News

The bioindication workshop organized at ICTM within the BIOLAWEB project

The BIOLAWEB project organized a workshop titled "Introduction to Bioindication," led by Dr. Susanne C. Schneider from NIVA (Norway), an international expert in the field of bioindication. A bioindication is a valuable tool for monitoring and assessing the state of aquatic ecosystems. It involves using living organisms to indicate environmental quality, and it can provide important insights into the health of an ecosystem. On April 25th, she held an introductory lecture during an online part of the workshop. The second part was held at the Institute of Chemistry, Technology, and Metallurgy in Belgrade from the 3rd to the 5th May this year. Besides BIOLAWEB team members, researchers and students from other institutions related to the field of aquatic ecology participated in the workshop: the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković," University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sciences, Serbian Environmental Protection Agency, Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology (Montenegro).

The workshop introduced the basic principles of bioindication, as well as practical examples and case studies. Moreover, the participants were divided into groups. Each group was tasked to prepare a presentation on a specific group of bioindicator organisms and related indices, providing the participants with deeper involvement and insight into this topic. The workshop was interactive, very well-designed, and well-received by the participants, who found it informative and engaging. They appreciated the interactive format, which allowed for discussion and exchange of ideas.

Overall, the workshop was a success, highlighting the importance of continuing education and training in environmental science and bioindication. By providing opportunities for researchers and students to learn and exchange knowledge, we can better understand and protect the environment for future generations.

Training school – “Connecting Science and Practice in Urban Wetlands”

The “Connecting Science and Practice in Urban Wetlands” training school will take place on June 6th -9th 2023, in Belgrade and Obrenovac, Serbia.
More details can be found on the page >>.

BIOLAWEB - Spring sampling on lakes throughout Serbia has been completed (April 2023)

Despite challenging weather conditions, BIOLAWEB scientific team has successfully completed the April sampling of several lakes across Serbia. Diatoms, phytoplankton, and macrophytes samples were taken from each lake during this period. These samples will be analyzed in partner institutions (metabarcoding), which will allow the identification of present organisms based on their DNA.

This part of the BIOLAWEB project is important because it will enable researchers to better understand the biological diversity of lakes in Serbia. Sampling diatoms, phytoplankton, and macrophytes are crucial for monitoring the state of ecosystems and predicting their future evolution. The metabarcoding analysis will contribute to a more precise and efficient identification of present organisms, allowing for more detailed analyses of the ecosystems in these lakes.

The success of our researchers - a recent publication in the journal: Applied Catalysis B: Environmental

We congratulate our colleagues, Dr. Filip Vlahović and Dr. Biljana Dojčinović, as well as their co-authors on the paper: "Design of an ethidium bromide control circuit supported by deep theoretical insight" (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2023.122819), which was published in the prestigious journal Applied Catalysis B: Environmental (IF = 24.319).

In this publication, the authors focused on the synthesis and application of Eu-doped MnWO₄ nanomaterial in an electrochemical advanced oxidation process (EAOP) for the removal of ethidium bromide from wastewater. In addition, the authors have developed an efficient analytical tool to monitor this process. The results are enriched with theoretical insights based on Density Functional Theory (DFT). The analytical procedure developed in this work can serve as a strong foundation for developing disposable ethidium bromide sensors (together with a platform for its removal) and thus contribute to improving ecological technologies and environmental protection.

In addition to the excellent results achieved, this study's importance reflects the fact that the work was carried out entirely at the University of Belgrade - by combining the multidisciplinary knowledge of colleagues from three different institutions.

We congratulate our colleagues on this outstanding scientific achievement and wish them much success in further research!