Scientific Calendar Event



Starts 10 Jun 2024
Ends 14 Jun 2024
Central European Time
Pretoria - South Africa

An ICTP Meeting

Growing food insecurity is a major concern in the developing world. Reducing chemical use for pest management is an urgent need in Africa and globally, for cost, food safety, and environmental sustainability. The biophysics of pathogen spore dispersal is hardly studied but offers potential targets for the disruption of plant disease. Research on this topic can guide more accurate use of fungicides in the short term and explore less toxic alternatives in the long term. This workshop aims to stimulate research on basic phenomena of fungal spore dispersal and explore how research might be used in applied contexts. 
 
Topics:
  • Introduction to biophysics
  • Introduction to mycology and biology of spore development and release
  • Environmental factors influencing fungal spore development, release, and dispersal
  • Basics of fluid dynamics
  • Physics of spore dispersal
  • Applications of the physics of spore dispersal

Representative of the Government of RSA:
Mr. Jan Hendrik VENTER, Director of Plant Health, Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development


Speakers:
Carlos AGUILAR-TRIGUEROS, University of Jyväskylä
Tjaart KRÜGER, University of Pretoria
Veera NORROS, The Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE)
​Anne PRINGLE, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Agnese SEMINARA, University of Genoa
Bernard SLIPPERS, FABI Director
Mark UNGER, The Wonder Lab
 
 
Grants: A limited number of grants are available to support the attendance of selected participants, with priority given to participants from developing countries. There is no registration fee.
 
 

Organizers

Tjaart KRÜGER (University of Pretoria), Anne PRINGLE (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Bernard SLIPPERS (FABI, University of Pretoria), ICTP Scientific Contact: Antonio Celani (ICTP)

Co-sponsors