Valbona Sota is a lecturer and researcher at the Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Albania, where she has been a member of the academic staff since 2008. She holds a PhD in Plant Cell and Tissue Culture and currently also serves as Head of the Plant Biotechnology Sector at the Research Center of Biotechnology and Genetics, Academy of Sciences of Albania.Her academic work focuses on plant in vitro biotechnology, with particular expertise in the optimization of micropropagation systems and innovative platforms for fruit trees, medicinal plants, and threatened species. She has coordinated and contributed to over 25 national and international research projects and is actively involved in European and cross-border collaborations.Dr. Sota has played a key role in the development of higher education curricula in plant biotechnology, including plant tissue culture, nanobiotechnology, and plant physiology. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and has participated in international scientific conferences across Europe.In addition to her research and teaching activities, she is actively engaged in higher education policy and quality assurance. She serves as an external expert for the Quality Assurance Agency in Higher Education and contributes to the evaluation and accreditation of academic programs at the national level. She is a member of the Commission for Biology, Agriculture, and Veterinary Sciences at the Academy of Sciences of Albania and a founding member of the Albanian Young Academy.Her work integrates scientific research, applied biotechnology, and strategic contributions to higher education and plant genetic resource management.Maurizio Lambardi is an internationally recognized expert in plant propagation and biotechnology, with over 35 years of experience in plant tissue culture, micropropagation, genetic resource conservation, and cryopreservation, particularly of woody species. Until his retirement in 2024, he served as a Senior Researcher at the National Research Council (CNR) of Italy and is now an Associated Scientist at the Institute of BioEconomy (IBE-CNR) in Florence. His research has focused on developing innovative in vitro propagation, cryopreservation, and sanitation protocols for fruit and forest species, contributing to biodiversity conservation and sustainable plant production. Prof. Lambardi has coordinated or participated in numerous international research collaborations across Europe, Latin America, and the Mediterranean, and has served as an expert evaluator for international scientific programs in Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, and the EU. He is the author or co-author of over 190 scientific publications. He has co-edited several influential books, including Protocols for Micropropagation of Selected Economically Important Horticultural Plants (Springer, 2013) and In Vitro Embryogenesis of Higher Plants (Springer, 2016). He has also been a co-author of the Olive Propagation Manual (CSIRO, 2004). He has held key leadership roles in scientific societies, including Chairman of the Society for Low Temperature Biology, Chair of Commission 'Molecular Biology and In Vitro Culture of the ISHS-International Society of Horticultural Science, General Secretary of the Italian Society for Horticultural Science (SOI), and Delegate for Italy at the ISHS. He is an Associate Editor of several refereed International Journals, and was an invited speaker at over 30 international symposia. He holds the National scientific qualification of Full Professor in the field of fruit and forest plant culture. He taught at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and, serving as a lecturer and trainer in numerous international training programs on woody plant conservation and in vitro technologies. Nieves Pilar Vidal González is a Staff Researcher (Científica Titular) at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), based at the Misión Biológica de Galicia – Sede Santiago de Compostela. She holds a PhD in Biology (2002). She has over 30 years of experience in plant biotechnology, particularly in the field of woody plant in vitro propagation, germplasm conservation, and bioreactor-based systems. Her scientific career began in 1989 with a doctoral grant focused on the biochemical and hormonal basis of adventitious rooting in chestnut and oak. Since then, her work has advanced the understanding of endogenous hormone dynamics, genetic stability, and phase change markers in micropropagated plants. She has developed pioneering protocols for cryopreservation, photoautotrophic propagation, and the production of transgenic oak somatic embryos, making significant contributions to the conservation of endangered forest and fruit trees. Dr. Vidal has participated in 14 research projects and 15 industry contracts, authored over 75 publications (including 49 SCI papers and 27 Q1 papers), and made 125 conference contributions. She has a strong record in technology transfer, such as the industrial-scale rose micropropagation protocol delivered to ETB “Aromas del Narcea”. In addition to her research, she is actively involved in science communication and education, having led 192 school outreach events and contributed to 56 public media articles with a focus on gender equality and societal impact. She serves as the leader of WG3 in the COST Action CA21157 – COPYTREE and is affiliated with networks such as BIOALI (CYTED) and several CSIC interdisciplinary platforms. Dr. Vidal has supervised two doctoral theses and mentors graduate and postgraduate students and gives lectures in the MSc in Genetics and Genomics at the University of Santiago de Compostela and Vigo, thereby reinforcing her commitment to training the next generation of plant biotechnologists.Stefaan P.O. Werbrouck is Head of the Laboratory for Applied In Vitro Plant Biotechnology at Ghent University (UGent), Belgium. He has nearly 30 years of experience in plant tissueculture and has built a strong record in both competitive and industry-funded research. His work focuses on micropropagation, somatic embryogenesis, rejuvenation, sanitation, geneticmodification, and the production of bioactive compounds, with particular emphasis on woody and other recalcitrant crop species. Prof. Werbrouck has coordinated or contributed to more than 30 research projects supported by, among others, Horizon Europe, IAEA, UNIDO, VLIR, and the Flemish government. His laboratory develops innovative in vitro strategies and collaborates internationally with academic and industrial partners to address species-specific propagation challenges under diverse local growing conditions. In addition to his research, he has extensive experience in international capacity-building, including programs in Cuba, Kenya, Panama, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Plant Tissue Culture, Floriculture, and Agro-Biotechnology. He currently serves as Chair of COST Action CA21157 (COPYTREE), which promotes advances in woody plant micropropagation in Europe and beyond.
