Biofuels - University of Minnesota · species feed on the same number of plant species, despite the...

R E S E A R C H N E W S C L A S S N O T E S D O N O R H O N O R R O L LR E S E A R C H N E W S C L A S S N O T E S D O N O R H O N O R R O L L

BiofuelsRENEWABLE ENERGY RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY

PUTS MINNESOTA AT AN ADVANTAGE, BUT WILL THE

STATE REMAIN COMPETITIVE? SEE STORY ON PAGE 8.

T H E S T A T E O F

BiofuelsRENEWABLE ENERGY RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY

PUTS MINNESOTA AT AN ADVANTAGE, BUT WILL THE

STATE REMAIN COMPETITIVE? SEE STORY ON PAGE 8.

T H E S T A T E O F

WINTER 2006-07

I can’t imagine a more fitting slogan for the University of Minnesota. “Driven” captures the passionatepursuit of science and “Discover” is so much more tantalizing and evocative than its cousin, “Research.”There’s a reason why the Discovery Channel isn’t called the Research Channel …

I like the interactive nature of the campaign because it opens the door to the academy and invites peoplein for a friendly chat and look around the place. It makes it clear that all visitors and all questions arewelcome. It captures the unique combination of our Minnesota work ethic and creativity. It would haveworked 100 years ago as well as it does today. And I suspect it will make sense as long as discoveriesremain to be made. In short, to borrow another brand, it’s the real thing.

The campaign began by featuring people asking their “single greatest questions,” which were fielded byUniversity researchers. In the first round, David Tilman addressed the question “Can we end our depend-ence on foreign oil?” and Daniel Bond responded to “What’s the next alternative energy source?” You mayhave seen the print ads and TV commercials.

I am pleased that two CBS faculty were invited to help launch the campaign and I see this as the beginning of a long and productive relationship. “Driven to Discover” is more than a slogan. It’s a new way of talking about ourselves and interacting with our stakeholders. It will be part of the identity and life of the University for a long time to come.

The campaign couldn’t be a better vehicle for communicating about CBS research and education to thepublic. This issue of BIO provides many examples of our drive to discover, from faculty pursuing sustainable ways to provide energy to recent graduate Mohamed Abdihalim, whose quest led him from a refugee camp in Kenya to the University’s Medical School.

Robert Elde, DeanCollege of Biological Sciences [email protected]

D R I V E N T O D I S C O V E R ?What are you

THIS FALL THE UNIVERSITY LAUNCHED A PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN CALLED DRIVEN TO

DISCOVER TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW WE, AS THE ONLY PUBLIC RESEARCH

INSTITUTION IN THE STATE, CONTRIBUTE TO QUALITY OF LIFE IN MINNESOTA, AND JUST HOW

RELEVANT AND INTERESTING RESEARCH CAN BE. THE CAMPAIGN, WHICH GREW OUT OF THE

STRATEGIC POSITIONING PROCESS, ALSO SERVES TO RALLY MINNESOTANS AROUND THE

UNIVERSITY’S GOAL OF BECOMING A LEADING RESEARCH INSTITUTION.

F R O M T H E D E A N

Robert Elde, Dean

Visit our Web site at www.cbs.umn.edu.For address changes, please contact Jean Marie Lindquist at [email protected] or 612-625-7705.

WINTER 2006-07 Vol. 5 No. 2

Robert EldeDean

Huber WarnerAssociate Dean

Robin WrightAssociate Dean

Elizabeth Wroblewski Chief Administrative Officer

Peggy RinardCommunications Director

Stephanie XenosEditor

Jack El-HaiMary Hoff

Peggy RinardStephanie Xenos

Writers

Shawn WelchGraphic Designer

Tim RummelhoffPhotographer

Laurie HennenDevelopment Director

Jean Marie LindquistAdministrative Assistant

U of M Printing ServicesPrinting

C O L L E G E O F B I O L O G I C A L S C I E N C E S

In this issue

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 - 0 7

BIO is published two times a year by the University of MinnesotaCollege of Biological Sciences for alumni, faculty, staff, and friends ofthe College. It is available in alternative formats upon request; pleasecall 612-624-8723 or fax 612-624-2785.

B I O z W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 - 0 7

6 THE ROLE OF ROT

8 POWER FROM THE PRAIRIE

15 A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITYThe University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities,and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, publicassistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation.

Printed on elementally chlorine-free recycled paper containing 20 percent post-consumer waste.

Cover photo by G. Arnell Williams

Cover Story

Features

In Every Issue

8 THE STATE OF BIOFUELS Research supported by the University of Minnesota’s Initiative forRenewable Energy and the Environment has helped the state position itself as a biofuels leader. But will Minnesota stay ahead of the curve?

