Category: News

A sunny, spring Wednesday, May 22 was a perfect day for fieldwork at Butoniga Reservoir Lake. With the help of colleagues from Croatian Waters Enterprise, whom we also thank for the boat transport, Ph.D. Danijela Poljuha, Ph.D. Barbara Sladonja and Mirela Uzelac Božac mag. oecol., took six water samples from different parts of the lake.

The collected samples will be analyzed at ETH Zurich, under the guidance of Ph.D. Kristy Deiner to learn more about the environmental DNA of the lake and its surroundings. Environmental DNA (environmental DNA or eDNA) refers to genetic material obtained directly from environmental samples, such as soil, water or air, without the presence of original biological material, i.e. organisms or parts of organisms from which it originates. Higher organisms most often release DNA into the environment in the form of discarded cells and tissues such as hair and skin, through secretions such as urine and feces, or through the decomposition of dead organisms. The released DNA persists for some time in the environment where it can be collected and analyzed.

We sampled the water in the places where the streams flow into the lake in order to get the best, most representative sample of the lake itself and its tributaries. eDNA has proven to be a valuable tool in monitoring biodiversity and species distribution, detecting changes in community composition over time, detecting invasive species and pathogens, conserving endangered species, and assessing environmental pollution.

In addition to Lake Butoniga, eDNA from another 800 different lakes around the world will be analyzed through the project, and we expect the first results from Zurich during the fall.

On Monday, May 20, on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the Polytechnic in Rijeka, the Mini-Symposium SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, GREEN TECHNOLOGIES AND RURAL TOURISM 2024 was held. The event was organized in partnership with the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development of PGŽ from Stara Sušica and Primorsko-goranska Kašetica to promote sustainable development in rural areas.

As one of the four invited lecturers, the lead of the NATURALLY project, Danijela Poljuha, presented the project results. Her lecture “Can invasive species be a source of valuable bioactive phytochemicals?” emphasized the importance of exploring the potential of invasive species as providers of ecosystem services. This approach could model the sustainable coexistence of species in the face of climate change.

The symposium offered valuable insights from various speakers, covering topics such as organic farming, recognizing certified organic products, the contributions of Rudolf Steiner, the principles of biodynamic production, and experiences from the Garden of Eden, or what life looks like when you “whisper to tomatoes” and follow your life dream. The audience engaged with numerous questions, making the event both informative and interactive.

From ❤️, we thank the Polytechnic in Rijeka for the invitation and the opportunity to grow in knowledge! Read more about this event here.

PRESENTATION OF THE NATURALLY PROJECT AS PART OF THE EXHIBITION “WHAT WOULD NATURE TELL US IF WE ASKED THE RIGHT QUESTIONS?”

Cooperation between science and art is one of the recent trends in the popularization of science. We tried our hand at this scientific-artistic expression with an experiment entitled “Symbiosis of worlds: art and science in dialogue – Coexistence with invasive species”. As part of the group exhibition on the topic of planetary interconnections “What would nature tell us if we asked the right questions?“, in collaboration with the curator Ivana Meštrov and the Art Pavilion in Zagreb, in the Forum Gallery. On April 15, 2024, Ph.D. Danijela Poljuha presented the results of the scientific research project “NATURE as an ALLIANCE: Foreign invasive plant species as a source of pharmaceuticals – NATURALLY” financed by the Croatian Science Foundation, with a visual interpretation of the topic through the artistic intervention of Elena Poljuha, a 2nd year student of Graphics at the Academy of Fine Arts University of Zagreb.

In the dialogue between science and art, through a popular-scientific lecture accompanied by an artistic performance, we looked for answers to global questions posed by the inevitability of species coexistence: Is the key to ecosystem balance and biodiversity conservation in the use of invasive species? Can we use invasive species as providers of new ecosystem services?

Can invasive species be a source of valuable bioactive phytochemicals? In this, slightly different way, in the gap between science and art, we wanted to bring the results of the research carried out as part of the project closer to the general public. We would like to thank the Art Pavilion and all collaborators for this exceptional opportunity to broaden our horizons and put research into a broader context of today.

(Photo: Jovica Drobnjak)

Happy and joyful holidays, with lots of health, love and happiness, the NATURALLY team wishes you from the bottom of our hearts!

See you in the even more beautiful year of 2024!

As part of the Institute’s projects NATURALLY (NATURe as an ALLY: Alien Invasive Plants as Phytopharmaceuticals) and EkoPis (Project of the City of Poreč to promote Ecology and Ecological Literacy) and the Croatian Microscopy Society programme of popularization of science MikroskopiJA na netu, we recently organized microscopy workshops for primary and secondary schools “From Loupe to AI – by Microscopy to STEM”.

These workshops, conducted under the patronage of ZEISS Croatia and the Croatian Microscopy Society, were specifically designed to emphasize the significance of researching invasive plant species and fostering ecological literacy among students. The goal was to make our scientific research more accessible and relatable to the younger generation.

Elementary school workshops in the city of Poreč took place at the Society Naša djeca Poreč, while high school students participated in workshops at the Gymnasium and Vocational School of Jurja Dobrile Pazin.

The blend of traditional and cutting-edge technologies during the workshops sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of the scientific process—from conceptualization to result presentation. Beyond our projects, the application of microscopy spans various scientific and industrial domains, as well as everyday life. By championing microscopy, our workshops not only encourage youth participation in STEM fields but also introduce them to traditional values and national scientific achievements.

