Who we are & What we do
· Environmental Studies and Research Unit (ESRU) is a research unit belongs to the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University.
· The unit team consists of 10 personnel: 5 staff members, 2 research students, 3 technical assistants.
· As an extension to the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, the unit was established in 1990 in the eastern agricultural research station of the Faculty of agriculture.
· The unit occupies 3 stories building of total 300 m2 provided with greenhouse facilites.
· The main building includes 3 research labs, seminar room and photo-room. Annexed to it is a 50 m2 building for computer lab, secretariat and cooling growth chamber.
· The unit is having its own extension at Research and Training centre for Agro-biotechnologies, Rafah, North Sinai field lab facilities at Rafah. The centre is built on 1000 m2 having soil-plant-microbe clinics, and computer, meeting and seminar rooms as well as guesthouse.
· The unit develops research activities on environmental aspects related to microbial ecology, plant-microbe interactions, and biofarming mainly biofertilization.
· The unit is supported by a number of research projects funded through national and international organizations.
· Four majors projects were implemented since 1990. The running project is entitled “Agrotechnoloies based on organic farming and biofertilization for the development of vegetable & fruit crops for export (Ministry of Agriculture 2007-2012).