This award is for support of participation of US scientists in a `US-Turkey Workshop on Novel Trends in Environmental and Agricultural Biotechnology`, to be held May 11-14, 1998, at Ege University in Izmir, Turkey. The US team leaders are Dr. Donald Klein and Dr. Robert Tengerdy of the Department of Microbiology at Colorado State University. The Turkish co-organizer is Dr. Fazilet Vardar-Sukan, Department of Biochemical Engineering at Ege University. The goal of the workshop is to develop collaborative research between the US and Turkey in the area of environmental and agricultural biotechnology. The focus of the workshop will be on basic research needed to develop clean technologies in integrated crop management, using new achievements of biotechnology. Among the key topics to be dealt with are: improving soil fertility by microbial intervention; integrated pest management; bioprocessing of crops and crop residues for value-added products; waste free recycling of crop and agricultural residues; and bioremediation of soils and waters. The workshop will include specific lectures about the current research in these areas in both the US and in Turkey, to be followed by sessions to identify research areas of mutual interest, and where collaboration would be beneficial to both countries. The workshop material will be disseminated via the Internet, and the Proceedings and recommendations for joint projects are to be published by Ege University. Scope: This award allows six experienced American scientists from academic institutions, and one from a national laboratory, to travel to Turkey to meet with eleven Turkish scientists, to discuss scientific and technical developments in the important area of biotechnology applications in agriculture and the environment. The two sides will review developments in the scientific fields that contribute to developments in biotechnology, and also discuss the potential for successful applications of these technologies. They plan to focus attention on the scientific questions that can be dealt with through US-Turkish scientific cooperation. There is potential for considerable benefits from collaboration between the US and Turkey with its dynamic agricultural sector, especially in the Aegean region, and its growing industrial base, but with little domestic energy sources. The collaboration could identify opportunities for totally or partially replacing chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides in agriculture, and for increased utilization of agricultural residues for fuel and for other useful products. The potential benefits of successful collaboration, to the US, to Turkey, and to lesser developed countries, can be great. The proposal meets INT criteria for supporting activities intended to enhance scientific collaboration between US and foreign scientists in areas of mutual interest. This award is funded by INT and the Division of Biological and Environmental Engineering.
