Future Meetings
China and Japan joint meeting - 2012. Information coming soon!
Past Meetings
5th ISTA
The meeting was held 14-17 September in Montbeliàrd, France. It was organized and hosted by Daniel Gilbert and Edward Mitchell. The meeting was a success with great turn out (over 60 researchers from all over the world). Several decisions were made, including the foundation of the International Society of Testate Amoeba Researcher.
Conference summary: Research on testate amoebae has been increasing exponentially in recent years. This is due largely to the fact that the analysis of testate amoebae is now a common tool in palaeoecological studies where they provide information on past changes in hydrology and other environmental conditions.Recent research has also shown that testate amoebae also play a very important role in the cycling of elements in terrestrial ecosystems and potentially interact closely with vascular plants in the rhizophere. Molecular methods are finally becoming available to study the phylogeny and taxonomy of testate amoebae, and help resolve long-standing debates on their diversity and biogeography.
Mitchell EAD, Gilbert D. 2010. Meeting Report: 5th International Symposium on Testate Amoebae (ISTA-5), Montbéliard, France 14-17 September 2009 - Present status of testate amoeba research, knowledge gaps and research priorities. Protist 161: 337–341. doi: 10.1016/j.protis.2010.03.002
ISTA 5 Meeting Report
ISTA 5 Abstracts
4th ISTA
The meeting was held 12 - 14 September in Antwerpen, Belgium. It was organised and hosted by Louis Beyens, with the collaboration of Pieter Ledeganck and Sofie Vincke. No less than 44 scientists from 16 countries attended the conference. It had been 23 years since the last testate amoebae workshop occurred in Aachen, Germany and 30 years since the first testate amoebae workshop before it was organized in 1976 in Sofia, Bulgaria. More than 50 oral and poster presentations were given during the 3-day meeting. Topics included morphology, taxonomy, phylogeny, biogeography, ecology and paleoecology of testate amoebae.
Further information can be viewed on the website
Warner, Barry and Beyens, Louis. 2007. Progress and Prioritizing Needs for Future Research on Testate Amoebae: A meeting report on the International Symposium on Testate Amoebae, Antwerp, Belgium, September 12 – 14, 2006. Protist 158(3): 255 – 257.
ISTA 4 Meeting Report
ISTA 4 Abstracts
