CEBDER

 

Funded by the program "Development of Research Infrastructure" (2008) of National Science Fund at the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria
 

Coordinator: Professor Boyko B, Georgiev, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
 

Leading Institution: Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
 

Duration: 2009–2012 г.

Consortium

 

The project has been implemented by a consortium consisting of 7 research entities:

- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research – Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS)

- Forest Research Institute – BAS

- National Museum of Natural History – BAS

- Institute of Oceanology – BAS

- St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia (Faculty of Biology)

- Agricultural University of Plovdiv

- Trakia University of Stara Zagora

 

The aim of the project is the development of the research infrastructure in the field of biodiversity and ecological studies.

 

The activities are organized in 6 work packages (WP):

WP1. Development and upgrade of the specialized laboratory equipment.

WP2. Development of the network of field stations.

WP3. Improving qualification of the research staff for work with the new equipment.
WP4. Personnel mobility: individual short-term training.

WP5. Development of the infrastructure for storage of the main biodiversity collections.

WP6. Dissemination of the project results.

 

RESULTS

(1) As a result of the project implementation, the research entities included in the Consortium CEBDER have new or upgraded facilities for taxonomic or ecological studies. These include 4 laboratories for molecular (taxonomic, phylogenetic and ecological) studies, heavy-metal analysis laboratory, TEM laboratory, microscopy laboratory, laboratory of taxonomy and phylogeny of animals, laboratories of arachnology, entomology and zoocoenology.

 

(2) The infrastructure for storage of biodiversity collections is substantially improved, especially the herbaria of the University of Sofia and the Agricultural University of Plovdiv and the zoological collections of the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research and the National Museum of Natural History.

 

(3) Two field stations for forest ecology studies were upgraded.

(4) Totally, 13 short-term training visits abroad were organized, mostly for young researchers, in order to obtain training in the field of the collection curation and molecular taxonomy and phylogeny.

 

(5) A training course in molecular methods in biodiversity studies was organized. Pilot studies demonstrate the successful utilization of the new equipment.

 

(6) The first database containing images and other data of the type specimens in the main Bulgarian biodiversity collections was created and launched.

 

- Final report
- Illustrations: I-st period of the project, II-nd period
- List of publications (pdf)
- Database of type specimens preserved in the natural history collections in Bulgaria (link)