Vinny Project -

The VINNY Project recently achieved significant recognition at the 6th Scientific Conference of Young Researchers, “Youth and Modern Problems of Microbiology and Virology,” held in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Representing Project partner Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), PhD student Jovana Bogdanović delivered an award-winning presentation titled “Zein Nanoformulation for the Delivery of Phenolic Biofungicides and Targeted Control of Penicillium expansum.”

Her research explores a novel approach to combating Penicillium expansum, the destructive pathogen behind blue mould in pome fruits. As the agricultural industry faces mounting pressure to move away from synthetic fungicides due to chemical residue concerns and pathogen resistance, Bogdanović’s research offers a timely, environmentally compatible alternative through the use of zein-based nanocarriers.

This award-winning work represents a critical step forward for the VINNY Project in its mission to develop sustainable, industrially scalable solutions for food protection, with future research already planned to test these systems in real-world fruit storage conditions.