Camel sciences are knowing a recent interest for 3 main reasons
- The camel is a fantastic biological model for biologists working on basic sciences as immunology (unique structure of immunoglobulines), hematology (remarkable behaviour of blood in case of dehydration or effort), proteomic (presence of specific proteins in camel milk), physiology (mechanisms of adaptation to desert climate or low nutritive resource), pharmacology (specificity of pharmacodynamic) or genomic (gene signing the adaptation to environment).
- The camel is able to produce milk, meat, wool, leather, energy, etc…, in desertic conditions as multipurpose animal, i.e., he is able to ensure a zootechnical production in arid conditions more efficiently than other domestic species. In that purpose some applied research are on-going as new features in camel milk processing, impact of intensification on camel production, the use of biotechnologies of reproduction, specialized camel farm management (racing camel, dairy farm, feed-lot), disease control and ecopathological approach.
- The camel is an element of desert ecosystem including climatic change, globalization of the economy, change in production systems and pastoralism’ practices. Some studies regarding the role of camel in the desertification combat, the added-value of camel in desert productivity, the ecosystemic services of camel farming, the valorization of camel products all along the commodity channels, etc.
This rapid flight over of the research’s interests for camel as a biological model, as a productive animal for food supply in the desert area, or as an element of the desert ecosystem shows that this animal submitted to the desert conditions can contribute to the desertification combat and to the food security.
