Virtual Mobility grant entitled “Plasma physical-chemical mechanisms of interaction with foods”, Filippo Capelli, 8/8/2023 to 20/10/2023; Report accessible here. Documentary videos here and here.

The main objective of this work was to conduct a literature review to investigate the main characteristics of plasma treatments carried out in the food industry research field. The subject under investigation is vast and constantly expanding, which is why it is not trivial to keep track of all plasma processes carried out by researchers all over the world; moreover, plasma treatments conceal within them a multitude of process operating parameters that can be varied to achieve different results. A table of data was constructed reporting the different plasma processes found in the literature; processes were categorized considering plasma source architecture, treatment purpose, physical-chemical mechanisms, power supply, electrical parameters, process gas, use of liquids or not, and treatment time.

Virtual Mobility grant entitled “Plasma effect on safety and quality of foods”, Silvia Tappi, 8/8/2023 to 20/10/2023; Report accessible here, quick guide accessible here, and documentary videos 1 and 2 here and here.

The report provides an overview of the food aspects investigated in the literature concerning plasma treatment, based on the analysis of the content of the last 20 years of research. The most studied and emerging applications are highlighted, considering the quality aspects investigated and identifying associations and neglected information.

Virtual Mobility grant entitled “Generation of PAW for biological decontamination and chemical degradation”, Ana Sainz Garcia, 1/10/2023 to 20/10/2023; Report accessible here.

In the first video, a detailed description of the characteristics of PAW was given. Moreover, different methods to determine reactive species in PAW were explained. Finally, two real examples were shown to demonstrate which PAW is better for each purpose (biological decontamination and chemical decomposition). The second video showcases the results of a survey about the characteristics of the plasma treatments used within PlAgri members that was sent to all members. Their challenges and the availability to relationships with other research groups as well as the scalability were also studied. Furthermore, to provide an example, a short video using one plasma system to generate two PAW for different purposes was done.

Virtual Mobility grant entitled “How important seed treatments by cold plasma is for PlAgri members? Evaluation of plasma sources, protocols and challenges”, Ignacio Muro Fraguas, 1/10/2023 to 20/10/2023; Report accessible here.

This study attempts to collect information about the most common plasma sources, objectives, optimal plasma parameters settings depending on the pursued goal, type of seeds, seed storage conditions, challenges, and external needs related to the application of plasma treatment on seeds. In total, 26 research centers with experience in plasma treatments on seeds from 20 different countries have participated in this work (57% men and 43% women).

Virtual Mobility grant entitled “Virtual Poster Presentation”, Klaas De Baerdemaeker, 6/10/2023 to 20/10/2023; Report accessible here.

During the last few years, many studies have been conducted on the use of plasma in agriculture. Since its start in 2020, the PlAgri COST Action has organized various workshops, conferences, trainings, etc. in which this research was shared with colleagues and fellow researchers. Unfortunately, all of these events are joined by a selection of PlAgri members only. It was not always possible for all members to make the trip, or to attend all events. Furthermore, once a poster was shown, it might have disappeared in the archives of the respective researcher, and even the attendees who were present might fail to recall the full content. Since this is a pity and limits both the target audience and the possible reach, the VM grantee collected 14 posters of PlAgri members from all over Europe and highlighted them in a video. These posters cover the treatment of seeds, water, and food, and were presented on various occasions. With this video, we can connect with the studies of our fellow researchers in the field of plasma in agriculture.