Biomimicry

There were a small part that were talking about plants. I find it rather interesting that from the perspective of biomimicry thinking, the natural system could be a way to learn. Is it possible what iGEM created, the stimulated/fasten root growth provides some informations of the environment to us too? Could it become a method/tool/probe for finding solutions of desertification or perhaps, agriculture?

DESERTIFICATION CONTACTS:

DMC EXPERT:

Prof. Laban A. Ogallo
Drought Monitoring Centre Nairobi
P.O.Box 10304, 00100-Nairobi
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: (254 20) 578340
Fax: (254 20) 578343
E-mail: laban.ogallo@meteo.go.ke,
dmcnrb@africaonline.co.ke

EUROPEEAN COMMISSION:

Mr. Stefan Niemeyer
Floods and other Weather Driven Natural
Hazards Land Management Unit
Institute for Environment and Sustainability
European Commission, DG Joint Research
Centre
T.P. 261
I-21020 Ispra (VA) Italy
Tel: (39-0332) 78 58 20
Fax: (39-0332)78 66 53
E-mail: stefan.niemeyer@jrc.it


ICID/EWTDRO

Prof. Dr. Laszlo Vermes, DSc
Chairman of ICID EWTDRO
European Regional Work Team on Drought
Member of the UNCCD Group of Experts
Budapest Corvinus University
Faculty of Horticultural Sciences
Dept. of Soil Science and Water
Management
Villanyi ut 29-43
1118 Budapest, Hungary
Tel: (39-1) 372 6272
Fax: (39-1) 372 6336
E-mail: laszlo.vermes@uni-corvinus.hu

TERRA Mileniul III

Ms Claudia Jianu, M. Sc.
Programme Coordinator
1-3 Walter Maracineanu Sq
entr. 2, fl.2, room 171
010155 Bucharest sector 1, Romania
Tel/fax: (40-21) 312 6870
E-mail: claudia.terra@newsys.ro



OTHER EUROPEAN EXPERTS:

Prof. Skender Belalla
Agronomist/Researcher
Institute of Soils Studies
Rruga e durresit, Laprake
“Mihai Duri” 149
Tirana, Albania
Tel/fax : (355-4) 228 367
E-mail : ist@albmail.com


Mr. Enes Alagic
National Expert, Head of Water
Management and Development Sector in
Public Enterprise
Water Management Company
Federal Ministries for Agriculture Water
Management and Forestry's
-Public Enterprise “Sava River catchment
area" Sarajevo,
St. Grbavicka 4
7100 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tel: (387-33) 209 831
Fax: (387-33) 209 831
E-mail: alagic@voda.ba



Mrs. Maria Sokolovska
Forest Research Institue, BAS
132, Bulv. Kliment Ohridski
1756 Sofia, Bulgaria
Tel (359-2) 962 04 42
Fax: (359-2) 962 04 47
E-mail:mariagrozeva@hotmail.com


Dr. Zeljko Vidacek
Professor
Faculty of Agriculture, Soil Science
Department
Svtosimunska 25
10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Tel: (385-1) 2393 960
Fax: (385-1) 2393 963
E-mail:zvidacek@agr.hr



Mr. Vladimir Stavrik
Project Manager
National Capacity Self Assessment for
Global Environmental Management (NCSA)
Project
III Makedonska Brigada 10a
10000 Skopje
Republic of Macedonia
Tel: (389-0) 2 3289-282/3296-116
Fax: (389-0) 2 3289-269
E-mail: vladimir.stavric@vstavric@mt.net.mk




Dr. Panagyotis Giannoulopoulos
Agric. Univ. of Athens - GRCCD
Agricultural Univ. of Athens
Laboratory of Agric. Hydraulics
75 Iera Odos str,
Athens, 11855 Greece
Tel: (30- 210) 5294084
Fax: (30-210) 5294081
E-mail: panosg@aua.gr




Prof. Laszlo Vermes
Budapest Corvinus University
Faculty of Horticultural Sciences
Dept. Of Soil Sciences and Water
Management
Villányi út 35-43
1118 Budapest, Hungary
Tel: (36-1) 372 6272
Fax: (36-1) 372 6336
E-mail: laszlo.vermes@uni-corvinus.hu



Mrs. Angela Lozan
Environmental Expert
Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources
Cosmonautilor Str.9
2005 Chisinau
Republic of Moldova
Tel./Fax: (373 22) 22 68 74
E-mail:angela.lozan@biosafety.md



Dr. Mihail Dumitru
Director
Research Institute for Soil Science and
Agrochemistry
Tel: (40-1) 222 94 42
Fax: (40-1) 222 59 79
E-mail: mdumitru@icpa.ro



Mr. Dumitru Dragoi
National Fortests Aministration – Romsilva
Blvd. Magheru 31
70 164 Bucharest 1
Tel: (40-21) 212 97 69
Fax: (40-21) 222 84 28
e-mail: rnp@rosilva.ro

Hyphae Lamps

Lamps designed using 3D printing using Auxin Flux Canyalization theory to model vein formation in plant leaves

Human-Shaped roots

Original report from Here, and there are other similar news at Here

This plant is called "Chinese Knotweed" (Fallopia multiflora, syn Polygonum multiflorum Thunb). The one shown on the picture above claimed to be a wild one, with its root shaped like a human being, which is rare. The human-shape can actually achieved by letting the roots grow in a mold with the desired shape.

The Man who Stopped the Desert - Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzah_5y65AUs

Wish the full documentary was available online!

Greening the Desert

Geoff Lawton documentary on how the desert can be re-vegetated

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzTHjlueqFI