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How can you expand the reach of your research results beyond your scientific peer groups? The ten doctoral students participating in the Eco2Wine Project learned how in a recent workshop hosted at South Africa Wine in Paarl, a picturesque town in a South African wine-producing region. Science communication and community engagement are key components of the Eco2Wine Project, and this training aimed to teach the students advanced skills in these fields. 

The training was part of a five-day workshop on science communication, metagenomics and multivariate data analysis, presented by project beneficiary Stellenbosch University (SU) and project industry partner South Africa Wine. The sessions were presented by seasoned industry professionals, led by Professor Marina Joubert, science engagement researcher at the SU Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST).

Among the topics were factors influencing knowledge uptake in the wine industry, presented by South Africa Wine Knowledge Transfer Manager Dr Karien O’Kennedy. Jive Media Africa, an award-winning science communication training company, taught students how to develop their research brand and improve their presentation and speaking skills. Science journalist and photographer Petro Kotzé focused on writing skills and how students can use the tools of the trade (media) to become effective science communicators. One of the project doctoral candidates, Katherine Rabik, presented an overview of science communication principles and practice. The communication training was rounded off by a visit to Reyneke Wines, a prize-winning winery focusing on organic, biodynamic and holistic approaches to agriculture. 

Florian Bauer, South African Research Chair in Integrated Wine Science and Distinguished Professor in Wine Biotechnology at Stellenbosch University, CREST post-doctoral fellow Mpho Mafata and computational biologist Dr Kristien Nel Van Zyl of the SU African Microbiome Institute presented the sessions on metagenomics and multivariate data analysis. 

The students reported that the sessions helped them trust in their abilities to communicate in new and creative ways. “A personal highlight of the workshop for me was gaining confidence,” says Capucine Dentraygues. Elena Palencia Mulero adds that the skills from the workshop have improved her ability to make scientific information more relatable and accessible. Commenting on sessions that helped them simplify complex ideas and communicate these to broader audiences, María Vázquez Fernández says she found it difficult at first. Still, she improved with the help of the exercises the trainers provided her with.

The skills will be used throughout the Eco2Wine project and long after. Part of the project objective is to develop tools to communicate wine science to relevant public audiences, addressing topics such as the analysis and the safeguarding of biodiversity and consumer perceptions toward different winemaking approaches.

It is crucial to make wine science more approachable and share our knowledge with everyone regardless of their background, Dentraygues says. “By doing so, we can inspire people, creating a more inclusive community.” 

From 29th September to 3rd October 2024, the 16th International Congress on Yeasts (ICY) took place in Cape Town at the International Convention Centre. A total of 274 participants from 41 countries attended the 5-day congress. The objective of the congress was to provide an opportunity for academics, researchers, industry scientists and students to come together and share their latest research developments and expand their networks. The Eco2Wine Doctoral Candidates (DCs) attended the congress, marking the first time all 10 DCs met in person. Six of the Eco2Wine DCs presented their projects in the form of posters, which was a great opportunity to increase the visibility of their work and spark discussion within the scientific community.

On the first day, participants were welcomed with a performance by South African singer-songwriter Tracey Carter. Professor Florian Bauer, congress chair and Eco2Wine Principal Investigator at Stellenbosch University, officially opened the congress. Over the course of five days, multiple themes on yeast were explored and divided into breakout sessions to allow participants to attend and interact with individuals who aligned with their research interests. Professor Ileana Vigentini, Eco2Wine Project Leader, delivered a keynote presentation on “Distinctive genetic landscape of Georgian wine yeasts: insights from molecular characterization and comparative genomics”.

“The congress was a perfect blend of professional duty and delightful escapade; I believe all of us learnt something new while having fun”, said DC Aubrey Lee. “It was great to finally meet all the DCs face-to-face after all the online interactions we had for the past months.” On the fourth day, the ICY committee arranged a series of excursions for the participants to experience Cape Town, along with a formal dinner at Simon’s Restaurant. 

On the last day of the conferences, attendees were treated to a session on communicating the science of yeasts. This was the first year a session focused on science communication was included at the ICY conferences, and it reflects the increasing recognition of the field’s importance. 

The session began with Karien O’Kennedy (South Africa Wine, Eco2Wine Partner) discussing knowledge transfer within the South African wine industry. Drawing from her own professional and academic experience, Karien highlighted winemakers’ information-seeking behaviours and outlined some perceived benefits and constraints to engaging with academia and wine science research.

