Dimitra Valsami

🌱 PhD- Newcastle University
Working on novel biocontrol against Zymoseptoria tritici 🌱

Interested in plant pathology and sustainable agriculture

[Dimitra Valsami @D_Valsami]

Climate warming affects all of us
🐝🌱Winters are becoming milder and beneficial insects (such as bumblebees) are becoming winter active.
Understanding how these new networks work is vital in order to help pollinators and pest predators prosper🌱🐝
@BristolBioSci @DrLucyAlford

[Scientific Reports @SciReports]

No evidence for competition over floral resources between winter-active parasitoids and pollinators in agroecosystems @DrLucyAlford @D_Valsami
https://t.co/kKVGwryFr3

[Tropical Plant Clinic & Research Lab @ClinicPlant]

Great turnout and incredible time at the Food Production Tour organized by the @APS_PHC committee at #planthealth2025 @plantdisease meeting in #Hawaii. We visited Dole pineapple 🍍 farm, the multi-crop Kahuku farm 🥑🥭🥥🍫, and ended the tour with a visit to the irradiation facility.
@APS_Tropical @FPSFloridaPhyt1 @UFPlantPath @UFTropical @ippcnews

[Charlotte Rankin @bumble_being]

Bee-flies are BACK! 🥹 #BeeFlyWatch

[Simon Maechling @simonmaechling]

Gene editing enhances tomato shelf-life while maintaining fruit quality.

Tomatoes are a valuable commodity worth $95.62 billion worldwide.

↳ Fruit losses in the supply chain vary between 25% and 42%.

Consumers are looking for nutrient-rich, high-flavor, and convenient fruit.

The use of gene editing can improve shelf-life and positively impact quality.

↳ Significantly reducing losses.

1. By simultaneously disabling two key enzymes responsible for fruit softening (polygalacturonase and pectate lyase).

2. Researchers have developed a double CRISPR knockout, called PGPL.

3. This results in longer-lasting fruit up to 36 days post harvest (dph) when compared to the wild-type (WT).

4. Without sacrificing consumer-based quality attributes.

By using gene editing, post-harvest loss can be greatly reduced.

↳ Providing consumers with better, longer-lasting tomatoes.

[McAllister Lab @mcallister_lab]

Highlighting #InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience! Lab representation from Becca, Lucy, @D_Valsami and Felicity. #WomenInScience

[Dimitra Valsami @D_Valsami]

Had a lovely evening at the North East Women in Life Sciences 2024 event hosted by @CYPartners and @HFResearch.
🌱🐝I am extremely happy to have won 1st place for best poster! It was lovely to talk to so many people about biopesticides and sustainable agriculture.🐝🌱

[Dimitra Valsami @D_Valsami]

Couldn't be happier about our paper being officially published! 🐝🌱
Many thanks for everyone's hard work!

[Lucy Alford @DrLucyAlford]

⚠️New Paper⚠️

We investigated potential competition between winter-active parasitoids and bees 🐝 over florals resources 🌻🌼 and the implications for biological control. Read more here 👉

https://t.co/2zVro87ihp

[Journal of Applied Ecology @JAppliedEcology]

The prize for most original poster at #AEET2023 so far definitely goes to @ibartomeus et al for this amazing effort!

[MoSMed CDT @MosmedC]

Check out @D_Valsami and @CraigHinds_'s graffiti art as part of the Art of Science session at #SNESFest23! Not what we usually get up to at the MoSMed CDT!

[Dimitra Valsami @D_Valsami]

Impromptu bring your pet to work day #moth #actiasluna #lunamoth

[MoSMed CDT @MosmedC]

Our new intake of students strike a pose in front of @UniofNewcastle's beautiful Armstrong Building. Welcome cohort 4! MoSMed's largest cohort yet!

[Farm With Fred @Fredmunene_]

Integrated pest and disease control at its best.
#Letsgrowtogether

[How Things Are Manufactured @fastworkers6]

How plants move in a 24-hour period 🪴

[Dimitra Valsami @D_Valsami]

This summer I developed an interest in silk moths and thanks to @drtomneil & @BASElabBristol I was able to raise my first ever cecropia caterpillars!Seeing them grow, molt and eventually pupate was an amazing experience.Below are some photos of my current pupae and caterpillars!

[Maddie Hall @maddiehalla]

Yesterday was a historic day in plant biotech: a purple tomato engineered with high antioxidants was approved by @USDA @BigPurpleTomato helps prevent cardiovascular disease and fight cancer in humans.
This approval under new regulation ushers in a new era for plant synbio!

[Functional Biodiversity @Functional_Bio]

Well done to @D_Valsami for presenting her MSc research at #Pollinators22! A fascinating presentation on competition between ecosystem service providers 🌽🐝🪰🌻

[Dimitra Valsami @D_Valsami]

A million thanks to the people involved with BILT for the opportunity to publish my literature review on the functions of iridescence!
Iridescence is found in many organisms ranging from bacteria to butterflies and serves a multitude of purposes. Definitely worth a read!

[Bristol Institute for Learning and Teaching @BILTOnline]

EXCITING NEWS: The third edition of the Bristol Undergraduate Student Research Journal is now available to view online! You can see contributions from subjects including Philosophy, Biology, Medicine, Engineering, Languages and so many more! View it here: https://t.co/TpeunTfii5

[Dimitra Valsami @D_Valsami]

Really excited to be presenting at my first ever conference! Many thanks Lucy for your continuous help and support.

[Lucy Alford @DrLucyAlford]

Shaping the Future for #Pollinators - Innovations in Farmed Landscapes is nearly upon us! @D_Valsami will be presenting the research of her @BristolBioSci MSc thesis at this joint event by the @AABiologists @BritishEcolSoc @RoyEntSoc #Agriculture #Entomology #ClimateChange 🐝🌼🌾