2 ABSTRACTSFungi study gives insights into evolution… ecologist wins Packard prize…plant diversity boosts bug diversity… a genetic cause for hyperactivity

4 CBS NEWSCedar Creek makeover… new Norwegian chair… $1 million for grad education… a fitting memorial

16 GIVING BACKMaking your contributions count

17 ALUMNI NEWSClass Notes… Calendar

22 BACK PAGE Fill your tank with prairie grass

6 FIELD NOTES—Decomposition

7 PLANT BIOLOGY—Plant evolution and global warming

13 GENETICS—Yeasty inquiries

14 STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY—Seeing proteins

15 STUDENT LIFE—Refugee to medical student

18 DONOR HONOR ROLL

s early fungi made the evolutionary journeyfrom water to land and branched off from

animals, they shed tail-like flagella that propelledthem through their aquatic environment and evolvednew mechanisms (including explo-sive volleys and fragrances) to dis-perse spores and multiply.

“What’s particularly interesting isthat species retained their flagellafor different lengths of time anddeveloped different mechanisms of spore dispersal,”says David McLaughlin, professor of plant biology andco-author of a paper published in the October 19issue of Nature describing how fungi adapted to life on land.

The discovery provides a new glimpse into the evolutionof life on Earth. It also helps scientists better under-

stand this unusual group of organisms and learnhow to develop uses for their unique properties inmedicine, agriculture, conservation and industry.

The discovery is the latest installmentin an international effort to learn theorigins of species. McLaughlin is one offive principal investigators leading ateam of 70 researchers at 35 institu-tions. The group analyzed informationfrom six key genetic regions in almost

200 contemporary species to reconstruct the earli-est days of fungi and their various relations. Thework is funded by a $2.65 million “Assembling theTree of Life” grant from the National ScienceFoundation that was awarded to Duke University, theUniversity of Minnesota, Oregon State University andClark University in January 2003.

In 1998, scientists discovered that fungi split from ani-mals nine million years after plants did, which meansthat fungi are actually more closely related to animalsthan to plants.

2 C O L L E G E O F B I O L O G I C A L S C I E N C E S

a b s t r a c t s

Helene Muller-Landau, assistant professor ofecology, evolution and behavior, has been awarded a $625,000 fellowship from the PackardFoundation to study mechanisms that control biodiversity in tropical forests, and how humanimpact—including global climate change—affectsthose mechanisms.

Muller-Landau is one of 20 scientists and engineersselected for the 2006 awards, which recognize themost promising young faculty in the United States.The Packard Foundation solicited the nominationsfrom 50 leading U.S. research universities.

She is the third College of Biological Sciences faculty member to receive a Packard Fellowship inthe past several years. Others are George Weiblen,plant biology, and Claudia Schmidt-Dannert, biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics.

Earlier this year, Muller-Landau and colleaguespublished a pair of papers presenting new theories for tropical tree growth, mortality andforest structure that she developed and tested onmore than two million trees from 14 sites aroundthe world.

“According to these studies, there is no one-size-fits-all approach for tropical forests,” says Muller-Landau. “The observed patterns not only deviatesubstantially from the supposedly universal rulespredicted by current ecological theory, but alsodiffer significantly among sites.”

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation wascreated in 1964 by David Packard, the co-founderof the Hewlett-Packard Company, and his wife,Lucile Salter Packard.

ecology and evolution

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David McLaughlin was co-author of a paper in Nature describinghow mushrooms adapted to life on land.

Helene Muller-Landau is the third CBS faculty memberto receive a Packard Fellowship, which recognizes thenation’s most promising young scientists.

ECOLOGIST’S WINNING WORK ON MECHANISMS THAT CONTROL BIODIVERSITY

A

New glimpse into EVOLUTION OF LIFE ON EARTH

RESEARCHER DEVELOPS MOUSEMODEL FOR MUSCLE DISEASEJames Ervasti and his team have identified the importance of agene critical to normal muscle function. The researchers “knockedout” the gene in mice that encodes the protein gamma actin found innormal muscle cells. The result: a mouse model for centronuclear myopathy, a poorlyunderstood muscle disease similar to muscular dystrophy. The finding is published in theSeptember issue of Developmental Cell. Ervasti is professor of biochemistry, molecularbiology and biophysics.

POSSIBLE GENETIC CAUSE FOR HYPERACTIVITY DISCOVERED

In a first-of-its-kind, large-scale screening for disease traits,University researchers used a genetic tool called the Sleeping BeautyTransposon system to randomly mutate genes in mice and then pin-point a possible genetic cause of hyperactivity. “It is our hope thatsimilar research could lead to advances in understanding humanbehavior and the development of medications that target the geneticcauses of many diseases,” says David Largaespada, associ-

ate professor of genetics, cell biology and development, who is lead author of the study. The finding is published in the September issue of Public Library of Science Genetics.

MOLECULAR STRUCTURE OF FLAGELLA NOW SHOWING IN 3-D Mary Porter, professor of genetics, cell biology and develop-ment, is co-author of a paper in the August 18 issue of Sciencedescribing a new technique that provides a 3-D glimpse of the molecularstructure of the flagellum, a tail-like organelle that enables cellmotility and signaling. Defective flagella have been linked to infertility,chronic respiratory disease and polycystic kidney disease, amongother conditions. Consequently, getting a close look at how the organelle is assembled will help scientists understand how these diseases occur. The researchers used cryo-preservation and high-resolution tomography to obtain exceptionally clear and detailedimages. The title of the paper is “The molecular architecture of axonemes revealed by cryo-electron tomography.”

