Marisa Lourenço, recently awarded a PhD in Agricultural Sciences from the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Porto, won the "My 3-Minute Horticultural Thesis" award at the 32nd International Horticulture Congress, held in Kyoto, Japan. The competition is aimed at young researchers who have recently defended doctoral theses in the field of agri-food production. In her three-minute presentation, Lourenço highlighted the anti-cancer potential of the ornamental plant Catharanthus roseus, which produces compounds such as vinblastine and vincristine, and explained how the combination of genetics and light conditions could optimize the production of these medications. The winner was chosen by online voting among more than 2,000 participants after the live presentations.
Lourenço received a prize of 500,000 Japanese yen, equivalent to approximately 2,700 euros, and stated that the recognition holds "great significance" for her academic career. She participated in the congress accompanied by her supervisor, Susana Carvalho, a faculty member who highlighted the importance of the Crop Lab at GreenUPorto, a laboratory that has already seen two of its PhD students receive first prize in different editions of the congress. The event, considered the world's largest scientific meeting in horticulture, took place between August 23 and 28.
In addition to winning the main competition, Lourenço was also awarded the "Young Minds Award" for the best presentation at the "II International Symposium on Advances in Vertical Farming," held during the same congress. The researcher's doctoral thesis, defended in July, focuses on the exploration of Catharanthus roseus for the production of anti-cancer alkaloids in vertical farming systems.
Lourenço holds a degree in Agronomic Engineering from the University of Lisbon and a master's degree in Plant Sciences from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Her research interests include plant physiology and the effects of environmental stimuli on plant metabolism. The next edition of the congress is scheduled for 2030 in Milan, Italy.
