5 June 2013

'Diverting a disaster: Food for thought' - Wednesday 12th June

How can we improve food production to feed the growing global population? That's the question being asked at the next Café Science Extra event.

Jaleh Bahri-Esfahani, a PhD student at the College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, and The James Hutton Institute, will talk about her research into using microorganisms to improve agriculture at Dundee Science Centre on Wednesday, 12th June.

"As the world's population increases, we need to grow more food," she said. "A traditional way to grow more food from the same land is to add fertilizers, which are rich in phosphorus. These fertilizers are used to enrich poor quality soils but are not used efficiently and supplies of phosphorus are running out and being wasted at the same time.

"That means we need to look at new and inventive ways of producing food in the future. We need to be clever if we are to meet the challenges of feeding a rapidly expanding global population."

More than 4500 visitors have attended Café Science and Café Science Extra events since their launch in January 2008. The monthly Café Science events take the form of informal discussions led by leading local researchers that allow members of the public the opportunity to learn more about the ground-breaking science happening in Dundee.

With Café Science Extra, the focus is on up-and-coming scientists from the University of Dundee and Abertay University, the James Hutton Institute, and Dundee Science Centre.

'Diverting a disaster: Food for thought' takes place at Dundee Science Centre at 6pm on Wednesday, 12th June. Doors open at 5.30pm, and the event is free and open to all. There is no need to book in advance but an early arrival is recommended.

More information is available at www.cafesciencedundee.co.uk.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277