Macfrut, world capital of biotechnology applied to horticulture. This year, for the first time, the International Symposium on Biotechnological Tools in Horticulture will be held at the international trade fair for the fruit and vegetable supply chain (Rimini Expo Centre, 6-8 May 2025). The Symposium is sponsored by the ISHS – International Society of Horticultural Science (which promotes research in all areas of horticultural science) in collaboration with the Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences of the Marche Polytechnic University, and coordinated by Silvia Sabbadini, Angela Ricci, Luca Capriotti and Bruno Mezzetti.
The three-day event will bring together the world’s leading experts in the field and provide an opportunity for dialogue between plant biotechnology researchers and those involved in the production chain. It will also include presentations on the latest technical and scientific advances in technologies used to grow plants in vitro for propagation and the creation of new, resilient and high-quality varieties.
Specifically, the Symposium will focus on topics related to the use of biotechnological tools in the fruit and vegetable sector: in vitro cultures, functional genomics studies and various ‘omics’ for plant genotyping/phenotyping, as well as new precision breeding technologies (genome editing and cisgenesis/intragenesis). In addition, aspects such as social and economic impacts, biosecurity and public acceptance of the use of biotechnology in the fruit and vegetable sector will be discussed.
According to the coordinators of the Symposium from the Marche Polytechnic University, ‘Macfrut 2025 offers an invaluable opportunity to discuss cutting-edge methods and recent advances in the field of biotechnology, as well as to share the efforts of various research groups that work on a daily basis with universities, private institutions and companies to study and understand the mechanisms and techniques that will make the production of fruit and vegetables increasingly sustainable and safe, while reducing dependence on external inputs. The global challenges facing production systems today, including the effects of climate change, are generally complex and require strategic solutions, making the wide range of biotechnological approaches potentially effective at different levels: from studying individual genes to understanding how different organisms interact within an ecosystem. Therefore, the Symposium can serve as a catalyst for interdisciplinary collaboration with the aim of promoting business opportunities, thereby stimulating research and facilitating the exchange of ideas between experts in the field.’
The coordinators concluded that ‘the various scientific contributions from all over the world have the same objective, which is to make cultivated plants more “adaptable” to a variety of factors, such as lack of water or attack by pathogens, which can undermine the quality and quantity of the fruit and vegetables produced, and to learn and study more about how genes function and the role they play in certain basic metabolic processes.’
The programme of events for the International Symposium on Biotechnological Tools in Horticulture will begin on Monday 5 May with a series of technical field visits to several companies in the Emilia-Romagna region. From Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8 May, the Symposium will take place at Macfrut (Rimini Expo Centre), where various sessions will be held in a dedicated exhibition area. The final event will take place on Friday 9 May at the Biotech School of the Marche Polytechnic University in Ancona.
