Greater yam (Dioscorea alata L.) is a tuber crop, with a pantropical distribution which can mainly be explained by its ease of cultivation and broad tolerance to different environments. It is a crop of utmost importance in many regions of developing countries, where it could be the only source of carbohydrates available. Despite its importance, little was known about this species.

Cultivated yam (Dioscorea rotundata) is a staple tuber crop in West Africa that is mainly propagated vegetatively. Although the majority of yam cultivars flower, the control of its sexual reproduction - in particular sexual expression - remains largely unknown despite its importance for breeding programs.

Climate change and its consequences stand before us as the greatest challenge of our generation. The Arctic is warming at unprecedented rate and permafrost thaw is leading to irreversible changes with a global influence on climate. Permafrost carbon reservoir is twice as large as what is stored in the atmosphere.

Céline Nieuwenhuys, Secrétaire générale de la Fédération des services sociaux (www.fdss.be) présentera : "Comment réconcilier fin du monde et fin du mois ?"

laboratoire MBLA co-organise la Belgian Conference on Food Microbiology (13 et 14 octobre 2022 à Bruxelles)

 Lena Jeannerod, Marco D’Agostino et Diana Borniotto feront des présentations au séminaire PEPA afin de les aider à se préparer à leurs interviews FRIA Sauf contre-indication, les échanges seront en Français ([10 min de présentation + 10 min Q&R + feedback] x 3) et auront lieu dans la salle de séminaire PEPA (bâtiment Kellner, D.262) et dans notre canal PEPA/General sur Teams.

The BELQUA National Committee organizes a 3-day training course in geochronology from 4 till 6 October 2022.

Permafrost soils in Arctic have recently shown unfrozen soil portions in winter, which can increase soil biogeochemical connectivity. This winter connectivity is mainly present if the system is open (unfrozen soil portions are connected) than if the system is closed. However, only few studies have focused on the differentiation of these systems.

Victor Brans (FRIA - UCLouvain). Impacts et interactions de multiples facteurs de changement environnemental dans la nature: une analyse de viabilité de métapopulation de Boloria eunomia en Ardennes belges  suivi par Ulrich Martin (UCLouvain). An insight into the trophic ecology of chimaeras from New zealand.

How do river networks transform and transport energy and elements ? This is the fundamental question that underlies the work I will present, which is a collection from the past three years of collaborative research at the University of Tours and INRAe, in Lyon. I will first present a fascinating case study on riverine ecosystem recovery from anthropogenic degradation.