More than 20 researchers from eight different laboratories represented the Graduate Program in Agricultural Microbiology at the VI Simpósio de Microbiologia Agrícola (Smagro), between April 9 and 12 in Piracicaba. This year, the theme of the event was “Biodiversity and Sustainable Production”, and the program also included three other parallel events: the V Congresso Brasileiro de Microbiologia Agrícola, Agropecuária e Ambiental (CBMAAA); the XIII Encontro Nacional de Alunos de Pós-Graduação em Microbiologia da área de Ciências Agrárias (ENAP) and the XV Fórum de Coordenadores de Programas de Pós-Graduação em Microbiologia Agropecuária.

The 17 PPG students who were part of the delegation presented their work in posters. Master’s student Thalya Furtado Lopes, from the Molecular Immunovirology Laboratory, had her work selected for an oral presentation. The work “Isolation and characterization of bacteriophages for different Klebsiella species” was developed during the thesis of another student, José Junior Ferreira Soares, with other researchers from the laboratory. “We succeeded in isolating some bacteriophages (which are viruses that infect bacteria) for use in controlling some species of the Klebsiella genus, which affect immunocompromised patients, especially in hospital environments,” she explains. “The event was full of highly qualified researchers, professors and professionals in the field, and having my work selected for oral presentation was a really pleasant surprise. Being able to take the name of my colleagues from the Molecular Immunovirology Laboratory and PPGMBA to USP was very gratifying!”

The coordinator of the PPG, Professor Wendel Silveira, also celebrated the opportunity to exchange with colleagues from all over Brazil, and highlighted the meeting with the coordinators of other postgraduate programs in Agricultural Microbiology. “It was a closed meeting, in which I gave a presentation on our program, as did other coordinators. We shared our experiences in this recent period, our challenges and plans to work better on our actions in the future.” After this meeting, the coordinators also met with the students, listening to their impressions and demands. “We had a chat with the students about what has happened in recent years, from our last meeting of coordinators and students to the present day. Our intention is to listen and exchange information about our planning and focus for the coming years.”

PPGMBA student representative Lutecia Medina attended the Student Meeting in Piracicaba, with colleagues from the graduate programs at UFLA, ESALQ, UNESP Rio Claro and UNESP/FCAV. “These meetings are extremely important for us to put forward the demands of the students and the improvements and advances in each program. Discussing this with several different programs adds a lot to the search for possible improvements and also to the fight for our rights.” According to her, among the points discussed were an increase in the value and accumulation of scholarships; graduates and the job market; social security for graduate students and the relationship between graduate programs and companies.

Lutecia also celebrated the opportunity to take part in Smagro for the first time, presenting some of her work developed at the Applied Environmental Microbiology Laboratory (LAMAP) in partnership with the Molecular Immunovirology Laboratory (LIVM). “It’s an opportunity to broaden our knowledge and make contacts with various researchers and companies. These relationships are important for talking and sharing ideas about our ongoing research and even looking for new collaborations. It was inspiring to see how united the scientific community was in its mission to find sustainable solutions to the challenges facing modern agriculture.”