3

h u m a n h e a l t hMORE PLANTS, MORE BUGSSince Darwin landed in the Galapagos, biologists havewondered why there are so many different kinds of bugsin the tropics. But now a team of researchers from theUniversity of Minnesota, theUniversity of South Bohemiaand the Smithsonian Institutefor Tropical Research hasended the speculation.Simply put, it’s because thereare so many kinds of plants.The team disproved a morecomplex explanation, which suggested that tropicalbugs dined on fewer plants (were more host specific)than their temperate-zone cousins. In fact, theresearchers showed that tropical and temperate bugspecies feed on the same number of plant species,despite the smorgasbord of choices in the tropics.

George Weiblen, associate professor of plant biology,was principal investigator of the National ScienceFoundation grant that funded the study, which was carried out in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and PapuaNew Guinea. The research was published in the August25 issue of Science.

EVOLUTIONARY HISTORYMAY GUIDE ECOSYSTEMRESTORATION

Evolutionary history plays animportant role in determining community structure, accordingto a recent study led byJeannine Cavender-Bares,Department of Ecology,Evolution and Behavior.

“This has important implications for ecological restoration,” Cavender-Bares says. ”If species showdeterministic patterns of assembly into communities,this provides guidelines for how to restore communitiesthat have been disturbed by humans.” The study,“Phylogenetic structure of Floridian plant communitiesdepends on taxonomic and spatial scale,” was publishedin the July issue of Ecology.

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Judd Sheridan and OddJarle Skejlhaugen willshare the Norway chair.

Cedar Creek Natural History Area is busier thanusual with construction on a new interpretive

center and housing forstudents and visitingfaculty. Constructionworkers broke groundat the field stationSeptember 21. The newfacilities will make itpossible “to show peoplewhat we’re doing andwhy it’s important,” saysProfessor David Tilman,who has conductedgroundbreaking

research at Cedar Creek for more than twodecades. The $7 million expansion will add22,000 squarefeet of space.Construction willbe completed inspring 2007.

CBS is also

exploring oppor-

tunities to take

advantage of

advances in field

research technology that are creating multi-

investigator research opportunities spanning the

physical, biological and computational sciences

and engineering. These include climate,

microbial biology, biofuels, eco-informatics

and environmental observatories.

CEDAR CREEKMAKEOVER UNDERWAY


c b s n e w s

IN BIOENERGY AND FOOD SAFETY ANNOUNCED

Norwegian chair

udson Sheridan, College of Biological Sciences, and Odd Jarle Skjelhaugen, NorwegianUniversity for Life Sciences, will share the Norwegian Centennial Interdisciplinary Chair and

oversee an international research collaboration. Sheridan is director of international programsand professor of genetics, cell biology and development. Skjelhaugen is director of research andprofessor of environmental engineering.

The chair was created with a $750,000gift from Norway, presented by CrownPrince Haakon when he visited theUniversity of Minnesota to celebrateNorway’s centennial last fall. TheUniversity of Minnesota matched the giftwith $750,000 from the PermanentUniversity Fund. CBS will raise funds forgraduate fellowships.

According to Sheridan: “The research projects currently underway and soon to be initiated focuson some of the most pressing issues facing Norway, Minnesota and, in fact, the world. We expectthe results from the research to advance our basic knowledge at the frontiers while developingpractical and economical approaches to dealing with these problems. Advances in using biofuels,developing bio-based products and applying functional genomics can have a huge impact on ourenvironment, the cost of energy and even the safety of our food.”

Sheridan and Skjelhaugen will use the endowment earnings to support faculty and studentexchanges and to develop new research collaborations.

U AWARDS CBS $1 MILLION FOR GRADUATE EDUCATION Provost Tom Sullivan has awarded CBS $920,000 inrecurring funds to support graduate programs affil-iated with the college’s four departments. Fundswill be used to pay teaching assistant salaries,increase stipends for some graduate programs to

make them more competitive and provide fellow-ship funds for foreign students. This complementsinvestments made by the state and University torecruit new faculty and build new research facili-ties. Graduate students, who work in faculty labs

and assist faculty in carrying out their research, area key component of the research enterprise, saysDean Robert Elde. “We are very grateful to theUniversity for this support.”

“THE RESEARCH FOCUSES ON

SOME OF THE MOST PRESSING

ISSUES FACING THE WORLD.”

—Judson Sheridan

The new Science andInterpretive Center will providelabs, classrooms, an exhibit halland a biodiversity garden.

Architects Rafferty Rafferty andTollefson designed the Visitors Centerat the Landscape Arboretum.

J

avid Tilman, Regents Professor of Ecology, and Daniel Bond, assistant professor in the BioTechnology Institute, were among several faculty selected

to launch the University’s new marketing campaign, “Driven to Discover.” The campaign, which invites Minnesotans to submit their single greatest question, isdesigned to strengthen public appreciation of the University’s role as a researchinstitution. Tilman addressed the question “Can we end our dependence on foreignoil?” and Bond replied to “What’s the next alternative energy source?” Their answerswere featured in print ads and TV commercials. Go to www.discover.umn.edu for their responses.

