D.L. Wise - Böcker

This text presents papers from the third biennial meeting of the International Society for Environmental Biotechnology, the ISEB, held in Boston, Massachusetts, on the campus of Northeastern University. Technical oral presentations of state-of-the-art research were integrated with tutorials and workshops by practising technologists in the broad field of environmental biotechnology. Presentations were heard from technical workers in Southeast Asia, Russia, China, Europe, North Africa, India, and the United States.

The fourth International Symposium of the International Society for Environmental Biotechnology was held at Queen's University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, on June 20-25, 1998. This meeting included technical presentations of state-of-the-art research which were integrated with tutorials and workshops by practising technologists in the broad field of environmental biotechnology. This meeting was designed to be, in every respect, truly global. Over 100 abstracts from around the world were accepted. For example, presentations were heard from technical workers in Southeast Asia, Iran, China, many countries in Europe, India, and the United States. By having these selected presenters, as well as identified experienced tutors with focused workshops, all participants benefited from this interactive symposium. A number of social events further promoted informal exchange of ideas, discussions of technical problems, and exploration of new applications. The symposium, with an attendance of several hundred people, was considered a major success. Workers with experience in one area of environmental biotechnology learned from the wealth of established backgrounds of those in other areas.To formally disseminate conference results, it was pre-arranged that all technical presentations were reviewed for formal publication. Environmental biotechnology is an emerging field of scientific and technological investigations that is truly global. People around the world are now joined together by a common technical bond. Furthermore, popular recognition is high for the environmental problems being faced and solved by biotechnology methods. With a feeling of "winning", but recognizing there is much work to be done, workers with in-depth experience in solving one problem in environmental biotechnology learned from the background of other workers how they, too, are addressing and solving environmental problems. In every respect, support for this highly focused global symposium was merited. As with all meetings of the International Society for Environmental Biotechnology, papers were invited especially for the following sessions: metals - mine drainage, removal, toxicity; waste treatment/monitoring; integrated systems; bioremediation - in situ/reactors/basic studies; water quality; biodegradation; local/national/international issues.

Environmental Biotechnology is an emerging field of scientific and technological investigations that is truly global. People around the world are now joined together by a common technical bond. Furthermore, popular recognition is high for the environmental problems being faced and solved by biotechnology methods. With a feeling of winning, but recognizing there is much work to be done, workers with in-depth experience in solving one problem in environmental biotechnology meet to learn from the background of other workers how they, too, are addressing and solving environmental problems. This text includes papers from the third biennial meeting of the International Society for Environmental Biotechnology, the ISEB, held in Boston, Massachusetts, on the campus of Northeastern University. Technical oral presentations of state-of-the-art research were integrated with tutorials and workshops by practising technologists in the broad field of environmental biotechnology. This meeting was in every respect truly global. For example, presentations were heard from technical workers in Southeast Asia, Russia, China, Europe, North Africa, India, and the United States.By having these selected presenters, all participants benefited from this interactive symposium. Various persons of political stature were the keynote, banquet, and luncheon speakers; these social events further promoted informal exchange of ideas, discussions of technical problems, and exploration of new applications. This international symposium on environmental biotechnology was held on the campus of Northeastern University, but all Boston area universities were included and participated as conference Co-Chairs. This symposium was considered a success because workers with experience in one area of environmental biotechnology learned from the wealth of established backgrounds of those in other areas of environmental biotechnology. To formally disseminate conference results, all technical presentations were reviewed for formal publication.