal endophyte and its host plant during mutualistic interaction using long-read Nanopore sequencing | Host: Boas Pucker, IZMB, Institut für Zelluläre und Molekulare Botanik, Universität Bonn, DE |
| Alexandra | Pal | HUN-REN Biological Research Center | Hungary | 06/07/2026 | 17/07/2026 | Learning in vitro AM methodologies and root organ cultures | Host: Prof Luisa Lanfranco, University of Turin, IT |
| Gülce | Güralp | Sabancı University | Türkiye | 02/08/2026 | 31/08/2026 | Investigating the ability of outer membrane vesicles from nitrogen-fixing bacteria strains to induce plant immune responses in Nicotiana benthamiana | Host: Silke Robatzek, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, DE |
| Ines | HARZLI | Ondokuz Mayıs University | Türkiye | 07/09/2025 | 30/09/2025 | Investigating Mycorrhiza-Induced Resistance and Priming Mechanisms in Plant–Arthropod Interactions | Host: Víctor Flors, Investigating Mycorrhiza-Induced Resistance and Priming Mechanisms in Plant–Arthropod Interactions, ES |
| Wojciech | Smulek | Politechnika Poznanska | Poland | 09/03/2025 | 22/03/2025 | Effects of pyrethroids on plant growth-promoting rhizospheric bacteria | Host: Angela Cunha, University of Aveiro, PT |
| Eman Mostafa Mohamed Ibrahim | Abdalhady | Cairo University | Egypt | 01/08/2025 | 30/09/2025 | Validation of Transcriptome Sequencing by Digital PCR (dPCR) | Host: Agnieszka Kalwasińska, NCU professor, Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU), PL |
| Emma | Fuller | Teagasc – Agriculture And Food Development Authority | Ireland | 07/09/2025 | 21/09/2025 | Short-Term Scientific Mission | Host: Professor Julio Javier Díez Casero, Universidad de Valladolid, ES |
| MICOL | GUASCHINO | Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA) | Italy | 18/08/2025 | 24/08/2025 | Decoding plant-microbiome interactions: insights into genetic players involved in beneficial microorganisms’ recruitment in grapevine genotypes | Host: Davide Bulgarelli, University of Dundee, GB |
| Christos | Papadopoulos | University of Thessaly | Greece | 01/04/2025 | 01/06/2025 | Investigating the Impact of Glyphosate on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: Species-Specific Responses and Mechanisms of Tolerance | Host: Vasilis Kokkoris, Vrije Universiteit, Faculty of Science, NL |
| Izzah | Shahid | Universidad Publica De Navarra | Spain | 10/08/2025 | 23/08/2025 | Dynamics of Bacterial Biosynthetic Gene Clusters as Mediators of Inter-Kingdom Communication in the Rhizosphere | Host: Dr. Martin Baunach, University of Bonn, DE |
| Sara | Pérez González | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) – Estación Experimental del Zaidin | Spain | 01/05/2025 | 15/06/2025 | Methodologies update for the effectiveness evaluation of common bean co-inoculation with a bacterial consortium and its plant growth-promoting properties. | Host: Juan Ignacio Vílchez, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier ITQB-NOVA, PT |
| Melike | Bakir | Erciyes Universitesi | Türkiye | 02/08/2025 | 28/09/2025 | Exploring the Resilience of Wild Chickpea Genotypes to Nitrate-Induced Suppression of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation | Host: Estíbaliz Larrainzar, Public University of Navarra, ES |
| valerio | mattei | University of Milan, Dpt. Agricultural and Environmental Sciences | Italy | 24/03/2025 | 11/04/2025 | Investigating tripartite interactions: comparative metabolomic analysis of streptomyces strains DEF17 and IPV2733 in modulating plant defense and pathogen behavior | Host: jenny renaut, The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), LU |
| Raquel | Correa Delgado | Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias | Spain | 15/08/2025 | 15/10/2025 | Improvement of the functionality of the soil microbial communities in banana agroecosystem with organic amendments | Host: Natacha Bodenhausen, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), CH |
| Alina | Kerner | M. G. Kholodny Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine | Ukraine | 01/08/2025 | 30/08/2025 | Molecular Characterization of Root-Associated Fungi and Cultivable Mushroom Strains in War-Affected Ukrainian Soils | Host: Kateryna Davydenko, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE |
