Florence, Italy · July 6-9, 2027

PlANTMETALS society
2027 Conference

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How to participate About Us
PlantMetals Florence

This conference, organised by the PLANTMETALS society , aims to bring together scientists of all disciplines working on trace metal metabolism in plants and other photosynthetic organisms.

Topics include all essential and non-essential trace metals, work on metalloids is also welcome.

Research may focus on uptake, translocation, sequestration, metabolic use, deficiency, toxicity, and detoxification of metals.

The Mission

About the Society

Recognizing the critical importance of research for sustainable societal and economic development, the founding members, representing the field of trace metal metabolism in plants, have established the Society for Research on Trace Metal Metabolism in Plants.

Their goal is to advance both fundamental and applied research in this area, with a long-term vision of benefiting the environment, enhancing food quality, and ensuring food safety.

This initiative seeks to continue the efforts of the COST Action PLANTMETALS under the same name to the extent possible without the direct support of the COST Association.

Additional information and organizational structure are available here
Past Edition 2025

Photo from the last edition of the conference, held in České Budějovice (Czechia), 9–12 September 2025.

Scientific Programme

Programme and Speakers

Preliminary program is available HERE

Session 1

Pathways of trace metals from the soil and through the plant

Stephan Clemens
Invited Speaker

Stephan Clemens

Plant Physiology, Bayreuth Center for Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth

Bayreuth, Germany
Session 2

Metalloproteins important for trace metal homeostasis, metallo-enzymes

Eva Freisinger
Invited Speaker

Eva Freisinger

Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich

Zurich, Switzerland
Session 3

Responses of plant trace metal metabolism to the environment

Sylvain Merlot
Invited Speaker

Sylvain Merlot

Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INP Toulouse, Laboratoire de Recherche en Sciences Végétales (LRSV)

Auzeville-Tolosane, France
Session 4

Agronomic aspects of trace metal homeostasis

Ismail Cakmak
Invited Speaker

Ismail Cakmak

Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University

Istanbul, Turkey
Session 5

Multidisciplinary session

Seçkin Eroğlu
Invited Speaker

Seçkin Eroğlu

Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University

Ankara, Turkey
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Venue & Travel

Botanical Garden
«Giardino dei Semplici»

The Giardino dei Semplici is the botanical garden of Florence and one of the oldest in the world. Today, it is a key part of the Università degli Studi di Firenze Museum System.

Founded on December 1st, 1545, it was dedicated to the cultivation of medicinal plants, known as "semplici" in Renaissance medicine. It is considered the third oldest botanical garden in the world.

The garden covers 2.39 hectares and includes more than 5,000 specimens. The collection includes historic trees such as a Taxus baccata planted around 1720, a large cork oak (Quercus suber) from 1805, and several conifers such as Araucaria, Torreya, and Sequoia.

Additional infos available here
Map
OPEN IN GOOGLE MAPS

By Train

Firenze S.M.N. is the main station. A scenic 15-minute walk through the center or a quick ride via bus lines 1, 7, or 25.

By Plane

Florence Airport (FLR) is connected via Tramway T2 directly to the city center in just 20 minutes.

Location

Via Micheli, 3, 50121 Florence, Italy

Stay in Florence

Accommodations

The University of Florence does not have its own accommodation facilities. However, the city of Florence offers various types of accommodation that can meet different needs and budgets: hotels, hostels, residences, individual or shared apartments, and single or double rooms.

Availability and prices vary widely depending on the location and the services offered. We recommend booking in advance to secure the best rates during the conference period.

Florence view from Piazzale Michelangelo

Florence view from Piazzale Michelangelo

Accommodation facilities at reduced rates can be found here:

WELCOME UNIFI ACCOMMODATIONS
People Behind the Event

Organising Committees

International Organising Committee

  • Hendrik Küpper Hendrik.Kuepper@web.de
    University of South Boemia, Czech Republic
  • Nathalie Verbruggen — Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
  • Sébastien Thomine — CNRS, France
  • Ana Assunção — University of Porto, Portugal
  • Annette Rompel — University of Vienna, Austria
  • Jonathan Przybyla-Toscano — University of Liège, Belgium
  • Marek Vaculik — Slovak Academy of Science, Slovakia
  • Dorina Podar — Babes-Bolyai University, Romania
  • Valérie Bert — INERIS, France
  • Giancarlo Renella — University of Padua, Italy
  • Seçkin Eroğlu — Middle East Technical University, Turkey
  • Muhammad Imran — Nouryon Chemicals, The Netherlands

Local Organising Committee

  • Cristina Gonnelli cristina.gonnelli@unifi.it
    University of Florence, Italy
  • Marco Dainelli marco.dainelli@unifi.it
    University of Florence, Italy
  • Ilaria Colzi — University of Florence, Italy
  • Nadia Bazihizina — University of Florence, Italy
  • Maria de Benedictis — CNR, Italy
  • Elisa Fasani — University of Verona, Italy
  • Giovanni Dal Corso — University of Verona, Italy
  • Luigi Sanità Di Toppi — University of Pisa, Italy
  • Erika Bellini — University of Pisa, Italy