We extend our gratitude to Zeiss Hrvatska, the Croatian Microscopy Society, DND Poreč, GSŠJD Gymnasium, and all contributors who played a role in realizing these workshops.

A special thanks goes out to the students for their curiosity, enthusiasm, thought-provoking questions, and active involvement. We firmly believe that among them are future exemplary experts and scientists upon whom our collective future depends.

Last week, November 24-25, 2023, we participated in the 2nd Croatian Microscopy Symposium in Split, where we presented the results of the NATURALLY project. In the poster presentation entitled “Exploring Plant Morphology as a Contribution to the Assessment of the Phytochemical Potential of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle”, Dr. Danijela Poljuha presented the results of the morphological analysis of extrafloral nectaries on Tree of heaven leaves. At the symposium, the latest printed issue of the Croatian scientific journal Periodicum biologorum Vol 125, No 1–2, 2023 was presented, in which our work “Morphology of extrafloral nectaries of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (Simaroubaceae)” was published. The entire paper is available at https://hrcak.srce.hr/ojs/index.php/periodicum_biologorum/article/view/24852

Also, Mirela Uzelac Božac, mag. oecol. in the poster presentation “In vitro genotoxic activity of leaf over flower extracts of alien invasive species Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle” presented the results of genotoxicity analysis performed with the comet test for leaf and flower extracts of pajasen. The genotoxic effect (percentage of DNA damage) that these extracts have on human liver endothelial cells was tested. The results showed that leaf extract concentrations of 1 and 0.5 mg/ml have a genotoxic effect on cells. Treatment with flower extracts showed a genotoxic effect on cells only at the highest tested concentration of 1.0 mg/ml.

We are honored that the Adris Foundation chose our project among 50 funded projects in this year for a public presentation as part of the Award Ceremony of the 17th competition cycle of the Adris Foundation in Zagreb. The presentation of the project “Big trees are our treasure: let’s protect them!” was held by Mirela Uzelac Božac, M.Sc. oecol. from the Institute of Agriculture and Tourism. Collaborators on the project are Ph.D. Barbara Sladonja and Ph.D. Danijela Poljuha from the Institute, colleagues from the company Arboring and the Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology in Zagreb.
Monumental trees are the oldest and largest living organisms in the world, a source of food and habitat for numerous animals, and climate stabilizers. They are part of human identity and cultural heritage and have an aesthetic, symbolic, religious and historical character. Due to increasingly frequent droughts, storms and fires and due to negative human influence such as logging and environmental pollution, such trees are endangered.

Therefore, in order to preserve at least part of the monumental trees, the age of the selected trees in the Istrian County will be determined, the state of health will be assessed and the necessary rehabilitation will be carried out. In order to raise public awareness of this important topic, educational tables will be placed next to each tree, and information folders and leaflets will be created. This project represents a significant step towards preserving the environment and promoting environmental awareness within the local community.

We presented the results of the NATURALLY project to the scientific public in a new scientific paper entitled “Morphology of extrafloral nectaries of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (Simaroubaceae)” published in the scientific journal Periodicum biologorum. In this paper, we investigated the morphology of the Tree of Heaven – one of the four invasive species the project deals with. In this paper, we applied microscopic methods to study extrafloral nectaries and discussed their possible role and function in plant physiology.

Most of the research was carried out on the equipment acquired as part of the project, and we are particularly pleased that young forces joined us in the research – Mihaela and Hrvoje, biology students from Zagreb and Osijek Universities, as part of their summer internship in the Genetics Laboratory of the Institute. In addition to our standard project and institute team, the co-authors of the paper are also Tim, a former guest student on an Erasmus+ exchange, and now a colleague from the University of Zürich (Switzerland), and colleague Tea, the owner of a private company providing technical analysis services.

Periodicum biologorum, Vol 125, No 1–2, 2023, is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Croatian Microscopy Society as an independent society and the 40th anniversary of its founding. The special issue aims to highlight the importance of microscopic methods as a tool in scientific research and the crucial role of microscopy in improving our understanding of the natural world.

The entire paper is available at the following link: https://hrcak.srce.hr/ojs/index.php/periodicum_biologorum/article/view/24852

WE PRESENTED THE PROJECT RESULTS AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “FOOD AND CLIMATE CHANGE” IN KOPRIVNICA

Potencijal za korištenje stranih invazivnih biljnih vrsta kao izvora fitofarmaceutika ali i kao hrane, predstavljen je kroz rezultate projekta NATURALLY (HRZZ IP-2020-02-6899) na Međunarodnoj konferenciji “Hrana i klimatske promjene” u organizaciji je Sveučilišta Sjever, Odjela za prehrambenu tehnologiju, Instituta Ruđer Bošković, Hrvatskog toksikološkog društva i Međunarodne udruge dijetetske prehrane i sigurnosti, 16. i 17. listopada 2023. godine. Konferencija je održana u Sveučilišnom centru Koprivnica i okupila je 150 sudionika, znanstvenika i stručnjaka iz 12 zemalja. Dr. sc. Danijela Poljuha, voditeljica projekta NATURALLY (“PRirodA KAO SAVEZnik: strane biljne invazivne vrste kao izvor farmaceutika”) koji financira Hrvatska zaklada za znanost, održala je pozvano predavanje pod naslovom “Two-Faced Invasive (Edible) Plants” u kojemu je naglasila važnost istraživanja invazivnih vrsta kao pružatelja usluga ekosustava, u cilju doprinosa održivom upravljanju i kontroli ovih vrsta i prilagodbe na klimatske promjene.