BIODESERT Conference announcement

In the ambit of the European project BIODESERT, we are organizing an international conference dealing with the management of microbial resources in arid lands for the development of a sustainable agriculture. The conference is entitled “Microbial resource management for agriculture in arid lands” and will be held in Tunis, Tunisia from 16 th to 18th December 2012. We expect to have a wide international audience including scientists expert in desert biology, agriculture in arid environments, microbiology of the plant-soil ecosystems, symbiosis and microbiology of extremophiles. The final aim of the conference is to discuss the new advancements in microbiology that can enhance agriculture in arid ecosystems according to a sustainable management.
The subjects that will be covered regard the diversity and adaptation of microorganisms in desert and extreme environments. Three sessions are planned: (i) Microbial diversity in desert extreme environment; (ii) Insect-Microbe Symbiosis; (iii) Plant-microbe interactions in desert and arid ecosystems.

Microbial diversity in desert extre me environment Workshop announcement

In the ambit of the EU project BIODESERT, a workshop on  “Microbial diversity in desert extreme environment” will be held from 9 to 11 July 2012. During this period many topics will be covered. These topics are: (i) Sand and stone dwelling microorganisms; (ii) microbial diversity in saline and halo-alkaline ecosystems; (iii) New “omics” techniques for studying microbial diversity in arid ecosystems.

Plant - Microbe Symbiosis Workshop announcement

In the ambit of the EU project BIODESERT, a workshop on  “Plant - Microbe Symbiosis” will be held from 17 to 19 March 2012. During this period many topics will be covered. These topics are: (i) Symbiotic nitrogen fixing microorganisms in plants growing in arid ecosystems; (ii) Plant pathogens in arid agroecosystems; (iii) Molecular markers for identifying and exploring biodiversity amongst insect symbionts; (iii) Plant growth promoting bacteria for improving plant growth in arid lands.

Insect - Microbe Symbiosis Workshop announcement
In the ambit of the EU project BIODESERT, a workshop on  “Insect - Microbe Symbiosis” will be held from 13 to 15 December 2011. During this period many topics will be covered. These topics are: (i) Type of microbial symbionts and nature of the symbiotic relationship; (ii) Overview of the symbiont diversity in agriculture insect pests and economically useful insects; (iii) Molecular markers for identifying and exploring biodiversity amongst insect symbionts; iv) Emerging symbiont-based strategies for the control of insects and insect-transmitted diseases.

Desert: Mission BIOMES

Desert biomes are the driest of all the biomes. In fact, the most important characteristic of a desert is that it receives very little rainfall. Most deserts receive less than 300 mm a year compared to rainforests, which receive over 2,000 mm. That means that the desert only gets 10 percent of the rain that a rainforest gets! The temperature in the desert can change drastically from day to night because the air is so dry that heat escapes rapidly at night....

Sahara desert project aims to power half the world by 2050

The Sahara Solar Breeder Project aims to begin by building a silicon manufacturing plant in the desert to transform silica in the sand into silicon of sufficiently high quality for use in solar panels. Solar power plants will be constructed using the solar panels, and some of the electricity generated will supply the energy needed to build more silicon plants to produce more solar panels, to produce more electricity...

The Desert Project

in the arid high desert of New Mexico. ... we seek to address some of the basic conflicts of building in the environmentally fragile West. THE DESERT PROJECT ...

Incredible Sahara Forest Project to Generate Fresh Water, Solar Power and Crops in African Desert

Can you imagine being able to produce enough water in the Sahara to grow crops there? Can you imagine harnessing sufficient quantities of solar power to supply electricity to cities in Africa and cities in Europe? Can you imagine producing a sustainable bio-fuel that doesn’t impact on world food supplies?...