5B I O z W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 - 0 7

“Driven to Discover”SPOTLIGHTS CBS FACULTY

he new Scholars Walk, which stretchesfrom Walnut Street near the McNamara

Alumni Center west to Appleby Hall andPleasant Street, and the Wall of Discovery, onthe north side of the Electrical Engineering

and Computer Science Building, include somefamiliar names. These tributes to majorresearch and classroom accomplishments byUniversity faculty and students highlight anumber of CBS faculty and alumni.

CBS luminaries on the Wall of Discoveryinclude botanist Alexander Anderson, who inthe 1890s invented the process for puffedcereal; botanist Josephine Tilden, who studiedalgae in the early 1900s; Nobel LaureatesPaul Boyer (biochemistry) and Ed Lewis(genetics); Raymond Lindeman, who discov-ered how energy moves through an ecosys-tem; Eville Gorham, who described acid rain; and Gary Nelsestuen, who in 1974 identified proteins that promote and inhibitblood coagulation.

The Scholars Walk includes CBS faculty andalumni who have been recognized by theNational Academy of Science, the AmericanAcademy of Arts and Sciences, as RegentsProfessors, McKnight Professors,Distinguished Teachers, and Rhodes, Marshalland Truman scholars.

Daniel Bond, BioTechnology Institute, believes bacteria that transform mud into electricityare a promising source of renewable energy. He was featured in a recent TV commercial.

TAKE A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE

Gary Nelsestuen at his spot on the Wall of Discovery. Nelsestuen was recognized for his discovery of proteinsinvolved in blood clotting, which are being used to treat clotting disorders.

D

T


“I joke with my classes, it’s hard to go tell yourgrandparents you work on decomposition,” shesays. But once she explains how pertinent it isto everything from growing prize tomatoes toglobal warming, the laughs subside.

Decomposition, she says, is critical to recyclingplant nutrients. It’s the main pathway by whichcarbon dioxide fixed by plants is returned to theatmosphere. And it’s the source of organic matter needed for healthy soil.

Hobbie, who EEB head Claudia Neuhauser calls“one of the [department’s] leading researchers”in the field of biogeochemistry, began studyingdecomposition as a graduate student looking atnutrient cycling on the Arctic tundra. She soonrealized that it’s a key—and often neglected—variable linked to human-caused global changessuch as increases in atmospheric carbon dioxideand fixed nitrogen. Since then she has led anumber of studies aimed at understanding theimpacts of decomposition and global change oneach other.

In one project, Hobbie is looking at nutrientcycling in monoculture stands of 14 tree species

that were planted in Poland three decades ago.When she started the study, she thought theamount of lignin and nitrogen in the leaf litter,

which affects soil microorganisms’ ability tobreak it down, would control the decompositionrate. “We found out we were completely wrong,”she says. The wrench in the hypothesis turnedout to be nightcrawlers, which prefer leaves withlots of calcium. This same nightcrawler speciesis now invading Minnesota forests, so theresearch “helps us understand what’s currentlygoing on in Minnesota,” Hobbie says.

Hobbie is also studying decomposition at CedarCreek Natural History Area. Past research has

shown that the higher the nitrogen in plantmaterial, the faster it rots. “That suggests thathumans increasing the input of nitrogen should

speed up the rate,” shesays. But when she addednitrogen fertilizer to herresearch plots, decompo-sition accelerated on only a few—and evenslowed on some.

“I still don’t understandthose results,” she says.Because of the prevalenceof fertilizer use, she

plans to conduct additional experiments untilshe does.

When all is said and done, Hobbie says, shehopes to have “contributed some understandingof the basic ecological response to human-caused global change.”

And, she adds, “It would be nice if that informa-tion actually related to societal decisions aboutglobal change.”

—MARY K. HOFF

“DECOMPOSITION IS CRITICAL TO RECYCLING

PLANT NUTRIENTS. IT ’S THE MAIN PATHWAY BY

WHICH CARBON DIOXIDE FIXED BY PLANTS IS

RETURNED TO THE ATMOSPHERE.”

—Sarah Hobbie

HAT HAPPENS TO LIVING THINGS WHEN THEY’RE NO LONGER ALIVE MAY SEEM A RATHER AFTER-THE-FACT MATTER

FOR A BIOLOGIST. BUT Sarah Hobbie KNOWS OTHERWISE. ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF

ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND BEHAVIOR (EEB), HOBBIE STUDIES THE ROLE THAT DEGRADATION OF ORGANIC MATTER PLAYS IN

THE CYCLES OF CARBON AND NUTRIENTS THAT ULTIMATELY SUSTAIN ALL OF LIFE.

F I E L D N O T E S

Sarah Hobbie studies the role ofdecomposition in nutrient recyclingand global climate change.

I N A C H A N G I N G W O R L D , D E C O M P O S I T I O N I S A H O T T O P I C

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The rotten truthW

Anchored firmly by your roots, you can’t out-run, dodge or hide from organisms that aim toeat you. So instead you develop defenses:tough tissue, toxins, thorns, spines. And whatdo your nemeses do in turn? Develop ways tooutsmart them.

