Although we know that microbes are a key element for the existence of all living beings on our planet, we cannot imagine how, despite their small size, they manage to control the entire planet. Based on current research, we can assert that by acting locally at micrometer distances, they form structures that represent the basic units, and through interactions among these units, they then operate at the ecosystem level. The spatial arrangement of microbial units is extremely important for understanding how the entire biosphere functions. By current approaches, these units can only be monitored. However, if we could recreate them, we would have an extremely powerful tool in our hands, which would not only be useful for understanding how ecosystems function, but also for engineering and managing them. In the lecture, I will describe the methods for spatial microbial management, which we have developed in our research and which allow us to surpass the current state of the art in understanding microbial function.
Dose assessment: from conceptual model to environmental radioactivity monitoring
Radionuclides are discharged into the environment from a variety of nuclear and radiation facilities, potentially causing harmful effects on human health and the environment. If discharges are likely to result in adverse radiological effects, they must be evaluated in...