Biochemistry Professor Dean Della Penna and Plant Biology Associate Professor Robin Buell are part of a $6 million NIH Grand Opportunities grant to understand exactly which genes are involved in the synthesis of medicinal chemicals in several plants — clearing the way for cheaper and more effective ways to produce drugs. Read more>>
Robin Buell, associate professor of plant biology, was part of a team of 39 scientists in 14 countries that has released the first draft sequence of the potato genome. The complete sequence is estimated to be 840 million base pairs, about one-quarter the size of the human genome, and it will will help to improve yield, quality, disease [...]
Jennifer Lau, a plant evolutionary ecologist with the Dept. of Plant Biology and Kellogg Biological Station, received a $630,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to explore how genetic variation in native and non-native plant species affects biological invasions. The research aims to improve the ability to predict and prevent damaging plant invasions. Read more [...]
Jennifer Lau, a plant evolutionary ecologist in the Department of Plant Biology, has received a four-year, $630,000 grant to explore how genetic variation in native and non-native plant species affects biological invasions. Read more about Lau’s NSF grant.
Anthony Schilmiller and Rob Last were part of a research team that has found that tomato plants use a different compound, neryl diphosphate, as the substrate for making monoterpenes. The difference is subtle but the discovery will change the way terpene research is done. The research, published in the May 25 issue of the Proceedings of [...]
The American Society of Plant Biologists has named three MSU faculty members as Fellows:
Rob Last, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Plant Biology,
John Ohlrogge, Plant Biology, and
Michael Thomashow, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Crop & Soil Science and the Plant Research Lab.
Professor John Ohlrogge is the 2009 recipient of the Martin Gibbs Medal awarded by the American Society of Plant Biologists. The Gibbs Medal is presented biennially to an individual who has pioneered advances that have served to establish new directions of investigation in the plant sciences. Ohlrogge is a University Distinguished Professor in the Dept. [...]
Several faculty members are presenting papers at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Chicago, including:
Rob Last
Dean Della Penna
Jon Miller
Thomas Dietz
See the MSU Special Report on AAAS 2009.
If you want to follow all the action at AAAS, check out ESPP’s Green Board blog as Andy McGlashen and Andy Balaskovitz blog from the conference.
Professor Phil Robertson presented “Biofuels and Agricultural Sustainability ” as part of National Academy of Science symposium honoring Darwin. The symposium at AAAS in Washington, DC on Thursday, Feb. 12., was organized by the Board on International Scietific Organizations.
Plant biology professor Doug Schemske’s research on natural selection and genetics is included in the January issue of Scientific Amercian. His work showing genetic changes in Mimulus is included in the article “Testing Natural Selection with Genetics.”
