The UNTWIST consortium recently gathered at Rothamsted Research (UK) for a two-day project meeting, bringing together all partners to review progress, strengthen collaboration, and align priorities for the final phase of this ambitious initiative.
The meeting marked an important milestone as the project enters its final stretch. Partners shared updates on technical achievements, discussed next steps, and reinforced their commitment to delivering impactful scientific and innovation outcomes. The discussions highlighted both strong technical progress and excellent collaboration across the consortium, reflecting the collective effort behind UNTWIST.
The first day focused on project coordination, communication activities, and field research developments.
Claudia Jonak (AIT Austrian Institute of Technology) presented key aspects of project management and coordination, while Maider Goñi Suberviola (INICIATIVAS INNOVADORAS) and Juan Luis Rodrigues (RTDS Group) outlined ongoing and upcoming actions related to communication, dissemination, and exploitation of project results.
Scientific updates continued with Federica Zanetti (University of Bologna), who shared progress on field trials and phenotyping under stressful conditions, followed by Paloma León (Camelina Company), who presented management strategies aimed at improving camelina performance.
Day two was dedicated to in-depth scientific discussions. Jean-Denis Faure (INRAE) presented work on deciphering camelina genetic diversity, while Richard Haslam (Rothamsted Research) discussed sample analysis and plant responses to abiotic stress. Challenges related to data analysis and modelling were addressed by Yves Gibon (INRAE Bordeaux), and Björn Usadel (Forschungszentrum Jülich) introduced updates on sample data management and the setup of the UNTWIST Knowledge Hub.
Photo credit: Iniciativas Innovadoras, SAL
The meeting concluded with a visit to Rothamsted Research’s field trials, offering partners first-hand insight into ongoing experimental work and strengthening links between research and practical application.
The UNTWIST consortium extends sincere thanks to all partners for their active participation, valuable contributions, and continued teamwork. With shared vision and strong collaboration, the project is well positioned to successfully achieve its final goals.