This evolutionary pas de deux holds plenty ofintrigue for Peter Tiffin, assistant profes-sor in the Department of Plant Biology. Tiffinstarted his scientific career studying plantsfrom the perspective of crop production. But hesoon found himself captivated not so much bythe organisms themselves, but by the molecu-lar changes in their genes that allow them toendure in and adapt to a changing world.

Among the most fascinating genetic character-istics Tiffin has studied so far are those thathelp plants hold their own against herbivoresand other enemies.

“I want to understand how biotic interactionsshape the evolution of organisms,” Tiffin says.“As far as a strong evolutionary force, beingeaten is pretty strong.”

Tiffin has been looking at molecular geneticdifferences in two species of teosinte, a CentralAmerican grass that is the ancestor of modern

corn. By comparing the DNA that codes fordefenses such as digestion-inhibiting and anti-fungal proteins in different populations, he’sbeen able to gain insights into a variety of evo-lutionary strategies for staying alive in a worldreplete with plant-eaters.

“We consider Peter Tiffinone of the top young starsin the plant molecularevolution field,” saysPeter Snustad, actinghead of the Departmentof Plant Biology. “Hiswork on the evolution ofplant defense genes andhost-parasite interactionsis cutting edge.”

Tiffin is also investigating the genetic implica-tions for genetic variation and selection ofincreasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. Tostudy that, he planted 6,000 Arabidopsisthaliana plants (the botanical equivalent ofwhite mice) in research plots exposed to high-er-than-normal carbon dioxide at the Collegeof Biological Sciences’ Cedar Creek NaturalHistory Area research facility.

“There are suggestions that carbon dioxidechanges the evolutionary trajectory,” he says.“We hope to test this idea as well as identifychromosomal regions contributing to differ-ences among genotypes’ response to carbon

dioxide.”

In another study,Tiffin is looking at therelationship betweenmolecular geneticvariation and growthrange in Clarkia xan-tiana, a purple-petaled flower foundin the Sierra Nevadaof California.

“With global climate change, there’s a lot ofevidence that species ranges will shift,” hesays. Improved understanding of the linkbetween genetics and range, he says, may prove valuable to predicting—and potentially boosting—plants’ ability to adapt to such change.

—MARY K. HOFF

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U N D E R S TA N D I N G H O W P L A N T S E V O LV E C O U L D S U G G E S T W AY ST O H E L P T H E M A D A P T T O G LO B A L C L I M AT E C H A N G E .

T FIRST GLANCE IT MAY SEEM LIKE A CHARMED LIFE. BUT IN REALITY IT’S NOT ALL THAT EASY BEING A PLANT.

P L A N T B I O L O G Y

Peter Tiffin studies the molecular evolution of plants.

Evolving

“I WANT TO UNDERSTAND

HOW BIOTIC INTERACTIONS

SHAPE THE EVOLUTION OF

ORGANISMS.”

—Peter Tiffin

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with theclimate

A

9

hree years ago, when the Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE) was launched,bio-based fuels hadn’t yet entered the mainstream. Gas prices, the war in Iraq and global warming

have since propelled bio-based fuels from the back pages to the headlines. And IREE has become a magnet,attracting experts and advocates from academic, government, business and nonprofit sectors to shapeMinnesota’s future in the emerging renewable energy industry.

“We’ve built a lot of momentum in just a few years. Now Minnesota needs to make aserious commitment to maintaining a competitive edge in biofuels research and produc-tion,” says Robert Elde, dean of the College of Biological Sciences, executive director ofIREE and the driving force behind the planned National Center for Biofuels Research atthe University of Minnesota. Elde has observed firsthand what can result from collabora-tive, interdisciplinary research. He played a critical role in bringing together researchers

and faculty with expertise in the biological sciences, public policy, economics and technology to form IREE.

“We have already moved on to the next generation of biofuels,” says Dick Hemmingsen, IREE’s director.“From alternative crops like mixed prairie grasses and wood pulp as well as algae and microorganisms youcan grow in a Petri dish.” One example: A recent discovery by David Tilman, Regents Professor of Ecology,that prairie grass is a more efficient and viable source of biomass for producing biofuel on a large scale.

The research is happening, but future investment will determine whether Minnesota stakes its claim as abiofuels hub.

ALL ABOUT IREEIREE was launched in 2003 when the Minnesota Legislature directed $20 million in funds, set aside by XcelEnergy for alternative energy development, to the initiative (a $10 million lump sum followed by $2 million ayear through 2007). IREE draws on the intellectual resources of six colleges and professional schools includ-ing the College of Biological Sciences. Its mission: to promote statewide economic development, sustainable,healthy and diverse ecosystems, and national energy security through development of bio-based and otherrenewable resources and processes. A big goal, and one IREE is already delivering on.

B I O z W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 - 0 7

I N V E S T M E N T I N R E N E W A B L E E N E R G Y A N D B I O F U E L S R E S E A R C H

I S Y I E L D I N G G R O U N D B R E A K I N G R E S U L T S W I T H B I G

I M P L I C A T I O N S F O R T H E S T A T E

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10

In three years, IREE has evolved from an idea to a hub for renewable energy—especially biofuels—research in the region. The initiative hasfunded 110 renewable energy projects involving more than 275 faculty,research scientists and students at the University of Minnesota. Biofuelprojects go way beyond headline-grabbing crop-based ethanol to cutting-edge inquiry into the potential for hydrogen, wind power and even bacteriato produce energy efficiently and cost-effectively.

