Belgium

The deterioration of indoor air quality (IAQ) poses a serious health risk because of the high concentration levels of CO2  and air pollutants. Within the frame of our project ‘NEUROPLANT’ (NEURal netwOrks trained with measurements of pollutants removal by PLANTs and their associated microbiome at different spatial and temporal scales), this study explores the air phytoremediation potential of plants as an eco-sustainable solution to improve IAQ. We assessed the capacity of three common indoor plant species (i.e. Schefflera actinophylla, Spathiphyllum wallisii and Epipremnum aureum) to reduce ambient CO2  concentration through photosynthesis.  The dynamic response of CO2  assimilation to short-term increasing levels of light and CO2  was measured in leaves of potted plants, that were previously acclimated to chamber high and low light levels. In the short-term photosynthetic efficiency increased in response to elevated CO2  concentrations and high light intensity, whereas long-term exposure to high light likely induced photoinhibition. This suggests that the ability of indoor plant species to improve ambient CO2  assimilation, and in turn IAQ, can be dramatically enhanced by high ambient CO2   concentration, but only to a limited extent by high light levels. Data allowed us to identify key parameters of photosynthetic performance for developing and training an air phytoremediation model, based Long-Short-Term-Memory Recurrent Neural Network (LSTM RNN) artificial intelligence (AI), able to predict the impact of different plant species on IAQ in real indoor settings. This will assist architects and policymakers in designing and optimizing plant-based air purification systems for sustainable improvement of IAQ.

SEB Conference 2025

An eco-physiological investigation of indoor plants photosynthetic CO2 sequestration capacity for implementing artificial intelligence (AI) predictive models

gas exchange analysis

photosynthetic co2 assimilation

phytoremediation

**Attenzione, gli orari riportati nel PROGRAMMA (icona calendario) si riferiscono al fuso orario locale dell’utente. Il fuso orario ufficiale del Congresso è Central European Time (CET).**

L'Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e Geofisica Sperimentale - OGS e il Dipartimento di Matematica e Geoscienze dell'Università di Trieste sono orgogliosi di ospitare il 90° Congresso della Società Geologica Italiana a Trieste dal 14 al 16 settembre 2021. La modalità del congresso è interamente online.

Con il motto "Geologia senza frontiere" questo evento mira a promuovere le Scienze della Terra come disciplina scientifica proiettata nel futuro, oltre i confini geografici, politici e disciplinari, per comprendere meglio l'interno del Pianeta Terra e la struttura del sottosuolo, difendere la società da pericolosi eventi geologici, comprendere meglio la variabilità climatica, pianificare l'utilizzo delle georisorse in modo etico e nel rispetto dell'ambiente.


**Please note, times listed in the SCHEDULE tab (calendar icon) reflect YOUR LOCAL TIME ZONE. The main timezone for this conference will be Central European Summer Time.**

The National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics - OGS and the Department of Mathematics and Geosciences of the University of Trieste are proud to host the 90th Congress of the Italian Geological Society in Trieste on 14-16 September 2021.  The Congress will be held entirely online.

With the motto "Geology Without Borders" this event aims to promote Earth Sciences as a scientific discipline projected into the future, beyond geographical, political and disciplinary boundaries, to better understand the interior of Planet Earth and the structure of the subsurface, defend society from dangerous geological events, better understand climatic variability, plan the use of geo-resources in an ethical way and respecting the environment.


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SGI 2021

Earth Sciences should be understood not only as necessary for a better understanding of the interior of the planet Earth, but also as a defense of society from dangerous geological events, for the understanding of climatic variations, for the planning and use of georesources in a ethical and respecting and protecting the environment.

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SEB’s Annual Conference is celebrated for creating the perfect composition of research, new discoveries and collaborative connections. Be creative and innovative by exchanging ideas and knowledge with masters of biology from all over the world.

