Month: June 2026

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ARCHI-SKIN presented at the 1st South-East Transnational Congress of Microbial Sciences

InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM researcher attended the 1st South-East Transnational Congress of Microbial Sciences (SETCoMS 2026), held 10–13 June 2026 in Belgrade, Serbia.

The congress brought together researchers, clinicians and industry representatives from across the region and beyond to discuss recent advances in microbiology, health and environmental sciences.

Dr. Ihab Malat, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM researcher, presented at the congress his recently published research article entitled ‘’Surface Colonization of Aureobasidium pullulans: A Multimodal Microscopy Study Toward Living Coating Development’’.

The study contributes to the development of innovative bio-based living coatings and investigates the surface colonization behaviour of Aureobasidium pullulans, a versatile fungal species with significant potential for sustainable building applications. Using a multimodal microscopy approach, the research provides valuable insights into fungal growth patterns and biofilm formation on material surfaces, supporting the design and optimisation of living coating systems.

The presented work contributes to the objectives of the ERC-funded ARCHI-SKIN and EIC-funded REMEDY projects, which aim to develop innovative bio-based technologies and sustainable solutions for the built environment through the integration of living systems and advanced material design.

The SETCoMS 2026 congress programme focused on recent developments in microbial sciences and provided an excellent platform for disseminating research findings, exchanging knowledge and establishing new scientific collaborations.

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ARCHI-SKIN is proud that its team members are MSCA fellows

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) is marking the 30th anniversary of the programme, which has been supporting the development of research careers, skills acquisition, and the international mobility of researchers across Europe for three decades.

Over 30 years the programme has supported over 150,000 researchers at all career stages, from early-stage doctoral candidates to experienced postdoctoral researchers and research managers. Among those were also several InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM researchers which received the MSCA fellowships that supported their career development and enhanced collaboration between industry an academia.

Currently InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM researchers are involved in two active MSCA-funded projects, namely Dr. Valentina Hribljan is developing the Stress-Induced Preconditioning for Resilient Engineered Living Materials in Probiotic Architecture project and Dr. Karen Butina Ogorelec with the Microbially Induced Mineralisation of Wood for Improved Fire Resistance (MICRO-INSERT) project, both under supervision of Dr. Anna Sandak.

These projects are reflecting the ongoing collaboration within MSCA framework and contributing to the programme’s broader objectives through interdisciplinary and international research activities.

You can find more information about the anniversary on the official MSCA 30th anniversary page.

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Dr. Wojciech Pajerski presented his research on microbial–material interactions at ICASS 2026 Conference in Chengdu (China)

Researcher from InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM participated in the 7th International Conference on Applied Surface Science (ICASS 2026), held 1 – 4 June 2026 in Chengdu, China.

The conference, organized by the journal Applied Surface Science and Elsevier, brought together researchers working in surface science, advanced materials, nanotechnology, biointerfaces and related fields. The event provided an opportunity for knowledge exchange and discussions on current developments and future research directions in these areas.

Dr. Wojciech Pajerski, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM researcher, presented his research on microbial–material interactions, biointerfaces and sustainable bio-based material solutions. His participation contributed to discussions with international experts and researchers working on related topics.

The conference also provided opportunities for networking and strengthening existing collaborations. During the event, Dr. Pajerski met with collaborators from the Faculty of Chemistry at the Jagiellonian University to discuss ongoing research activities and opportunities for future cooperation.

Participation in ICASS 2026 enabled the exchange of knowledge with researchers from around the world, fostered scientific collaboration, and supported discussions on future developments in surface science, biointerfaces and sustainable material solutions.

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ARCHI-SKIN team hosted students from Salzburg University of Applied Sciences

InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM hosted a group of students and Prof. Guenter Berger from Salzburg University of Applied Sciences as part of a sustainable study excursion.

They were welcomed by Dr. Jakub Grzybek, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM researcher. Dr. Mike Burnard, Deputy Department Chair at InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM, guided them through the facility and laboratories, presenting the research environment and ongoing activities.

During the visit, Dr. Anna Sandak, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM Materials research group leader and representative of the University of Primorska in the Technology Council for Advanced Materials of the European Commission, introduced the ELM research activities and gave a presentation titled Living systems as building materials.

The visit provided students with an opportunity to gain insight into contemporary research in sustainable construction and wood science.