Despite the progress made, Hemmingsen’s optimistic outlook is tempered by a sense of urgency about maintaining a foothold in the fast-moving world of biofuels development. “We’ve done a good job startingout, but we’re already in danger of falling behind,” he says, pointing toproposals in other states—not to mention tremendous investments inother countries—as an indication of what Minnesota and the Universityare up against in keeping ahead of the curve.

“Many states are committing much more,” adds Elde, “and the reality isthat we are competing with them to establish our niche in the renewableenergy economy.”

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOWEthanol is a billion-dollar business inMinnesota, literally. The BioBusiness Allianceof Minnesota’s 2006 Statewide BiobusinessAssessment notes that Minnesota is the second largest producer ofethanol in the country with an annual production value approaching anestimated $1 billion.

The state’s leadership in biofuels makes sense for a variety of reasons.For one, there’s a unique convergence of an agriculture base matchedwith a strong biobusiness sector. State support is also strong. “The statehas embraced biotechnology and research in renewable energy with itspolicy,” points out Darren McBeth, executive director of the MinnesotaAgri-Growth Council. “There are more ethanol plants in Minnesota thanalmost anywhere else. Minnesota was the first state to mandate 10 per-cent [ethanol content in gasoline], which then doubled to 20 percent twoyears ago, and it’s the first state to mandate 2 percent for biodiesel.”

Those policies have set the stage for the growing demand for better,more cost-effective biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol. The rising price

“WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO COALESCE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

RESEARCHERS INTO A REAL FORCE.”

—Robert Elde

USING ALGAE TO MAKEHYDROGEN FUELHydrogen is all around us, but it’s almost alwaysbound to other elements. Isolating hydrogen foremission-free, renewable fuel is challenging.Paul Lefebvre and Carolyn Silflow, Departmentof Plant Biology, are collaborating with MichaelFlickinger at the BioTechnology Institute to amplify the capacity of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a one-celled algae, to produce hydrogen. They received a $405,000 grant from IREE to carry out the research.

Robert Elde, Executive Director of IREE


11B I O z W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 - 0 7

and inevitable decline in supply of fossil fuels coupled with the limitations ofcorn- and grain-based ethanol, which compete with food production, hasspurred innovation. And IREE has taken the ball and run with it by fundingcutting-edge research and creating a vital bridge between academia and the business community. So far, IREE has collaborated with more than 40 business and industry part-ners, 12 universities and higher education institutions, and anadditional 50-plus outside organizations including state andfederal agencies and departments, national laboratories, trade organiza-tions, foundations and non-governmental organizations.

“Minnesota is unique because it has got the best of both worlds—urban and rural,” McBeth points out. That balance of agricultural resources andtechnical and business capability puts the state at an advantage over otherstates that lean more heavily toward one or the other. In other words,Minnesota has the benefit of both biomass and biotech.

Fresh Energy’s Michael Noble makes the case that Minnesota should usethose advantages aggressively to stake a claim to alternative energy.“Minnesota should be as ferociously devoted to promoting energy efficiencyand technology as Alaska is to exporting oil or Oklahoma is to the naturalgas industry.”

EARLY RETURNS“You need to have people like [University of Minnesota’s] David Tilman,Lanny Schmidt and Ken Keller having these discussions,” says EdwardGarvey, deputy commissioner for energy and telecommunications at the

Minnesota Department of Commerce and an early supporter of IREE. “Youneed these folks [from diverse disciplines] to be in the game cross-pollinatingeach other. And that’s what IREE is starting to do.”

In recent years, similar undertakings have sprouted up at uni-versities across the country. “The difference with this initiativeis just how comprehensive it is. … Integrating policy, economicsand ecosystems research is unique to IREE,” saysHemmingsen. So in addition to biofuels research, IREE provides

a framework for analysis. This is key, Hemmingsen notes, since inventionsor new discoveries should be coupled with an understanding of costsinvolved in bringing them to market, the policies needed to make their usewidespread and an understanding of the environmental impacts. IREEbrings together faculty and researchers from across disciplines as differentas biochemistry and public policy to make that happen. “We’ve been able tocoalesce this group into a real force,” adds Elde, “which is something thatadvances the University’s leadership in this area.”

Some of the early returns on that $20 million investment include:

z The first large-scale wind turbine at a public university in the country at the West Central Research and Outreach Center near the University ofMinnesota’s Morris campus;

z research on ways of making hydrogen from biological materials such asLanny Schmidt's development of a reactor that converts ethanol to hydrogen.

z development of an innovative biomass gasification system, and;

z the potential to produce a type of nitrogen fertilizer from wind power.

PUTTING CARBON IN ITS PLACEWetlands store carbon, which keeps it from entering the atmosphere and adding to globalwarming. James Cotner and Shinya Sugita, Department of Ecology, Evolution andBehavior, are exploring how this process works in order to identify ways to manage wet-lands to maximize carbon storage. They are also analyzing sediment to learn how humanimpact has altered this system over the past few hundred years. Their research is fundedby a $333,000 grant from IREE.

