Pharm-ERA Summer School 2025: A Week of Immersive Learning and Collaboration in Ecotoxicology

Held in AquaBioTech facilities in Malta and co-organised by AquaBioTech, the Swiss Ecotox Center and INRAE, the event provided an intensive week of theoretical insights, hands-on sessions, and professional development opportunities focused on environmental risk assessment and ecotoxicology.
The ten doctoral candidates from the Pharm-ERA network participated, joined by two external attendees, who shared their perspectives in a separate testimonial article available at https://pharm-era.hub.inrae.fr/news2/summer-school-experience

An Engaging and Comprehensive Program

The program combined expert lectures with practical laboratory sessions to address key aspects of ecotoxicological risk assessment in both aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Key topics included:

• Ecotoxicity Testing Methods: Aquatic (copepods, Artemia), sediment, soil (Enchytraeid avoidance), and alternatives to animal testing.
• Regulatory Frameworks and Industry Standards: Emphasis on Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), data traceability, and private-sector perspectives.
• Environmental Chemistry and Modelling: Introduction to suspect and non-target screening, effect-directed analysis (EDA), TyPol clustering, and (Q)SAR modelling.
• In situ Monitoring: Biomonitoring approaches using Gammarus fossarum, microbial community diagnostics, and sampling challenges for micropollutants.

Hands-on sessions included the launch and interpretation of ecotoxicological tests and risk assessment exercises, reinforcing the practical application of learned concepts.

A Network of Distinguished Trainers

The Summer School was enriched by the contributions of renowned experts from multiple institutions:

• Ecotox Center : Alexandra Kroll, Cornelia Kienle, Carmen Casado-Martinez, Mathieu Renaud, Emmanuelle Rohrbach, Breanne Holmes, Marion Junghans, and Benoît Ferrari

• AquaBioTech : Marina Maritati, Joseph Muscat, and Adrian Love

• France's National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment - INRAE : Pierre Benoit, Christelle Margoum, Cécile Miège, Stéphane Pesce

• Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology : Marco Franco

• KREATiS : Paul Thomas, Floriane Larras

• IDAEA-Spanish National Research Council : Sandra Perez, Victoria Osorio Torrens

• University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland : Ali Kizgin

• BIOMAE : Guillaume Jubeaux

Their expertise offered participants a panoramic view of current methodologies and challenges in the field of environmental risk assessment.

Beyond Science: Communication and Outreach

As part of the Summer School, a major outreach event was held at the Valletta Design Cluster, supported by the French Embassy in Malta. The conference, entitled “Antibiotics in the Environment: A Growing Concern,” was organised on tuesday June 17th in the Valletta Cluster Design, in Valletta, Malta, and gathered around 40 participants.

This event was designed and led by the Pharm-ERA doctoral candidates, who created a dynamic and engaging presentation integrating scientific communication with public interaction. The conference addressed the growing global concern of environmental contamination by pharmaceuticals, antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms, and pathogens, and aimed to raise awareness about the impact of antibiotic use on ecosystems and public health.

The event began with an introduction by Dr. Benoît Ferrari (Director, Swiss Center for Applied Ecotoxicology) and Adrian Love (Head of Ecotoxicology, AquaBioTech Malta), who presented the Pharm-ERA consortium and its mission.
This was followed by an engaging and interactive session led by Pharm-ERA doctoral candidates including:

• A scientific presentation to antimicrobial resistance and it’s implication by Ioanna Gkoni (INRAE, France) and David Calvo Mora (CEAB-CSIC, Spain)
• A live role-play game simulating the transmission of resistance genes among microbial communities led by Venetios Michelioudakis (AIEFORIA, Italy)
• A quiz to test audience understanding, hosted by Chloën Lhomme (UTH, Greece) and Louis Susset (UFZ)

The conference concluded with an open Q&A session and informal discussions over a reception on the rooftop terrace, encouraging dialogue between researchers and the public. The event successfully combined informative content with accessible delivery, demonstrating the commitment of Pharm-ERA to science-society engagement.

Conclusion

The 2025 Pharm-ERA Summer School was a resounding success, fostering both scientific advancement and professional development. The intense week strengthened bonds across the network and offered participants valuable tools for their research careers.

Stay tuned for future events and don’t miss the testimonials from external participants at https://pharm-era.hub.inrae.fr/news2/summer-school-experience.