SERA e-News

August/September 2009, Vol 6, No 4

Wits officially on board as ACGT partner on Generation Challenge Programme

SERA 'detectives' investigate mysterious crocodile deaths in Lake Loskop

SA National Research Network tender awarded

Wits officially on board as ACGT partner on Generation Challenge Programme
	The ACGT has recently recommitted to its participation in the Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) by signed a revised Consortium Agreement on behalf its partner institutions. This means the University of the Witwatersrand is now a GCP Consortium member.

SERA 'detectives' investigate mysterious crocodile deaths in Lake Loskop
	Since 2007, members of the SERA Water Focus Area Team have been trying to unravel the causes of incidences of fish deaths and crocodile die-offs in Lake Loskop and further down the Olifants River in the Kruger National Park. During the past five years, numerous incidents of fish mortality have occurred.

SA National Research Network tender awarded
	The first step in building the Department of Science and Technology (DST) national cyberinfrastructure initiative has been taken, with the CSIR's recent awarding of the contract for the installation of the national backbone network of the South African National Research Network (SANReN) to Telkom.

USEFUL LINKS

GM crops and the Gene Giants: Bad news for farmers

Workshop on poverty-related diseases bears fruit

Systems of innovation: Their time has come

ASSOCIATED ACTIVITIES

Chinese agricultural boom 'holds lessons for Africa' - Africa can learn lessons from China about how technology can make better use of fertile agricultural land to feed people, according to a new report. Source: ACGT

ACGT exemplifies the power of collaboration in boosting biotech innovation - The ACGT was recently represented by its Director, Prof Jane Morris, at the launch of the Innovation for Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction towards an Enabling Environment for Systems of Innovation of Southern Africa (ISP-TEESA) in Windhoek, Namibia from 22 to 25 June. Source: ACGT

New, cheaper method for extracting clean water - A mobile pilot system could make preliminary feasibility tests for desalination easier and cheaper for developing countries. Source: SciDev.Net