Decoding Plant Metabolism: AI, Knowledge Graphs, and Open Data Platforms (with Elena del Pup)

​Discovering novel plant secondary metabolites and characterising their underlying pathways requires advanced computational infrastructure to navigate complex genomic landscapes. In this presentation, Elena del Pup outlines how integrated bioinformatics tools, artificial intelligence, and open-access data platforms accelerate pathway discovery. The session details the application of plantiSMASH 2.0 for automated identification of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) in plant genomes, alongside PlantMetWiki, a Linked Open Data platform designed for mapping global biochemical pathways. Additionally, the talk addresses frameworks for translating computational natural product discovery into bioeconomy initiatives and academic venture building.

Key Focus Areas:

• ​Automated identification of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) using plantiSMASH 2.0

• ​Structuring and querying biochemical pathway data via PlantMetWiki and knowledge graphs

• ​Integration of multi-omics data for natural product discovery

• ​Translating computational workflows into life science ventures and bioeconomy frameworks

​Speaker:

​Elena del Pup, PhD Researcher in Bioinformatics at Wageningen University & Research and Co-Managing Director at Nucleate Netherlands. Her research focuses on computational pathway mapping, plant genomic tool development, and academic translation.