Young researchers from Porto represent Portugal in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists

Three young high school researchers from Porto represent Portugal in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) final, 22 September in Tallinn, in Estonia.

Eduardo Nogueira, Francisca Martins and Gabriel Silva are twelfth grade students from Colégio Luso-Francês, who have created a macro-algae natural based fungicide, named Corallina sp. for inhibition of microbial growth and thus fight the Pathogen, Phytophthora cinnamomi responsible for causing the ink disease in several forest species.

After a three-year period, during the ShealS (Sea Heals Soil) project, the young researchers were able to get very significant results: from the 353 tests conducted in vitro, the Corallina sp., which can be found all over the Portuguese coast, has inhibited the P. cinnamomi's growth in about 63%. 

This is a very promising result as it can be an economically viable fungicide with a specific biological activity associated with a low environmental impact.

The ShealS project is scientifically directed by the Forestry Sciences and landscaping Department from the University of Trás-Os-Montes e Alto Douro and by the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto.

The AlgaPlus Company is partner in this project as it enables the treatment of the algae used in this study.