About the Conference
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The International Conference on Duckweed Research and Applications is the world's leading forum for scientists, students, and professionals interested in the biology, biotechnology, and commercial potential of duckweed.
Now in its 8th edition, the 2026 conference will be hosted in Portici, Naples, Italy, in the stunning setting of the historic Royal Palace. This event brings together academic researchers, applied scientists, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders to share insights, discuss challenges, and explore the future of duckweed research and innovation.
Welcome to the 8th International Conference on Duckweed Research and Applications (ICDRA 2026), hosted in Portici (Naples), Italy, from 28 September to 2 October 2026. Building on over a decade of successful meetings, ICDRA 2026 brings together researchers, and industry professionals to explore duckweed as both a model plant system and a versatile novel crop.
The scientific programme spans five thematic sessions — Genes, Genomes & Evolution; Ecology & Diversity; Cell Biology, Physiology & Metabolisms; Microbiome & Interactions; and Applications — covering the full breadth of current duckweed science, from fundamental genomics to real-world applications in food, feed, bioremediation, and bioenergy.
This edition carries a special significance: 2026 marks the centenary of the birth of Elias Landolt (1926–2013), the Swiss geobotanist whose monographic work on the Lemnaceae laid the foundation of modern duckweed taxonomy — and in whose honour the genus Landoltia was named. A dedicated commemorative session will feature a tribute by PD Dr. Klaus-J. Appenroth (Friedrich Schiller University Jena), longtime collaborator and friend of Landolt.
The conference features a distinguished lineup of invited speakers, including plenary speaker Prof. Robert A. Martienssen (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, USA) alongside invited talks by Arturo Marí-Ordóñez (GMI, Austria), Shuqing Xu (University of Mainz, Germany), Eric Lam (Rutgers University, USA), Anthony Bishopp (University of Nottingham, UK), Metha Meetam (Mahidol University, Thailand), and K. Sowjanya Sree (Central University of Kerala, India).
We look forward to welcoming you to Naples — where science meets history, culture, and the best pizza in the world.
Hosting institution
Hosting institution
Department of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Naples Federico II
Department of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Naples Federico II
Organizing institutions
Organizing institutions
Department of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Naples Federico II
Department of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Naples Federico II
The Department represents one of the pioneering entities in agricultural sciences since its foundation in 1872, making it one of the oldest institutions in the world in this field. It has consistently been at the forefront of agricultural research and education, ranking 93rd in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024: Agriculture & Forestry.
(https://www.agraria.unina.it/en_GB/home)
Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology (IBBA-CNR)
Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology (IBBA-CNR)
The Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology (IBBA) is part of the Department of Biology, Agriculture, and Food Sciences of the National Research Council (https://ibba.cnr.it).
Research activities cover all aspects of the whole agri-food chain, from organisms of agricultural interest (plants, animals and microorganisms) to food safety and health, using different, multidisciplinary approaches.
Activities can be summarized in five topics: Cellular and structural biology; agro biotechnology; organism-environment and ecosystem biology; genomics and agrobiodiversity; food and health. CNR-IBBA host a large duckweed germplasm collection, including many accessions from the Landolt collection (https://biomemory.cnr.it/collections/CNR-IBBA-MIDW)
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