Welcome to the PurPest Project website

“You can’t defend. You can’t prevent. The only thing you can do is detect and respond”

(Bruce Schneier)

Welcome to the PurPest Project website

“You can’t defend. You can’t prevent. The only thing you can do is detect and respond”

(Bruce Schneier)

Welcome to the PurPest Project website

“You can’t defend. You can’t prevent. The only thing you can do is detect and respond”

(Bruce Schneier)

Welcome to the PurPest Project website

“You can’t defend. You can’t prevent. The only thing you can do is detect and respond”

(Bruce Schneier)

Welcome to the PurPest Project website

“You can’t defend. You can’t prevent. The only thing you can do is detect and respond”

(Bruce Schneier)

News

PurPest presented to future plant scientists at ITQB NOVA

Jorge ITQB

On May 29, Jorge Faria from INIAV introduced the PurPest technology to students of the Master's Program in Plant Biology for Sustainable Agriculture at ITQB NOVA, as part of the curricular unit "Innovative Biotech Strategies for Plant Pests & Diseases Detection", coordinated by Juan Ignacio Vilchez (ITQB NOVA) and Maria Lurdes Inácio (INIAV).

PurPest represented at 44th ISCC & 21st GC×GC Symposium

ali ghaddar italy

Ali Ghaddar attended the 44th International Symposium on Capillary Chromatography (ISCC) and 21st Symposium on Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Gas Chromatography (GC×GC), which took place at Riva del Garda, Italy, from May 17–22.

This conference brought together leading scientists and industry experts from around the world, providing an excellent platform for exchanging knowledge...

PurPest presented at international postharvest plant pathology symposium

Andrea Ficke ISPHPP26

PurPest was recently presented at the VIII International Symposium on Postharvest Plant Pathology: Plant to Plate – Integrated and Innovative Approaches for Managing Postharvest Disease Across the Supply Chain, held in Lofthus, Ullensvang, Norway, from 18–22 May 2026.

The symposium brought together approximately 100 researchers, industry representatives, and plant health specialists from...

PurPest at 1st Portugal-Korea Joint Forum on Pine Wilt Disease

Joint Forum PWD


Following the conclusion of the IUFRO conference "Will it wilt? From bark to xylem an invasion away", held in Athens, Greece, from 18–22 May 2026, a Korean delegation travelled to Lisbon to participate in the 1st Portugal–Korea Joint Forum on Pine Wilt Disease on May 22, hosted by INIAV.

The forum aimed to strengthen scientific collaboration and reinforce bilateral cooperation between Portugal...

PurPest aligns sensor validation roadmap ahead of field deployment phase

project meeting 2026

As Europe faces increasing threats from invasive plant pests and pathogens, the PurPest consortium is developing innovative sensor technologies to detect outbreaks before they spread. From May 18–19, the consortium convened at the Julius Kühn-Institut in Dossenheim, Germany, to finalize technical priorities and validation strategies for the project's remaining 13 months.

To maximize impact...

PurPest Stakeholder Webinar: VOC sensors for early pest and pathogen detection

Stakeholder webinar

 

European agriculture, horticulture, and forestry face mounting pressure from invasive pests and pathogens, including Phytophthora ramorum, the pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), and insect threats such as the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), and brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys). These organisms...

Best Poster at the EPPO Conference on Diagnostics of Plant Pests

purpest eppo 2026

The  INIAV team of PurPest is proud to have been awarded Best Poster at the EPPO Conference on Diagnostics of Plant Pests, for the work “Smart diagnostic for plant health: from e-noses to on-site molecular detection”, developed within the framework of this Project - congratulations to Maria L. Inacio, Jorge Faria, and Maria João Camacho for this achievement!

Stelios Kartakis and...

Webinar on Healthy Nursery Plants: Recording now available on Youtube

webinar protein value chain youtube

A truly global success! 🌍


The webinar “Healthy Nursery Plants”  engaged 823 registered participants, from 63 countries worldwide, connecting experts from research, plant health authorities, nurseries, nursery associations, a wide range of companies, and the forestry sector.

This strong international participation reflects the growing commitment to healthy, sustainable and resilient plant...

PurPest seminar at the University of Salamanca

jorge ciale 2026

On April 17, Jorge Faria delivered the seminar "Novel plant pest detection techniques based on volatile organic compounds (VOCs): The PurPest project" at the University of Salamanca.

The presentation introduced innovative VOC-based approaches being developed within the PurPest for the early detection of plant pests and pathogens. The seminar was hosted by the Institute for Agribiotechnology...