Dear All,

I am pleased to report on the scientific accomplishments achieved under the BTR Foundation's research and educational initiatives. Over the past year there has been a great deal of progress in taking each scientific project out of the conference room and into the laboratory and field. With the participation of the first BTR - Stanford Fellows and the continuation of our Microbiology work and Ecology field surveys during the academic year, BTR's scientific programs have grown and matured.
 

Dead Sea Cruises
In February and March of this year BTR conducted the second and third Dead Sea Research Cruises with the most promising results yet. The project began in 2006 with the first ever research voyage across the international border that separates the Jordanian and Israeli sides of the Sea. During these research cruises scientists were able to complete their samplings and also expand the scope of the project. This project, developed and executed jointly by Israeli and Jordanian scientists, is also the basis for a new Bridging the Rift initiative to explore the DNA found in the Dead Sea organisms, some of which may be previously unknown, discovered during the cruises.
 

Ecology
This year the project underwent active expansion with the participation of two new BTR - Stanford Fellows. Under the guidance of the project's senior scientists, the fellows and their research assistants completed an intensive season of field surveys. This joint field work covered research topics relating to the biodiversity of the agricultural areas in the Wadi Araba/Arava regions of Jordan and Israel. Data from this fieldwork are now being analyzed.
 

Microbiology of the Dead Sea Springs and the Tamarix Trees
In addition to sampling the Dead Sea, a team of microbiologists from Jordan and Israel have continued their work on life in the hot springs that surround the Dead Sea, and the microbial life found in the droplets of dew on the Tamarix tree. The collaborative research has continued with field surveys and research visits to Israeli universities. These visits are a breakthrough for all involved, and more are planned for the coming year.


As the academic year begins around the world, we are excited to continue with the next year of the BTR - Stanford Fellowships and with all of the projects that are currently underway in Jordan and Israel. During this year, BTR is looking to increase the number of young scientists involved in our programs following the success of the fellowship program from last year and the enthusiasm that these fellows have for their research with BTR.