The Institute of Technology Carlow, in collaboration with the Nematology Group of the Association of Applied Biologists (www.aab.org.uk), hosts a high profile scientific conference in the area of environmental nematology. This is a highly specialised event in a niche area ready to receive delegates from Europe and as far as the USA, Taiwan and South Africa. The event will run for two days in the newly built teaching and learning facility in the Institute, the Haughton building, on June 28 and 29.
Nematodes are microscopic wormlike invertebrate organisms, with high environmental significance. The field of environmental nematology studies nematodes as indicators of environmental change. The theme of this Symposium is particularly welcome in a regional, national and global context, in a world facing many environmental challenges. The topic of the Symposium is particularly pertinent and timely. The emerging field of environmental nematology has considerable applied significance as our awareness grows of the potential consequences of global warming, pollutants and environmental contaminants, and the need to decompose and recycle human, urban, and industrial wastes.
This event is relevant not only to nematologists but also to scientists interested in environmental biomonitoring, soil and benthic biodiversity and ecology, land use effects on soil ecosystems, ecotoxicology, agro-ecology and environmental risk assessment. The meeting will also highlight how knowledge and experience in the field of environmental nematology can be applied in industry and in policy informing and making.
The symposium will provide a platform for the world specialists in the field to meet, present their work and exchange ideas, with IT Carlow scientists amongst them. It will also provide the privilege to the delegates to listen keynote addresses by three of the world leading experts in the field: Prof Diana Wall (Colorado State University) on sustaining soils, Dr Michaela Schratzberger (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture, UK) on challenges of the marine environment, and Prof Stephen Sturzenbaum (King’s College London, UK) on the exciting topic of nematode toxicogenomics.
ENDS
For more information contact Thomae Kakouli-Duarte e: thomae.kakouli@itcarlow.ie