| Fruzsina Eva | Felegyhazi | Eotvos Lorand Tudomanyegyetem | Hungary | 17/09/2025 | 30/09/2025 | Discovery of subsoil biodiversity in forest soils to investigate efficiency of short-read versus long-read sequencing strategies for fungal microbiome | Host: Prof.Paul Thomas, Mycorrhyzal Systems Ltd., GB |
| Nejc | Suban | Slovenian Forestry Institute | Slovenia | 03/08/2025 | 21/08/2025 | Biodiversity and enzymatic activity of soil and root-associated microbiome in the oak dominated forests along Eastern Sierra Madre in Mexico during the transition from the period of extreme drought and increased rainfall | Host: Tijana Martinović, Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology at the Institute of Microbiology in Prague, CZ |
| Muhammad Tahir | Khan | Vytautas Magnus University | Lithuania | 01/09/2025 | 30/09/2025 | STSM grant for Research Stay at ATB-Potsdam: Learning of Techniques and Access to Research Resources for Assessing Rhizosphere Microbiome Shifts in Response to Rye Cultivar Composition | Host: Prof. Dr. rer. agr. habil. Annette Prochnow, The Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy, DE |
| Tatiana | Gil | Universidade Nova de Lisboa | Portugal | 14/09/2024 | 15/10/2024 | Standardization of methodologies for the analysis of root exudates and marker genes in tomato plants inoculated with beneficial microorganisms subjected to water stress. | Host: Dr. Rafael Jorge León Morcillo, The Institute for Mediterranean and Subtropical Horticulture “La Mayora” (IHSM), ES |
| Pablo | Vargas | Institut De Recerca I Tecnologia Agroalimentaries | Spain | 23/09/2024 | 04/10/2024 | Preparation and inoculation of barley (Hordeum vulgare) plants with synthetic microbial communities derived from the barley rhizosphere to increase their drought stress tolerance. | Host: Mika Tarkka, UFZ Helmholtz Zentrum für Umweltforschung, DE |
| Lama | Ramadan | Gebze Teknik Universitesi | Türkiye | 10/09/2024 | 31/10/2024 | The effect of soil chemical contamination on the beneficial root-associated microorganisms. | Host: Prof. Paolina Garbeva, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), NL |
| Germán Orlando | Gomez Fernandez | Universidad Publica De Navarra | Spain | 01/08/2024 | 30/09/2024 | Connecting nitrate sensing and the ethylene-mediated inhibition of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in Medicago truncatula using phos | Host: Dr. Stefanie Wienkoop, University of Vienna, AU |
| Beatriz | Ramirez Serrano | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) – Estación Experimental del Zaidin | Spain | 29/08/2024 | 14/10/2024 | A multi -omics integrative approach to disentangle the mechanisms underlying mycorrhiza-induced resistance against Tuta absoluta | Host: Prof. Dr. Kristina Gruden, National Institute of Biology (BTH-NIB), SI |
| valerio | mattei | University of Milan, Dpt. Agricultural and Environmental Sciences | Italy | 17/06/2024 | 29/07/2024 | Metabolome of two Streptomyces Strains able to manipulate physiological responses of tomato plant to water stress. | Host: Dr Jenny Renaut, The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), LU |
| Irma | Milanese | University of Trento | Italy | 01/05/2024 | 31/05/2024 | Deciphering the molecular pathways involved in plant-bacteria interactions | Host: Aureliano Bombarely, IBMCP – Instituto de Biologia Molecular y Celular des Plantas, ES |
| Linda | Rigerte | Helmholtz Association – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ | Germany | 04/08/2024 | 17/08/2024 | Handling of the barley rhizosphere and improving the current protocol for high-quality RNA extractions | Host: Dr Davide Bulgarelli, University of Dundee, School of Life Sciences, GB |
| Stamatios | Thomopoulos | AARHUS UNIVERSITET | Denmark | 29/09/2024 | 11/10/2024 | AMF-BIOPRO | Host: Maarja Öpik, University of Tartu, EE |
| Naomi | Stuer | Ghent University | Belgium | 10/06/2024 | 05/07/2024 | Characterization of the plant immune repertoire distinguishing friend from foe during tomato AMF symbiosis | Host: Juan Antonio López-Ráez, CSIC University of Granada, ES |
| FABIO | CASTRONOVO | Universita Di Pisa | Italy | 01/09/2024 | 28/09/2024 | Functional and genetic characterization of beneficial microorganisms from animal manure and other animal residues on the soil-pl | Host: Elisabet Aranda Ballesteros, University of Granada, ES |