Proboscideans (e.g. elephants, mammoths, and mastodons) include some of the largest known land mammals. Their limbs evolved a columnar structure and unique reorientation to withstand extreme vertical compression. Recent studies identified two distinct limb morphotypes—robust and gracile—independent of body mass, raising questions about their functional differences under compressive loads. To explore the functional implications of these morphotypes, we used finite element analysis (FEA) to simulate compressive forces on proboscidean humeri. Our results show that the broader, more robust morphotype resists compressive stress more effectively than the slimmer morphotype, suggesting functional specialisations in load-bearing strategies. While FEA is rarely applied to bone compression tests, our findings highlight its potential for investigating biomechanical adaptations in graviportal species. This study enhances our understanding of proboscidean limb evolution and establishes a methodological framework applicable to other large-bodied taxa, such as sauropod dinosaurs.

Testing Functional Differences in Proboscidean Limb Morphotypes Under Compression Using Finite Element Analysis

Understanding the feeding behaviour and diet of early tetrapods, such as temnospondyl amphibians,is essential to understand their ecological roles, particularly during their transition from aquatic toterrestrial environments. A DFG-funded project, as part of a research unit focused on the life historystrategies of early tetrapods, aims to illuminate temnospondyl feeding strategies and dietary habitsby integrating ontogenetic, phylogenetic, and functional analyses. The research is organised into fivecomprehensive work packages. Firstly, the ontogenetic differences in various temnospondyl feedingapparatuses are examined using advanced µCT scanning, digital dissection, retrodeformation, anddigital repairs to reconstruct key structures crucial for understanding their feeding mechanics.Secondly, distinct morphotypes reflecting the evolutionary and developmental biology oftemnospondyl feeding are identified using data compiled from the first work package. Thirdly, byapplying digital modelling techniques, we reconstruct probable aquatic feeding strategies associatedwith the identified morphotypes, providing insights into how these organisms might have fed in theiraquatic habitats. In the fourth work package, terrestrial feeding strategies are delineated bycorrelating morphotype data with contemporary studies on vertebrate feeding patterns, enablinghypotheses about their terrestrial adaptations. Finally, we synthesise fossil evidence with ourmorphotype analyses to reconstruct dietary specialisations, enhancing our understanding of thepaleoecology of temnospondyls. This multidisciplinary approach allows for a comprehensiveunderstanding of how temnospondyls adapted their feeding mechanisms across environments andontogeny, offering new perspectives on their life histories during pivotal evolutionary transitions.

The Feeding Dead: simulating early tetrapod feeding

The coexistence of numerous sympatric predatory marine reptiles in the Western Interior Seaway (WIS), a vast inland sea that stretched across North America during the Late Cretaceous, suggests ecological partitioning within higher trophic niches. Many studies have focused on dental morphology as a proxy to infer feeding habits of aquatic tetrapods, but much more ecological insight may be gained through simulations of mechanical performances. Here, we conducted the first, large-scale, comparative study of WIS marine reptile jaw biomechanics, applying muscle-driven finite element analyses (FEA) on a dataset of high-resolution three-dimensional models of Santonian-Maastrichtian mosasaurids and polycotylid plesiosaurians. For comparative purposes, mosasaur jaws were modeled with a fused symphysis and immobile intramandibular joint, forming a single functional element. Muscle insertions were identified to reconstruct jaw adductor muscles and assess respective muscle and bite force. We used Metafor software to simulate realistic muscle traction dynamics during biting, including simulations at multiple opening angles and multiple biting locations. We recover clearly distinct biomechanical performances among the sample, notably between the slender-snouted mosasaurids (e.g., Clidastes) and polycotylids, and the robust-jawed mosasaurids (e.g., Prognathodon). By integrating jaw size, mechanical efficiency, and strain, we provide strong support for niche partitioning among these marine predators, as influenced by physical biting capabilities. Our results offer deeper insight into feeding ecologies in Late Cretaceous marine predators, and provide a unified protocol to assess niche partitioning in sympatric marine reptiles from well-sampled regions.

