The BIOSHIELD workshop held in Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University on 17.01.2025, brought together academicians, students, and industry professionals to explore the role of industrial and agricultural biotechnology in tackling climate change. The event aimed to map current solutions, identify future research avenues, and contribute to enhancing biotechnology higher education teaching programmes by developing a novel BIOSHIELD curriculum. Participants included a significant proportion of students (52.9%) and academicians (29.4%), alongside representatives from various sectors and associated partners.
Discussions highlighted significant gaps in current biotechnology education, noting that students often struggle to apply theoretical knowledge practically and lack awareness of current issues like climate change and sustainability. Participants also pointed to limited exposure to essential tools like artificial intelligence and data analysis methods. Research challenges included difficulties with data analysis and sharing, a lack of long-term studies, and limited translation of advanced academic methods into practice. A frequently raised issue was the need for greater communication and collaboration between academia, industry, and public institutions. Industry demands professionals with multidisciplinary skills, focus on efficiency, cost reduction, and effective waste management.
Promising biotechnological areas for climate adaptation and mitigation include:
- microbial fertilizers,
- CRISPR technology for developing stress-resistant crops,
- synthetic biology for improved nutrient uptake.
Participants stressed the importance of making these solutions economically viable and scalable, particularly for smallholder farmers, suggesting incentive programs and state support are crucial. Addressing public perception and ethical concerns, especially regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and new technologies, was deemed essential, requiring transparency, education, and clear legal frameworks.
Overall, participants rated the workshop positively, finding the discussions on climate change impacts, biotech solutions, and future research valuable. The workshop underscored the potential of biotechnology for environmental sustainability while emphasizing the critical need for enhanced practical training, stronger interdisciplinary collaboration, and effective support mechanisms to bridge the gap between research and widespread application. The value of utilising waste products as raw materials was also highlighted as a key area for biotech solutions.