The workshop is open to anyone interested in attending, and all attendees are invited to present a poster. Poster sessions will be embedded by invited plenary keynote lectures. There will be no registration fee for this workshop. Deadline for registration and abstract submission is Friday, 10th September 2010. To register for the workshop, please complete the form at the following link:
If your registration has been successfully recorded, you will be informed by email.
For additional questions related to the workshop, contact: Dirk Wagner Email:
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Phone: +49 331 288-2159
PYRN & APECS members, contact
Susanne Liebner Email:
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Phone: +47 776 44430
Lars Ganzert Email:
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Phone: +49 331 288-2162
The MicroPerm project
MicroPerm is a project that seeks to establish a network of scientists working in the field of permafrost microbiology. To do so, MicroPerm is leading the establishment of a panarctic study programme on permafrost microbiology under the auspices of the International Permafrost Association. This programme is based on a networking platform which started in 2010. MicroPerm is an activity of the IPA Working Group on Planetary Permafrost and Astrobiology.
Rationale and objectives
The polar regions play a key role in the Earth’s climate system for two main reasons. First, global warming is predicted to be most pronounced at high latitudes. Second, one third of the global carbon pool is stored in ecosystems of the same northern region. The consequences of a warming of the upper permafrost are potentially overwhelming, and could lead to a dramatic increase in the microbial activity and carbon decomposition in permafrost environments, with subsequent release of greenhouse gases. Microbiologists have largely focused on the local scale, trying to link local climate variables, permafrost characteristics and microbial diversity, but there does not exist a circum-arctic research network or infrastructure. Permafrost microbiology is practically a new field of science which attempts to assess the interrelations between permafrost features and temperature and the abundance and the diversity of microbial communities, their genetic resources, their function in regard to material fluxes and their reaction to environmental changes. MicroPerm is a project that seeks to establish a network of scientists working in the field of permafrost microbiology. MicroPerm will organize a process leading to the establishment of a pan-arctic study programme on permafrost microbiology under the auspices of the International Permafrost Association (IPA). This programme will be based on a networking platform which will be ignited during the 2nd MicroPerm Workshop in Potsdam in November. After a first MicroPerm Workshop during the Third International Conference on Permafrost on Svalbard, the second workshop will gather the leaders in the field of permafrost microbiology and qualify the framework of the programme. It will then define the specific objectives of the programme, with the primary goal to establish a data exchange platform compliant with existing standards and embedded in global scientific and observing efforts.
Topics and Issues
Microbial diversity and biogeography in permafrost environments
Metabolic activity at subzero temperatures
Mechanisms of microbial adaptation and survival in permafrost envirnments
Permafrost astrobiology
Plant-microbe interaction
Microbial communities and global change
Carbon and nitrogen turnover
Microbial gene pool of cold environments
Biotechnology
Data management and feed into global microbiological databases
In addition to these topics of discussion, the workshop will focus on defining a workplan for MicroPerm driven by science questions and heavily relying on international collaboration. To do so, the workshop will be divided in working groups focusing on the following issues:
Definition of 'Permafrost Microbiology'
WG1: Which depths are most relevant to investigate microbial metabolism, function and community structure?
WG2: Are there permafrost specific microbial communities?
WG3: What does mean psychrophilic in permafrost ecosystems?
Relevance of 'Permafrost Microbiology' for basic and applied research
WG1: Permafrost as a model system for terrestrial and extraterrestrial systems
WG2: Permafrost as gene pool of cold adapted enzymes and more.
WG3: Global warming and beyond - stability of microbial communities and their functions.
Milestones for MicroPerm
WG1: Data management and networks
WG2: Gaps to be filled - research questions and possible funding
WG3: Bipolar map of 'Permafrost Microbiology'
Plenary Lectures and Program
Microbial Life in Polar Environments of...
...Northamerica; L. Whyte, McGill University, Canada
...Russia; E. Rivkina, Inst. of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soils Sci., RAS, Russia
...Scandinavia; M. Svenning, University of Tromsø, Norway
...Tibetan Plateau; pending
...Antarctica; J. Aislabie, Landcare Research, New Zealand
Microbial Gene Pool in Cold Habitats; E. Willerslev, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Permafrost Astrobiology; D. Gilichinsky, Inst. of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soils Sci., RAS, Russia
Microbial Turnover of Soil Organic Matter in Permafrost Environments under Global Warming; E. Yergeau, National Research Council of Canada, Canada (pending)
Microbial Adaptation and Survival; C. Bakermans, Pennsylvania State University, USA
MicroPerm is pleased to offer travel stipends to early career scientists willing to attend the workshop, thanks to the support of its main sponsors. The stipends will be awarded on a competitive basis. Applicants must be currently registered as Master's and PhD students or have completed their PhD less than 5 years ago at the time of application. Outstanding undergraduates with research experience are also eligible. Applicants must have direct involvement in the workshop by submitting an abstract to be presented a poster during the workshop. Successful applicants must notify the Stipend Programme of their acceptance within 10 days of receiving notification and register for the MicroPerm workshop before the registration deadline, which is 10 September 2010. To apply for the MicroPerm Travel Stipends, please complete the form:
Applications Close on 10 September 2010. The names of the award recipients will be announced soon after the deadline. The travel grants will be distributed on site during the workshop. You will be required to produce all receipts on site to justify the award.
