Aspects of sustainable management of insect populations and biological control agents development were presented to the international scientific community

Five researchers from the Laboratory of Systematics and Molecular Phylogeny, Institute of Zoology, Moldova State University, participated in the 19th edition of the International Symposium "Current Trends in Natural Sciences", organized between May 21-23, 2026, by the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, University Center of Pitești, Romania. The symposium brought together participants from several countries in both physical and online formats, including Romania, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Lithuania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Egypt and others.

Young scientists, being guided by Anna Moldovan, PhD, presented to the international scientific community the results of multi-year research conducted within the project 20.80009.7007.12 - DIVZOO (State Program 2020-2023), subprogram 010701 –ZOOAQUATERRA (2024-2027) and the bilateral Moldovan-German project 25.80013.7007.02GER- Fungi4BioControl (2025-2026).

The researchers' talks included the following topics:

• Coleoptera from the southern part of the Republic of Moldova as bioindicators of the state of steppe ecosystems (scientific researcher Sorina Istrati);
• Temperature effects on the in vitro germination of entomopathogenic fungal strains of the genus Beauveria isolated from the Republic of Moldova (trainee scientific researcher Nadejda Basarab);
• Investigation of new fungal strains with entomopathogenic potential isolated from the microflora of the potato pest Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) (scientific researcher Ecaterina Doni);
• Evaluation of the antagonistic potential of Beauveria spp. strains against Fusarium oxysporum in dual culture assay (trainee scientific researcher Arina Grinco);
• PCR-based screening of insecticidal Cry2-type genes in native Bacillus spp. strains from the Republic of Moldova (scientific researcher Natalia Colodrivscaia).

Participation in the Symposium provided the opportunity to exchange scientific experience and created a favorable platform for the expansion of scientific collaborations.

We express our deep gratitude to the organizing committee and wish them success in organizing the next 20th anniversary edition.

Sorina Istrati, Ecaterina Doni