Antonio Bevilacqua, full professor of Microbiology, holds a PhD in Food Product Biotechnology (2006) and a MSc in Food Science and Technology from the University of Foggia, Italy, where he is currently Full Professor of Microbiology at the DAFNE Department and Coordinator of the Master’s Degree Program in Food Science and Technology. His research focuses on food spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, starter cultures and probiotics, predictive microbiology and mathematical modelling, risk analysis, and sustainable agriculture, including plant growth–promoting bacteria and bioremediation. He has coordinated several national and international research projects and serves as Associate Editor and Editorial Board member of leading journals in food microbiology and food science.

Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics, Facts and myths

Food Security in a Changing World

Harnessing Microbial Fermentation for Functional Foods and Sustainable Agriculture

Dr. Paraskevi Karachle is a Research Director at the Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters of the Hellenic Center for Marine Research (HCMR), Greece. She is a Biologist-Ichthyologist, specializing in the ecology and ecomorphology of fish feeding, in alien species, in stakeholder participation and in citizen science. During her career, she has been dealing with the involvement of stakeholders, mainly fishers, in participatory processes with the aim of developing an adaptive management process. Recently, she has been working on the valorisation of invasive alien species in Greece and beyond. She has organized/coordinated the dissemination of information, and the creation of dissemination materials (e.g. information cards, posters, brochures, etc.) for non-specialists, organizing meetings and workshops, especially on issues related to the participation of citizen scientists, with an emphasis on alien species. She is a member of the coordination committee of the ELNAIS network (Ellenic Network on Aquatic Invasive Species) of HCMR, as well as a representative of the HCMR in the scientific committee for the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Hellenic Republic. She has participated in more than 40 international and national projects, mainly responsible for interactions with stakeholders in the field of fisheries, recreational fishing, alien species and citizen science. She has published >80 papers in international journals, and more than 110 papers in conference proceedings with >46o0 citations and h-index 35 (GoogleScholar).

Valorisation in a Changing World: The Case of Marine Invasive Alien Species in the Mediterranean

Dr. Andressa Blainski is a Project Manager in New Product Development at MartinBauer Nutraceuticals. Her international experience in R&D with expertise in quality control, pharmacology, and regulatory affairs related to botanical active ingredients for the pharmaceutical and dietary supplement industries. She earned her degree in Pharmacy from University of Maringá and holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, with a research focus on phytochemistry and biological activities.

Bringing Botanical Ingredients to Market: Industrial Development and Regulatory Perspectives

Dr. Zhengcong Wang is an Associate Professor at the College of Economics and Management, Huazhong Agricultural University, China, and Deputy Director of the Food Economy and Nutrition Health Research Center at the Institute of Modern Agricultural Industrial Economy. He holds a Master’s degree in Food Supply Chain Safety Management and a PhD in Food Safety Risk Management and Health Economics from Wageningen University and Research (WUR), Netherlands, where he also served as an external researcher at Wageningen Food Safety Research. Dr. Wang’s research centers on leveraging artificial intelligence and big data to manage risks at the nexus of food systems, public health, and environmental sustainability. His work includes foodborne contaminant risk assessment, forecasting foodborne disease outbreaks, optimizing agricultural practices and regulatory resources. His work has been published in journals such as Risk Analysis, Food Chemistry, and Food Research International, and he developed a national big data platform for global food safety sampling and testing. Dr. Wang has served as a consultant to the food safety program led by the World Health Organization and collaborated with Mars China on mycotoxin contamination forecasting. He has led or participated in multiple research projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Social Science Fund of China, and the European Union’s Horizon Programme. His interdisciplinary contributions advance sustainable, data-driven food safety governance both in China and globally.

Prof. Dr. Marwa Tamim A. Abdel-Wareth is the Head of Environmental Research Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Egypt. She is specialized in Aquatic Ecology. Dr. Marwa research focuses on monitoring and assessing the quality of freshwater systems using biological and chemical parameters. Also, she studies fungi isolated from freshwater environments, investigating their potential use as biopesticides as well as their ability to degrade and remove freshwater pollutants, including heavy metals and organic pesticides. Her research also explores fungi as sources of biologically active compounds. In addition, her research interests extend to the ecology of various freshwater resources and the interactions among their animal, plant, and microbial components. Dr. Marwa has published more than 30 research articles and book chapters with international publishing co., she has participated in a number of research projects at Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, participated in many national and international conferences and symposia and reviewed more than 50 research papers for many international journals.

