Simona Chrapačienė

ORCiD iD: 0000-0002-8787-2279
Tel. +370 37 55 52 17
E-mail: simona.chrapaciene@lammc.lt
Kauno St. 30, Babtai, LT-54333 Kaunas dist., Lithuania

Education

Since October 1, 2019 Agricultural Sciences PhD studies, Laboratory of Plant Protection, Institute of Horticulture, LAMMC.

2017–2019 Master’s degree of Technological Sciences (Applied Biotechnology), Vytautas Magnus University. 

2013–2017 Bachelor’s degree of Biotechnology (Industrial Biotechnology), Kaunas University of Technology.

Research fields

• Diseases of root vegetables, their epidemiology and biological properties of pathogens
• Identification of pathogens using molecular methods
• Integrated disease control methods
• Biological plant protection

Professional experience

Since January, 2021 Junior Researcher, Laboratory of Plant Protection, Institute of Horticulture, LAMMC. 

May, 2019 – March, 2020 Chemical Analysis Laboratory Technician, UAB “DP acetate”.

October, 2018 – May, 2019 UAB “Diagnostikos laboratorija”.

Participation in programmes and projects

• July, 2020 – September, 2023 “Biological plant protection strategies: boosting sustainability-orientated competitiveness in controlled environment horticulture (BIOCLED)”. Research is funded by the European union structural funds measure 01.2.2-LMT-K-718 “Targeted Research in Smart Specialisation Areas” of priority axis 1 “Promotion of research, development and innovations”, participant.
• May – December, 2020 “RTO Lithuania” project “Development of a database of specific parameters of plant pathogens for disease diagnosis by nondestructive methods” (2020 May 22 order No. CV-1-55 by LAMMC). Funding by Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Lithuanian Energy Institute, and The Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, participant. 

Memberships and affiliations with professional organizations

• Since 2020 Member of Lithuanian Microbiology Society (LT-LMS).

In-service training

• June 22, 2022 Webinar „How to Get Published Webinar Series - How to Select a Journal“, SAGE Journals. 
• June 17, 2022 Webinar „Predatory Publishing – How to support researchers in identifying trusted journals and publishers for their research”, lectors Lorraine Estelle and Katherine Stephan, UKSG. 
• June 15, 2022 Online training „The use of other authors' information in your works“, organized by LAMMC and lectors dr. Loreta Tauginienė, dr. Eglė Ozolinčiūtė, dr. Julija Umbrasaitė. 
• June 13–17, 2022 Training „LAMMC PhD students and junior research summer school 2022“, Girionys, Kaunas distr. 
• April 6 – May 30, 2022 Internship, Vienna University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Tulln, Austria.
• January 18, 2022 Webinar “Essential oils and pholyfenols for seed treatment and postharvest disease management on fruit” in VI webinar series “Basic substances as an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides for plant protection” (Euphresco BasicS). 
• September 7, 2021 AgriFood Lithuania DIH webinar “Lithuania after COVID-19: the importance of robotics in the agricultural sector”. 
• July 19 – 23, 2021 Vytautas Magnus University doctoral student summer camp 2021. “Public speaking: preparation and presentation of reports”, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas. 
• May 27, 2021 International virtual conference “Towards zero pollution – challenges and prospects for agriculture and forestry”, LAMMC and European Commission. 
• March – May, 2021 Nova PhD course “Secondary Metabolites in Plant Resistance and Pathogen Virulence”, 5 ECTS, University of Helsinki, Finland (online due to the Covid19 situation). 
• March 30 – 31, 2021 Online conference “Horizon Europe: opportunities for Lithuania”, Research Council of Lithuania. 
• November 11, 2020 “FEMS Microbiology Ecology Webinar on Ecology of Soil Microorganisms”, developed by FEMS and in partnership with Oxford University Press. 
• July 20 – 24, 2020 Vytautas Magnus University doctoral student summer camp 2020. “Preparation of research projects: methods, forms and challenges”, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas. 
• November, 2019 and February, 2020 Systematic training of higher education students' research work competition, Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, Vilnius. 
• September – October, 2018 Internship, Laboratory of Plant Protection, Institute of Horticulture, LAMMC. The topic “The Prevalence and Identification of Alternaria spp. in Carrot and Its Biological Control”. 
• March, 2017 Training “Do. Rule. Lead.” Listened to a detailed course on marketing, communication, business management, leadership, creativity, and business and science strategy, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas. 
• February – June, 2017 Internship, UAB “Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics”, Vilnius. Validation of scientific experiments, laboratory work.
• February – March, 2017 Internship, Laboratory of Plant Protection, Institute of Horticulture, LAMMC. The topic “The fungicidal effect of essential oils on Alternaria spp. pathogenic fungi in vitro”.
• June – August, 2016 Internship, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom. The topic “The metabolic pathways of sensory systems and synthetic materials for the production of chemical bioproducts using bacteria”. 
• August, 2016 Seminar “Undruglike drugs for undruggable targets”, prof. Adrian Whitty, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom. 
• June, 2016 Seminar “Towards a worldwide green chemistry web”, senior researcher Guido Saracco, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom. 
• June, 2016 Seminar “A synthetic model of amyloid disease in Escherichia coli”, prof. Rafael Giraldo, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom. 
• February, 2016 FranklinCovey's detailed course “Towards personal victory” about the 7 habits of effective people, putting knowledge into practice, Kaunas. 