BIONIC PLASTICBio-based plastics may be more than a replacement for oil-based plastics because theycan be engineered to provide useful functions. Romas Kazlauskas and Claudia Schmidt-Dannert, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, and theBioTechnology Institute’s Friedrich Srienc are developing a polymer that conducts electricityand can be used in electronic devices. IREE awarded the team a $405,000 grant to supportthis research.


IREE research has even resulted in the launch of a biotech start-up basedon a process developed by Larry Wackett, head of microbial chemistry,which uses bacteria to transform common renewable resources into fuelhydrocarbons.

Progress has been made on the economics and policy fronts, too.Stephen Polasky, who specializes in applied economics, and David Tilman developed a full-cost accounting of energy use to objectively compare the costs of renewable and conventional energy sources; animportant step toward making renewable energy sources competitive.

THE COMPETITION HEATS UPIn laying out the University’s budget request for 2008-09, University ofMinnesota President Robert Bruininks articulated the return on invest-ment possible with some forward thinking. “From renewable energy tothe biosciences, these are critical investments in Minnesota’s future.Tomorrow’s jobs are being invented today by our researchers, faculty andstudents,” says Bruininks. “This plan is not just about holding our own—it’s about gaining ground in an increasingly competitive world.”

The BioBusiness Alliance report emphasizes just how seriously the stateneeds to take that competition: “Minnesota has no grounds for beingcomplacent regarding its future position in research and developmentwithin the life sciences.” Fresh Energy’s Noble concurs.“Minnesota has a reputation as a national leader [in biofuels],but I think there’s so much more we could do,” he says. “It’seasy to be proud of our accomplishments but it’s more impor-tant to challenge ourselves to do better.”

But funding is critical. “We’re starting to see a lot of really bigcompanies investing significant money at universities,” notesHemmingsen. Two recent examples: a $12 million researchpartnership between Chevron and the Georgia Institute ofTechnology launched earlier this year and a $500 million grantto be awarded by BP to a single university in early 2007.

State funding is also on the rise. Michigan is proposing $200 million and California $1 billion for renewable energy research at their respectiveuniversity systems. “Minnesota hasn’t made that kind of commitmentyet,” notes Hemmingsen. To make good on IREE’s mission and, at thesame time, advance Minnesota’s standing as a leader in biofuels researchwill require an ongoing investment.

Elde wants to take biofuels research to the next level by establishing theNational Biofuels Research Center (NCBR) to capture and feed themomentum created so far by IREE. The NCBR would bring togethereverything needed to conduct cutting-edge biofuels research, teachingand technology development in a single facility on the St. Paul campus.

The idea to create a hub for biofuels research at the University ofMinnesota follows logically on IREE’s record of innovation. “Taking boldsteps will move the University and Minnesota closer to realizing our goalof being a leader in biofuel production,” Elde says. “The University andthe state are depending on us for leadership in areas that are criticallyimportant to the future of Minnesota and the planet.”

JUST GETTING STARTEDUltimately, says Hemmingsen, biofuels research isn’t optional. It’s anecessity; a national and global imperative. “We have to do it,” he says.“We have no choice.”

Noble agrees. “The easiest mistake we could make would be a failure tothink big, to not realize that energy issues are at the root of our globalsecurity issues,” he says. “Energy issues are at the root of economicprosperity. And energy issues are at the root of our global environmentalproblems. The biggest mistake would be to under-invest.”

Noble adds that the potential for Minnesota to remaincompetitive is very real, even with more and more intensecompetition. “There’s no reason why Minnesota and itsneighboring states can’t be the nation’s top producer ofcellulosic biofuels, wind energy, even hydrogen and solarelectricity,” he says. “But the idea that it’s going to fall inour laps is false.”

And the most direct path to keeping that edge starts withensuring ongoing support at the state and federal level for

IREE and NCBR. “The University has repeatedly proven itsability to develop new ideas and new technologies that

enable Minnesotans to be better off,” notes Sen. Steve Kelley, anothercritical early supporter of IREE. “Given that track record, [investing inIREE] is the right thing to do.”

—STEPHANIE XENOS

“THE EASIEST MISTAKE WE COULD MAKE WOULD BE A FAILURE TO

THINK BIG… THE BIGGEST MISTAKE WOULD BE TO UNDER-INVEST.”

—Michael Noble

State Senator Steve Kelley

Fresh Energy’s Michael Noble

13B I O z W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 - 0 7

Judith Berman is not the kind of scientistwho clings to a single focus of study for anentire career. “Biology is so wide open a field—that’s what appeals to me,” says the professorof genetics, cell biology and development. “Mystrength is in having a broad understanding ofyeasts. And I like to usethat strength to findinteresting questions.”She is currently har-nessing her expertisein yeasts—single-celled fungi—to exploreseveral pioneeringpaths of research.

