Luis Leyva and Claudia Rojas are constructing an anti-herbivorous metal fence in a field experiment using native desert trees to protect the newly planted seedlings (2004).

Name: Luis A. Leyva Degree: M.Sc. in: Use,management and conservation of natural resources Years: 2003-2006 Graduate school: The Center for Biological Research of the Northwest, La Paz, Mexico Location of thesis’ work: The Center for Biological Research of the Northwest, La Paz, Mexico Thesis: Effect of gluconic acid on its metabolic enzymes in the plant growth-promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense Cd associated with mesquite trees. . Type of support: Financial and scientific advising Publication from thesis: Leyva L.A. and Bashan, Y. 2008. Activity of two catabolic enzymes of the phosphogluconate pathway in mesquite roots inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense Cd. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 46 : 898-904

Luis Leyva is helping to eradicate an invasive grass in CIBNOR field preserve to make room for re-vegetation with native plants (2003).

Name: Adan Trejo Degree: Diploma in Biology Years: 2005-2006 Graduate school: The Autonomus Metropolitan University (UAM), Xochimilco, Mexico City, Mexico Location of thesis’ work: The Center for Biological Research of the Northwest, La Paz, Mexico Thesis: Characterization of Chlorella sorokiniana LAP1, a heat and solar-radiation tolerant microalgae, for wastewater treatment under extreme desert conditions. Type of support: Financial and scientific advising. Publication from thesis: de-Bashan, L.E., Trejo, A., Huss, V.A.R., Hernandez, J.-P. Bashan, Y. 2008. Chlorella sorokiniana UTEX 2805, a heat and intense, sunlight-tolerant microalga with potential for removing ammonium from wastewater. Bioresource Technology 99: 4980-4989

Juan–Pablo Hernandez (left) and Adan Trejo (right) evaluating a high light intensity- high temperature photobioreactor for wastewater treatment with microalgae.

Octavio analyzing dissolved oxygen in some samples of wastewater from the wastewater treatment plant of La Paz, Mexico.

Name: Octavio Perez Degree: M.Sc. in: Use,management and conservation of natural resources Years: 2006-2009 Graduate school: The Center for Biological Research of the Northwest, La Paz, Mexico Location of thesis’ work: The Center for Biological Research of the Northwest, La Paz, Mexico Thesis: Heterotrophic growth of Chlorella vulgaris coimmobilized with Azospirillum brasilense in alginate beads to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater. Type of support: Financial and scientific advising Publication from thesis: Perez-Garcia, O., de-Bashan, L.E., Hernandez, J.-P., and Bashan, Y. 2010. Efficiency of growth and nutrient uptake from wastewater by heterotrophic, autotrophic, and mixotrophic cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris immobilized with Azospirillum brasilense. Journal of Phycology 46: 800–812

Name: Blanca Estela Romero Lopez Degree: D.Sc. in: Use,management and conservation of natural resources Years: 2004-2009 Graduate school: The Center for Biological Research of the Northwest, La Paz, Mexico Location of thesis’ work: The Center for Biological Research of the Northwest, La Paz, Mexico Thesis: Effect of plant-endophytes interaction on rock weathering. Type of support: Financial and scientific advising Publication from thesis: Lopez, R.B., Bashan, Y., Bacilio M. and De la Cruz-Aguero, G. 2009 Rock-colonizing plants: abundance of the endemic cactus Mammillaria fraileana related to rock type in the southern Sonoran Desert. Plant Ecology 201: 575-588 The definitive version is available at: http://www.elsevier.com/plant ecology

Blanca injecting acetylene to her mammilaria samples to determine nitrogen fixation.

Adan preparing a gel for PCR.

Name: Adan Trejo Degree: M.Sc. in: Use,management and conservation of natural resources Starting year: 2007 Graduate school: The Center for Biological Research of the Northwest, La Paz, Mexico Location of thesis’ work: The Center for Biological Research of the Northwest, La Paz, Mexico Thesis: The potential use of microbiological residues from biological wastewater treatment; their application as inoculant for improvement of eroded soils. Type of support: Financial and scientific advising Publication from thesis:

Name: Alejandra Vovides Degree: D.Sc. in: Use,management and conservation of natural resources Starting year: 2004 Graduate school: Ecology Institute, Xalapa, Mexico Location of thesis’ work: The Center for Biological Research of the Northwest, La Paz, Mexico Thesis: Nitrogen fixation and denitrification activity in natural, reforested and perturbated mangroves of arid and tropical zones of Mexico. Type of support: Financial and scientific advising Publication from thesis:

Alejandra Vovides is measuring salinity in the restored mangrove ecosystem at Balandra Lagoon, near the city of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Sergio is thinking about his next year and next experiments with microalgae.

Name: Sergio Hernandez Covarrubias Degree: M.Sc. in: Use,management and conservation of natural resources Starting year: 2009 Graduate school: The Center for Biological Research of the Northwest, La Paz, Mexico Location of thesis’ work: The Center for Biological Research of the Northwest, La Paz, Mexico Thesis: Interaction of the jointly immobilized microalga-bacteria system with the microbial community of domestic wastewater . Type of support: Financial and scientific advising Publication from thesis:

Name: Luis Alonso Leyva Degree: D.Sc. in: Use,management and conservation of natural resources Starting year: 2009 Graduate school: The Center for Biological Research of the Northwest, La Paz, Mexico Location of thesis’ work: The Center for Biological Research of the Northwest, La Paz, Mexico Thesis: A study of association of Chlorella vulgaris and Azospirillum brasilense coimmovilized in alginate beads: Modulation mechanisms of AcetylCoA Carboxylase activity and lipid synthesis from C. vulgaris Type of support: Financial and scientific advising Publication from thesis:

Luis is preparing raw-fish cocktail (ceviche) for the traditional Christmas party .