Residues of Triazole and Pyrethroid Pesticides as Determinants of Aquatic Fungal Diversity

Professor Ikechi Agbugba is a United Nations Consultant under the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Connecting Diaspora for Development Project focused on train-the-trainers programme spearheaded by the Hague Office in the Netherlands. He successfully delivered his first and second assignments with IOM of the UN as Diaspora Expert Leader at the Food Crop Production Technology Transfer Station (FCPTTS) and a brief one at National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) both in Nigeria. He is an agricultural economist with wide experiences in marketing, agribusiness management, entrepreneurship development and related areas. He has wide experiences as Lecturer, York St John University England; Researcher and Development Officer with the Reform Corporation International (RCI) London; Visiting Professor at Rome Business School; Guest Lecturer at University of Birmingham (UOB); Mentor on New Faces for Farming at Writtle University College Chelmsford Essex England; Senior Lecturer at Rivers State University (RSU), Professor and Pioneer Coordinator (Doctorate degree Programme) at Cavalla International University, among others.

Emmanuel Afriyie is a Quality and Food Safety at Danone (FanMilk Ghana Ltd.) with strong experience in FSMS implementation and food safety compliance. As a certified lead Food safety auditor, he conducts supplier audits, internal audits and food safety assessments to ensure adherence to GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000 as well as FSSC 22000 standards across manufacturing and distribution operations. He is passionate about food innovation and is developing a frozen beverage concept aimed at advancing safe, modern and consumer-focused food products in Africa.

Enhancing Food Safety Through Effective FSMS in the Modern Food Supply Chain

Dr Muleta obtained PhD in Microbiology from Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, Sweden in 2007 and MSc in Applied Microbiology from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia in 1999. He received his BSc degree in Biology from Asmara University, in 1989. He was also awarded Postdoctoral study by Swedish Institute in 2014 for one year. Dr. Muleta has led and participated in numerous national and international research projects as Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI). From 2018 to 2025, he served as PI of Subproject 2 under the Sida-supported research program. He also served as PI of a coffee research project funded through the Swedish Research Links program from 2021 to December 2025. He has been serving as PI and Co-PI to diverse research projects supported by Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. At Jimma University, Dr. Muleta served as PI of the Terrestrial Ecology Sub-Project, which was implemented under the Belgian Government-supported VLIR-UOS Institutional University Cooperation Programme with Jimma University, where he successfully coordinated and implemented various project activities. In addition, he actively contributed as a committee member of the Post-Harvest Management Project to Improve Livelihoods (PHMIL), funded by the Canadian government, which involved multidisciplinary scientific teams and smallholder farmers. Dr Muleta has been involved in soil microbiological activities: harnessing beneficial soil microorganisms such as biocontrol agents and biofertilizers (AMF, Endophytes and PGPR) for agricultural and horticultural production and rehabilitation of degraded habitats. In addition to that he was involved in the screening and characterization of wild indigenous yeasts for fermentation technology. He also presided over several research activities in wastewater treatment and evaluation of bacteriological quality and safety of drinking water. He also led research activities on mushrooms cultivation using locally available organic wastes, characterization of filamentous ochratoxigenic fungi from Arabica coffee beans, and antifungal activities of some medicinal plants and spices. He has been advising over 40 MSc and several PhD students at AAU and different Universities. He also served as a member of Board of Examiners for over 50 Post Graduate students. Dr Muleta reviewed several Undergraduate, MSc and PhD curricula at numerous Universities in Ethiopia. Currently, he is serving as Head, Biotechnology Research Centre since 06 October 2025 to present. He also served as a member of council of the then IoB, AAU for more than five years. Dr Muleta also served as Head, Department of Biology between 2010-2012 at Jimma University. Similarly, he also served as Vice President and/or treasurer to Biological Society of Ethiopia between April 2013 and 2019. He is also Executive Committee member to the Ethiopian Society for Microbiology from May 2018- 13 March 2026. Dr Muleta has published more than 105 Journal articles in nationally and internationally renowned Journals, and several book chapters in Springer and Nova Sc. Publishers. Dr Muleta participated in numerous national and international short-term trainings since 2002. He served as a member of editorial board and reviewer to different national and international Journal publishers. Currently, he is serving as Associate Editor to Ethiopian Journal of Biological Sciences and International Journal of Microbiology, Wiley Publisher. In general, he has over 25 years of experience at Higher Learning Institutions.

Harnessing the Hidden Workforce Beneath Our Feet: Synthetic Microbial Communities (SynComs) for The Future of Agricultural Inoculants