The Institute of Agricultural Microbiology of the University of Sassari celebrates 60 years of activity

PRESS RELEASE

SASSARI. Microbial biodiversity, research infrastructures and conservation of microorganisms and microbiomes (SUS-MIRRI project) are the information and comparison topics proposed by the Institute of General and Applied Microbiology “A. Capriotti” of the Department of Agriculture of the University of Sassari in a series of events from 4 to 8 November, on the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the institute.

The Institute, founded on 1 November 1964 thanks to Professor Augusto Capriotti, called to hold the first chair of Microbiology at the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Sassari, marked an epochal transition for the study and research of microorganisms . This anniversary is celebrated with three important events.

The first meeting is scheduled for Monday November 4th at 9.30am, with the inauguration of the exhibition "Extraordinary Microorganisms", which will be hosted in the atrium and cloister spaces of the University of Sassari headquarters (piazza Università 21). The Magnificent Rector Gavino Mariotti and the Mayor Giuseppe Mascia will speak. On display are 44 photographs, obtained with sophisticated microscopy techniques to visualize very small organisms, positioned on 40 panels divided into 6 sections: viruses, bacteria and archaea, symbiosis, microalgae, yeasts and fungi, microorganisms that play a crucial role for life and the future of our Planet.
This extraordinary exhibition aims to be a bridge between science and society, inviting the entire academic and citizen community and everyone to discover the magnificent universe of microorganisms that need to be protected as precious allies to ensure a sustainable future.

The exhibition, which can be visited until 4 December, is conceived by the Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology and the Mycotheca Universitatis Taurinensis of the University of Turin, with the collaboration of the European Culture Collections' Organization (ECCO), and is made available as part of the activities of the PNRR Research Infrastructures Project SUS-MIRRI.IT. The scientific contact for the University of Sassari is Professor Marilena Budroni, full professor of Agricultural Microbiology.

It continues on Wednesday November 6th at 11.00 am with the inauguration of the laboratory dedicated to the MBDS-UNISSCC Microbial Collection at the Department of Agriculture of the University of Sassari (viale Italia 39 A). MBDS-UNISSCC was established thanks to the MBDS (Microbial Biodiversity of Sardinia) project, financed in 2018 by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies and created in collaboration with AGRIS Sardegna and the University of Cagliari, and is equipped with a federated database, public and accessible to users. It has implemented a Quality Management System for the isolation, characterization, maintenance and conservation of pure microorganisms and microbiomes of agri-food and environmental interest and since 2023 it has been ISO 9001:2015 certified thanks to the funding of the SUS-MIRRI project. Finally, it is the external microbial section of the regional germplasm bank (BRGAgriS). It currently conserves 548 strains, including 71 filamentous fungi, 351 yeasts and 126 bacteria isolated from food and environmental matrices, including sourdoughs, olives, olive oil, milk, cheese, grapes, wine, fish, shellfish, meat, soil and by-products of beer processing.
The collection is supported by experts who deal not only with the identification, characterization and conservation of strains and microbiomes, but also offer services to agri-food companies through technology transfer activities and dissemination of research results.

Il momento culminante delle celebrazioni sarà venerdì 8 novembre, a partire dalle ore 9.00, con il convegno sul tema “Le collezioni microbiche: un patrimonio di biodiversità al servizio della transizione ecologica” presso l’Aula Magna Barbieri del Dipartimento di Agraria (in viale Italia 39 A), con la partecipazione di due relatori nazionali: la prof.ssa Cristina Varese proveniente dall’Università degli Studi di Torino e il prof. Carlo Viti dall’Università degli Studi di Firenze. 

This will be followed by speeches by the professors of the Department of Agriculture, professors Quirico Migheli and Luca Ruiu. The site entirely dedicated to the MBDS-UNISSCC collection will also be presented.
The Councilor for Agriculture of the Sardinia Region, Gian Franco Satta, will also speak at the conference.

Finally, to close the cycle of initiatives, on Friday 15 and Friday 29 November, from 10.00 am in the Aula Magna of the central University (piazza Università 21), two seminars will take place on the theme "Odi et amo and the long relationship between microorganisms and man."  The speakers will be prof. Luigi Fiori of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Prof. Ilaria Mannazzu of the Department of Agriculture.
 

Programma e locandina