Travel and Accommodation
Potsdam can be easily reached by public transport from the Berlin airports (Tegel or Schönefeld). Buses and trains provide a quick and comfortable connection.
Travelling from Berlin-TegelAirport to Potsdam
If you arrive at Berlin-Tegel airport, the quickest way to get to Potsdam is by bus. The bus stop is in front of the main entrance of the airport. Buses 109 or X9 will take you directly to Zoologischer Garten railway station in the centre of Berlin. At Zoologischer Garten railway station there are two options:
1. Take the S-Bahn S7 to Potsdam (it is a direct city train, leaving every 10 minutes). The journey takes 35 minutes.
2. Take the Regionalexpress RE1 train to Magdeburg (or Brandenburg) via Potsdam (this is a regular train leaving every 30 min). The travel time is 20 min.
The entire journey takes between 60-90 min.
Tickets: Buy a single ticket for zones Berlin ABC or a Tageskarte (day ticket) for zones Berlin ABC should you wish to spend some time in Berlin. Both tickets are valid in Berlin and Potsdam. You can buy a ticket from a bus driver or from a ticket machine on the platform.
Travelling from Berlin-SchönefeldAirport to Potsdam
There is a direct regular train (Regionalbahn) connecting the Berlin-Schoenefeld airport with Potsdam. Potsdam is the last station on this train and the train leaves every hour. The journey takes 60 min. Tickets can be purchased on the platform from a ticket machine.
Workshop hotel:
A number of rooms have been booked at attractive rates (single room 70 Euro, double room 85 Euro incl. breakfast) in the Mercure Hotel, which is close by the workshop venue (about 15 minutes walking distance). If you would like to make a reservation, please contact the hotel directly at the following address and use the keyword ‘microperm’: MercureHotelPotsdamCity, http://www.mercure.com/de/hotel-1582-mercure-hotel-potsdam-city/index.shtml, phone: +49 331 2722. Please note that the special rates are now valid until October 7, 2010.
Low cost accommodations for students and young scientists are available in the following hostels:
Youth Hostel Potsdam (website only in German): Schulstrasse 9, 14482 Potsdam-Babelsberg, http://www.jh-potsdam.de/unser-team-p.html, phone: +49 331 58130, prices: 15 Euro per night incl. breakfast (shared rooms), there is a need to purchase an International Guest Card as it is for members only.
Youth Guest House "Siebenschläfer" (website only in German): Lotte Pulewka Strasse 43, 14473 Potsdam, (http://www.gruppenhaus.de/Siebenschlaefer), phone: +49 331 741125, prices: from 12 Euro per night incl. breakfast (shared rooms).
Quartier Hostel: Ribbeckstrasse 41, 14469 Potsdam, http://www.potsdam-hostel.com/pages/en/potsdam-hostel.php, phone +49 331 2739939, prices from 19 Euro per night, breakfast not included (shared rooms).
Visa
Participants who need a visa for Germany should obtain this at the German Embassy of their country. The visa always has to be applied for by the person to travel to Germany at the competent German mission abroad covering your place of residence. If you need a letter of invitation, please send an email to:
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.
Environmental Microbiology - Special Issue
Participants of the workshop are invited for submission of workshop manuscripts on permafrost microbiology for peer review and potential publication in the Special Issue ‘Life and Applications of Extremophiles’ of the Journal Environmental Microbiology. To submit a manuscript please visit: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/emi. Submitted manuscripts must conform to Environmental Microbiology format, as indicated in the Author Guidelines: http://www.wiley.com/bw/submit.asp?ref=1462-2912. The deadline for submission is November 27, 2010. When submitting your manuscript, please indicate in the covering letter and on the electronic submission page that you wish the paper to be considered for the Special Issue ‘Life and Applications of Extremophiles/MicroPerm’. A modified flyer with more information to this Special Issue will be circulated at the beginning of September.
Steering Committee
MicroPerm is organized and led by an international Scientific Steering Committee whose members are:
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(Rutgers University, USA)
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(Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Sciences, RAS, Russia)
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(University of Tromsø, Norway)
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(Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Germany)
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(McGill University, Canada)
PYRN & APECS members, contact