Niche partitioning and feeding performance in Late Cretaceous marine reptiles from the Western Interior Seaway

The equid locomotor transition is one of the most iconic morphofunctional shifts in terrestrial mammals. Throughout their evolution, equids reduced their side-digits, with different phylogenetic clades exhibiting greater or lesser degrees of digit reduction. Over 80% of equid genera retained side-digits, despite many species coexisting with monodactyl equids for over 7 Ma. In this continuing study, we shed light on the functionality of the side-digits of extinct equids using an extant morphological bracket, comparing toe-ground interception across ecologically diverse ungulates with side-digits. Using high-resolution 3D surface scans, joint range-of-motion was estimated from osteological material of modern and extinct ungulate forelimbs. Distal limb rigs were built and analysed, rotating the third proximal phalange parasagittally at biologically realistic, regularly spaced intervals. Toe-to-ground interception for the side-digits was scored for the varying degrees of central digit extension (simulating high-performance actions), and under increasingly compliant substrates (mimicking different underfoot conditions). Our results demonstrate widespread functionality in the side digits of tridactyl equids, with significant differences found between earlier browsing forms (e.g. Anchitherium) and later grazing forms (e.g. Hipparion). High-performance actions, such as galloping or jumping/landing would have caused the side digits of almost all tridactyl equids to impact the substrate. Our work confidently refutes the notion of functional redundancy in equid side-digits. The extant morphological framework within which this study was conducted also provides a suite of potential extant analogues for verifying simulations of extinct equid locomotion, and thus paves the way for more integrative investigations involving in-vivo and in-silico locomotor kinematics.

Still using modern ungulate analogues to explore equid side-toe function through an iconic evolutionary transition...

Amaranthus sp. (amaranths) is a genus of plants in Amaranthaceae family. Several species, like A. cruentus, are minor crops cultivated for either seed production or for their edible leaves. They are renowned for their tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress and their excellent nutritional quality, making them promising crops in challenging environmental conditions. Soil salinity is one of the main abiotic stress constraining crop growth, mostly in (semi-)arid regions. Most of the crops used today are glycophyte (i.e. salt sensitive); finding salt-tolerant cultivars or new species is therefore a priority for sustainable agriculture. Photosynthetic activity of Amaranthus cruentus (red amaranth, a plant with C4-type photosynthesis) was studied in response to a moderate saline stress (75 mM in irrigation water) in controlled conditions. Analysis of photosynthesis parameters, recorded with an infrared gas analyzer coupled with a fluorimeter (IRGA), showed a deleterious effect of salt stress on the light-independent reactions of photosynthesis (net carbon assimilation), but not on the light-dependent reactions (electron transport rate and quantum yield of photosystem II). Transpiration and stomatal conductance were also affected by salt. Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis were also performed on leaves. Differentially expressed genes and differentially accumulated proteins involved in metabolic pathways related to photosynthesis were used to explain photosynthetic activity data. Finally, chlorophylls and carotenoids content in leaves were compared to IRGA and -omics data.

Effect of salt stress on the photosynthetic activity of four Amaranthus cruentus cultivars

Water use efficiency (WUE) is gaining importance as a key trait to grow crops under water limited conditions. Stomata, the small pores on the leaf surface that govern water and carbon dioxide exchange, exert a key influence on WUE through their conductive capacity (gs). gs maximum and minimum is determined by the size and density of stomata, and operational gs by density and the operational pore.  All these structural features are related based on allometric relationships that take into account the cost of investment in these features for the benefit of higher gas exchange rates. However, the effect these relationships have on WUE especially at different scales has not been fully explored. I present a simple modeling analysis of the effect of stomatal anatomy on WUE, and attempt to scale it using crop models by integrating it with optimality coefficients. Stomatal operational pore (aop) changes in response to environmental conditions. In leaves with high densities, maximum operational pores per surface area is smaller compared to lower density leaves, but high density leaves experience higher rates of increase in gs, and hence photosynthesis, for small changer in aop, making them more sensitive to environmental changes. Attempting to link these anatomical variations to stomatal sensitivity can provide more basis for incorporating stomatal variation in crop models and provide a mechanistic basis for selecting for genetic traits such stomatal density.

