856 - Denitrification in agriculture, air and water pollution

The main objective of this COST Action was to understand factors governing denitrification at the molecular, cellular and environmental level. Improving the knowledge in these fields will help to minimize the negative effects of nitrogen turnover in the environment and to make use of denitrification and related processes to enhance environmental quality.

The main visible result of this COST Action is a textbook written by members of this Action for students at graduate level on “Biology of the Nitrogen Cycle” published by Elsevier (432 pages). This textbook might be the handbook in the field for about 10 years. The handbook was published during in 2007 and by the first of December 2007 already 605 copies had been sold.

Action members also had two original joint publications in Biochemical Society Transactions. These joint publications would not have been published like this without the COST Action.

The Action members very much stimulated young researchers to use the STSM modality. In total 26 STSMs were approved and realised. Nearly all the participating countries in this COST Action took part in the STSMs, either by sending an applicant or by being the host to receive applicants.