MAJOR RESEARCH OUTPUTS

Articles in journals indexed in Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database

1. Dėnė L., Laužikė K., Rasiukevičiūtė N., Chrapačienė S., Brazaitytė A., Viršilė A., Vaštakaitė-Kairienė V., Miliauskienė J., Sutulienė R., Samuolienė G., Valiuškaitė A. 2023. Defense response of strawberry plants against Botrytis cinerea influenced by coriander extract and essential oil. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13: 1098048. IF – 6,627
2. Brazaitytė A., Vaštakaitė-Kairienė V., Sutulienė R., Rasiukevičiūtė N., Viršilė A., Miliauskienė J., Laužikė K., Valiuškaitė A., Dėnė L., Chrapačienė S., Kupčinskienė A., Samuolienė G. 2022. Phenolic compounds content evaluation of lettuce grown under short-term preharvest daytime or nighttime supplemental LEDs. Plants, 11 (9): 1123. IF – 4,658
3. Chrapačienė S., Rasiukevičiūtė N., Valiuškaitė A. 2022. Control of seed-borne fungi by selected essential oils. Horticulturae, 8 (3): 220. IF – 2,923
4. Vaštakaitė-Kairienė V., Rasiukevičiūtė N., Dėnė L., Chrapačienė S., Valiuškaitė A. 2022. Determination of specific parameters for early detection of Botrytis cinerea in lettuce. Horticulturae, 8 (1): 23.  IF – 2,923
5. Chrapačienė S., Rasiukevičiūtė N., Valiuškaitė A. 2021. Biocontrol of carrot disease-causing pathogens using essential oils. Plants, 10 (11): 2231. IF – 4,658

Other peer-reviewed publications

1. Chrapačienė S., Rasiukevičiūtė N., Valiuškaitė A. 2022. Plant extracts as biofungicides against soil-borne pathogen Alternaria spp. Proceedings of the 10th International Scientific Conference Rural Development 2021: Challenges for Sustainable Bioeconomy and Climate Change. Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto Žemės ūkio akademija, p. 15–18.
2. Lukošiūtė S., Šernaitė L., Morkeliūnė A., Rasiukevičiūtė N., Valiuškaitė A. 2020. The effect of Lamiaceae plants essential oils on fungal plant pathogens in vitro. Agronomy Research, 18 (S4): 2761– 2769. 
3. Lukošiūte S., Rasiukevičiūtė N., Valiuškaitė A. 2019. The fungicidal effect of essential oils on Alternaria pathogenic fungi in vitro. Sodininkystė ir daržininkystė, 38 (3-4): 16–28.

Other publications

1. Lukošiūtė S., Rasiukevičiūtė N., Valiuškaitė A. 2021. Control of carrot seed-borne pathogens by aromatic plants distillates. Biology and Life Sciences Forum, 4 (1): 29.

Popular press articles

1. Rasiukevičiūtė N., Valiuškaitė A., Šernaitė L., Lukošiūtė S. 2021. Eteriniai aliejai augalų apsaugai. Mano ūkis, 06: 42–43.