Stomatal anatomical basis for crop water use efficiency

Stomata are small microscopic pores that regulate plant gas diffusion and water loss. An increase in food requirements and changes in climate conditions affect global food security. In addition, rising air temperatures and increases in droughts affect changes in stomatal traits and cause stress in plants. Wheat (Triticum aestivum), the most widely cultivated food crop, supplies one-fifth of the total calories of the world’s population. Therefore, it is important to understand how stomata respond to environmental stress factors. So far, it has been found that in wheat the adaxial surface has more stomata compared to the abaxial surface. Still, less is known about the relationship between stomatal traits and grain yield and how stomata behave in different environmental conditions. Field trials were carried out with 25 winter wheat varieties in two years (2023-2024) to investigate stomata anatomical characteristics and their impact on crop formation. Trials in growth chambers with nine winter wheat varieties were conducted under controlled conditions to investigate abaxial and adaxial stomatal sensitivity to changes in relative air humidity. Field trial results showed positive correlations between grain yield and leaf adaxial stomatal density in 2024 and also as two-year averages. In both years, stomatal densities and stomata guard cell length had a negative relationship. In growth chamber trials, adaxial side stomata were more sensitive to changes in air humidity than abaxial side stomata. By understanding how stomatal traits are related to grain yield, we could breed more suitable wheat varieties for changing climate conditions.

Influence of stomatal characteristics on winter wheat grain yield

Stomatal pores regulate the CO2 uptake for photosynthesis and water loss through transpiration during daytime. Stomatal closure is normally thought to occur at night to minimize water loss in the absence of carbon uptake. Previous studies have found that overexpressing the rice epidermal patterning factor (OsEPF1) gene creates plants with reduced stomatal density, resulting in lower stomatal conductance and improved water use efficiency. However, measurements were conducted during the daytime on a single leaf basis. There remain uncertainties on the performance of OsEPF1 lines in terms of nocturnal stomatal behaviour, which has often been overlooked in traditional plant physiological studies. Many plant species maintain partially open stomata during nighttime and in fact nocturnal transpirational water loss can be substantial. Here, we focus on the regulation of nighttime stomatal behaviour and whether the rice OsEPF1 would reduce nocturnal stomatal conductance further. Stomatal development has complex gene regulatory networks and it is unknown whether elevating the expression of EPF1 would equally impact different levels of the canopy where contrasting environmental conditions occur. This study also aims to investigate how different canopy positions are affected by overexpression of OsEPF1 in terms of reduced stomatal conductance and how this impacts WUE throughout the plant.

The effect of stomatal density on nocturnal and diurnal behaviour of rice plants at different canopy levels. 

Grain yield is a key determinant of cereal crop productivity, with spike morphology playing a crucial role in its assessment. Traditional spike characterization methods are often labor-intensive and time-consuming, limiting their scalability for large-scale breeding programs. To address this challenge, we present an advanced image-based tool leveraging deep learning methodologies for non-invasive, high-throughput spike phenotyping. The system utilizes a U-Net model trained on 200 annotated spike images, incorporating data augmentation techniques such as rotation and scaling to enhance robustness. With the Dice coefficient as the loss function and the Adam optimizer, the model was trained for 60 epochs with early stopping to prevent overfitting. Additionally, adaptive thresholding and the Segment Anything Model (SAM) were evaluated, achieving Dice coefficients of 0.95 and 0.98, respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness of automated spike segmentation. The post processing of segmented grains extracts key morphological traits, including spike length, grain number, grain width, grain length, and grain area, facilitating precise yield analysis. This innovation enhances the efficiency of crop breeding research by providing an accurate, non-destructive, and scalable solution for spike trait analysis.

Automated X-ray-Based Spike Analysis for Grain Characterization

The mitochondrial membrane lipid composition in ectothermic bivalves plays a crucial role in their ability to adjust fluidity according to the environment. The observed inverse relationship between lifespan and fatty acid unsaturation indicates that increased longevity is associated with the presence of oxidation-resistant membranes. Cardiolipin (CL), a critical mitochondrial lipid, plays a central role in age-related processes such as mitochondrial dynamics and apoptosis, triggered by ROS-mediated CLs oxidation. Moreover, CL's influence on cristae structure and supercomplex organisation, modulated by fatty acid composition, highlights its essential role in maintaining mitochondrial function. To understand its role in longevity, we examined CL fatty acid composition across seven bivalve species, with lifespan ranging from 4 to over 500 years. We predicted that long-lived species would exhibit higher CL content per mitochondrion and distinct polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles within CLs. Our preliminary results confirmed higher CL content in Arctica islandica, the species known for its exceptional longevity. This study explores how CL composition might impact apoptosis and mitochondrial function, potentially revealing climate change resilience mechanisms in long-lived bivalves.

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