Meet Dr Pierre VAN CUTSEM from FytoFend on our online Master Session #2 on 24 September at 10 AM
Pierre VAN CUTSEM holds a Masters in Agriculture (Ingénieur agronome) and a Ph.D. in Biology and is a full professor at the Biology Department at Namur University. He works in plant physiology and has always been interested in structural (cell wall) and storage (polyfructans) polysaccharides. He published, among others, the genomic sequences of the enzymes that synthesise inulin, the storage polyfructan extracted industrially from the chicory root. He has worked extensively with the industry on many aspects of chicory physiology, including molecular markers (SSR, SNP) and marker-assisted breeding. On plant cell walls, he has published many papers on the physicochemical properties of pectin and pectin signalling in plant cells. In 2006 he filed a patent on an oligochitosan-oligopectin complex (COS-OGA) with signalling properties that induces plants to fend off pathogens when contaminated, a mechanism based on the stimulation of plant innate immunity. In 2009 he created FytoFend, a private company that produces, registers and commercialises biopesticides based on the COS-OGA complex. The company is thriving at a time when people and authorities are becoming more and more reluctant to rely on chemicals for crop protection.
Topic Title
Bio-sourced molecules for plant protection: the COS-OGA elicitor from FytoFend
Abstract
Traditional pesticides used in plant protection are under pressure from public opinion and authorities because of their toxicological and ecotoxicological profiles. More and more active substances are therefore being withdrawn from sale, which poses a major problem in terms of the availability of plant protection solutions.
The FytoFend spin-off was created in 2009. It is the culmination of many years of research, carried out within the Cellular and Molecular Plant Biology Research Unit of Namur University, with the aim of developing an "elicitor", a signal substance that stimulates the natural defences of plants when it is sprayed on their leaves. The FytoSave® elicitor is a product whose active substance is of natural origin: it is a combination of particular oligosaccharide fragments purified from chitosan (COS) and pectin (OGA), without any tox or ecotox concerns but with proven efficacy. This COS-OGA biopesticide offers a new solution for preserving crops, consumer health and the environment.
FytoSave® is officially registered and available in most European countries. The scale up, formulation and registration have been developed in-house and most resources are obtained locally.
Each Master Session will take up to 2 hours from 10 AM till noon and will be themed according to the following specific subjects:
Session #1: New (bio)resources – 10 September 2020
Session #2: New (bio)products – 24 September 2020
Session #3: New technologies > industrial micro bio network – 8 October 2020
Session #4: New technologies > enzymatic and extraction technologies – 29 October 2020
The detailed programme and list of speakers is available on the PDF here below.
How to register?
You can register for one or several sessions, à la carte so to speak. Should you opt for a registration to all sessions (full menu formula), a discount will be applied.
Pricing (VAT excluded):
> Members*: €50.00 per Master Session & €170 for the whole series of 4 sessions
> Non-Members : €75.00 per Master Session & €250.00 for the whole series of 4 sessions
(*) fee applicable for all members of the Walloon Innovation Clusters. If you are member of another Walloon Innovation Cluster (Wagralim, BioWin, Logistics In Wallonia, Mecatech, SkyWin), please, send a proof of your membership to the following address: compta@greenwin.be
Payment has to be made via this payment platform prior to registration process.
Cancellation policy: Please note that no refund will be made for cancellation. However, the registered person may be replaced. In that case, GreenWin has to be informed as soon as possible, and provided with the full details of the surrogate participant, at the following address: conferences@greenwin.be
17/07/2020