Findings of the project demonstrated that soil inoculation with EPS-forming cyanobacteria leads to improvement in soil stability and fertility in different soil types. As a result, the sustainable biotechnological technique proposed here could provide positive results, not only for restoration of degraded dryland soils, but for a number of different applications. Therefore, results from Cyano4REST will allow advancing in the achievement of one of the Commission’s political priorities, i.e. “Building a low-carbon, climate resilient future”, and advancing in societal challenges for the H2020 including “Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry” and “Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials”. At the same time, the results obtained will facilitate the transfer of knowledge to the private sector giving the possibility to use the proposed technology for solving environmental problems that are of high concern for the society.
Awarding of Cyano4REST greatly improved fellow’s skills through acquisition of new scientific knowledge and skills applicable during her future research career, of new collaborations, and of complementary skills. Advance in the researcher’s career definitely will contribute to an important objective for the European society which is to strengthen, quantitatively and qualitatively, the human potential in research and technology and to promote the careers and formation of high-quality researchers, building an European knowledge-based economy and society. This will provide them with the ability to assist society in facing and managing the environmental problems that dryland regions are likely to face with climate change and growing human populations.