Marina Joubert (Stellenbosch University, Eco2Wine Principal Investigator) discussed the development of science communication as an academic field. She outlined several reasons why scientists engage with various public groups to communicate their research, including educational, economic, strategic and moral motives. Marina also emphasized the importance of trust to successful science communication and highlighted the imperative to engage diverse audiences to ensure science is just, equitable and inclusive. 

Next, the audience heard from Anna Dimitriu, a renowned artist who collaborates with scientists to create artworks using biological materials or processes. Often working hands-on in the lab, Anna detailed some of her current and previous exhibitions that involved yeasts, including “Wood Spirit – Amber Acid”, which was on display at the ICY. This sculptural necklace showcases Pichia pastoris, a yeast that has been modified to feed on methanol and assist in producing sustainable nylon fabrics. 

Finally, contemporary artist Alex May shared his development of “algorithmic photography”, a technique that allows for the representation of a series of discrete moments in time in a single image. He has used this technique to document scientists in the lab, capturing aspects of the scientific process that most publics don’t get to see firsthand. 

The session concluded with the speakers forming a panel and answering questions from the audience. These discussions spotlighted the importance of engaging public audiences in the communication process, accurately capturing scientific uncertainties in communication and using creative techniques to draw audiences into the beauty of science. 

The 16th ICY was a productive experience for the Eco2Wine DCs, as it allowed them to share their projects and interact with other researchers while having a wonderful experience in Cape Town. “This marks the first visit to South Africa for most of us. The congress definitely helped create an unforgettable memory of this rainbow nation. We are truly grateful to the European Horizon for funding our projects and the opportunity to attend this congress for the international experience and exposure”, added DC María Vázquez Fernández.

The first week-long training event for doctoral students participating in the Eco2Wine project was held in July 2024. Titled “Omics Technologies Applied to Research in Vitiviniculture,” the event focused on the application of high-throughput sequencing techniques in viticulture and winemaking.

The event was held in Logroño, the capital of La Rioja, one of Spain’s most important viticulture regions. This small city is home to the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences (ICVV-CSIC), one of the Eco2Wine beneficiaries, and the Fundación Rioja Salud, a consortium partner. The La Rioja Biomedical Research Centre’s facilities hosted the students and instructors during the theoretical-practical classes.

The training programme introduced the students to high-throughput sequencing and its vast applications in agriculture and biotechnology. It emphasised topics like de novo genomic sequencing, resequencing, transcriptomic, and metataxonomic and metagenomic analysis. Theoretical classes, with examples applied to viticulture and winemaking, were interspersed with hands-on training and an introduction to using Linux systems for bioinformatic computation.

This course in Logroño was the first opportunity for the Eco2Wine doctoral candidates to meet in person and to interact with some members of the Eco2Wine consortium. Dr Ileana Vigentini, Eco2Wine project coordinator, travelled to Logroño to give the students an overview of the project. Dr Ramón González, CSIC Research Professor at ICVV, and Dr Gustavo Cordero, Research Professor at the University of Cádiz, presented the career development and training platforms to the students. The Eco2Wine communication support team joined an online session to discuss their plans and attend the students’ presentations about their PhD projects.

However, one cannot visit La Rioja without experiencing the blend of tradition and modernity that comes together in the production of some of the most renowned wines in Spain. A technical visit was organised at the Torres Family’s winery, “La Carbonera”, an associated partner of the Eco2Wine consortium. Students were acquainted with the origins and typicity of unique wines in the Rioja Alavesa region. They learned about the extent of the vineyards, their locations and uniqueness, and the innovative processes to achieve singular wines: Las Pisadas and Malpastor. Afterwards, the group travelled to Haro, the wine capital of Rioja, to visit Bodegas Manzanos, a winery carved into the earth. Here, the students received training on the most traditional production processes of the region. Finally, they visited the laboratories, research facilities and the experimental winery of the ICVV, guided by Dr González and his colleague, Pablo Carbonell, who explained the main lines of innovation in viticultural research in the region.

“We hope that this course was a moment of learning and meeting for these young scientists on their way to achieve their doctoral qualifications and that they enjoyed visiting this region steeped in the tradition of winemaking, but also in innovation and modernity,” said Dr María de Toro Hernando, Manager of the Genomics & Bioinformatics Core Facility at the Fundación Rioja Salud and a key organiser of the event. “Cutting-edge research will be key to next-generation sequencing techniques that will open the door to the genetic and genomic study of the viticultural ecosystem, from the soil to the wine.”