University of Thessaly (UTH), founded in 1984, is a multidisciplinary academic institution encompassing agricultural, engineering, medical, and technological sciences. It currently hosts more than 52.000 students enrolled in undergraduate, postgraduate or doctoral programs.

The UTH research team (Laboratory of Plant and Environmental Biotechnology at the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology – https://www.plantenvlab.gr), involved in this project has expertise in plant and fungal biology,  with a strong focus on plant-microbe interactions, particularly root-associated fungal endophytes. Their research investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms, signaling pathways, priming responses and multi-partite interactions underlying beneficial plant-microbe associations. The team has great experience developing and applying microbial inocula to enhance plant resilience to abiotic stress, like drought and salinity, as well as biotic stresses caused by plant pathogens and pests.

In addition, the group also has extensive experience in the isolation and molecular characterization of microorganisms, as well as in the study of plant-associated microbiomes. Their expertise encompasses the identification and characterization of beneficial microbial communities and the analysis of their composition and dynamics in relation to plant health, development, and response to environmental conditions.