One of her avenues ofinvestigation spotlightsCandida albicans, ayeast that can causeinfections in humans. In healthy people, thisyeast often exists harmlessly in the mouth andgastrointestinal tract. Sometimes it producestroublesome oral or vaginal infections. But inpeople with a weakened immune system, suchas those who have AIDS or have undergonechemotherapy, these infections can blossominto life-threatening episodes. Berman’sresearch focuses on a consequence of medicaltreatment intended to control serious infectionsof C. albicans: the organism’s unusual methodof developing resistance to drugs.

Because many agents toxic to yeasts are alsotoxic to humans, most yeast-fighting drugshave been designed to control the growth ofyeast populations rather than wipe them out.Using microarrays, segments of DNA affixed to

a flat surface of silicon or glass, Berman hasdiscovered that when exposed to antifungaldrugs, C. albicans pulls the amazing trick ofmodifying one of its chromosomes. It copiesone arm of chromosome 5 so that it can carrytwo copies of this chromosome arm on anew, rearranged chromosome. The altered

chromosome is calledan isochromosome.

Berman and herresearch team pub-lished an article in arecent issue of thejournal Sciencedescribing this discovery. “This majorgenome rearrange-ment occurs in 20 per-cent of the Candidaalbicans strains that

become resistant to antifungal drugs,” shesays. Her findings suggest that pairing anti-fungal treatment with a companion drug thatblocks the genetic rearrangement offershope for extending the usefulness of the cur-rently available antifungal drugs. Her nextstep: “We’re now trying to understand themechanism of how the extra chromosome armis gained and lost,” she says.

Berman began her study of yeasts years agowith research on a more prosaic organism,Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is responsiblefor the rising of bread and the fermentation ofbeer. She has not abandoned her old laboratorycompanion. For the past two years, she has collaborated with a researcher at the Weizmann

Institute of Science in Israel in a comparison ofthe ways in which S. cerevisiae and C. albicansconvert their DNA sequence into cellular func-tions. This process is called gene expression.“We’re interested in finding out how patterns ofcontrolling genes have evolved over time,”Berman says.

Another question, another course of research.

—JACK EL-HAI

Yeast raises

G E N E T I C S

Judith Berman studies several varieties of yeast, a one-celledfungi that provides insights into human genetics.

good questions

BERMAN RECENTLY DISCOV-

ERED THAT C. ALBICANS

ALTERS A CHROMOSOME TO

RESIST ANTI-FUNGAL DRUGS.

THE FINDING COULD LEAD TO

BETTER TREATMENTS.

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EAST—FROM THE KIND USED IN BEER AND BREAD TO THE KIND THAT

CAUSES DEADLY INFECTIONS—HAS PROVIDED YEARS OF INTERESTING

QUESTIONS FOR ONE RESEARCHER.

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S T R U C T U R A L B I O L O G Y


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Crystal clearSTRUCTURAL BIOLOGIST CARRIE WILMOT USES X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHYTO “SEE” THE STRUCTURE OF PROTEINS THAT AFFECT HUMAN HEALTH

HE WORLD OF STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY HAS BEEN BETTER OFF SINCE Carrie Wilmot DECIDED NOT TO BECOME A VET.

Veterinary medicine was an early career choicefor Wilmot, assistant professor in the Departmentof Biochemistry, Molecular Biology andBiophysics. “Then I became allergic to cats and dogs,” she says.

Instead of treating animals, Wilmot transferredher interests to crystallography—the techniqueof determining the 3D structural arrangement ofmolecules by hitting crystalline samples with abeam of X-rays and studying the patterns of dif-fraction that result. Because of her expertise incrystallography and spectroscopy, the U.K.-native has gained wide recognition as an authorityin the difficult task of successfully preparingsamples of protein enzymes for analysis. “She’sworld-famous for developing the techniques tocatch enzymes in their different structural statesas they go through the steps of their enzymaticreactions, and to trap them in a crystal so shecan determine the structure,” says DavidThomas, who heads the structural biology group.

Wilmot has focused her attention on several pro-tein enzymes in particular. One, copper-contain-ing amine oxidase, is implicated in such humanhealth problems as congestive heart disease andinflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoidarthritis. When present in the blood, the enzyme

can produce inflammation by drawing into sur-rounding tissues the cells that help fight offpathogens. The enzyme also produces formalde-hyde and hydrogen peroxide, chemicals that candamage hearts already weakened by cardiac dis-ease or diabetes.“Here is a singleenzyme that repre-sents a key step in theinflammatoryresponse,” Wilmotsays.

And because theenzyme acts alone,Wilmot has found it anattractive target forinvestigation. Her hope is that examination of theenzyme’s structure will suggest pharmaceuticalapproaches to inhibiting its effects. “What we’retrying to do is to provide a platform of knowledgefor people who want to go on and design drugsaimed at the enzyme,” she says.

Also in her investigative sights are variousmolecular assemblies connected to Alzheimer’sdisease. In this research she collaborates withKaren Ashe, professor of neurology and neuro-science, who has discovered that a particular

soluble form of a protein fragment is largelyresponsible for memory loss in Alzheimer’sdementia. Ashe has succeeded in purifying thisprotein assembly, and Wilmot is going to solveits structure to understand why this particular

form of the protein hassuch devastating effects inhumans. “Carrie does verywell researching in collab-oration with other investi-gators,” Thomas says. “Hercontribution is valuablebecause she’s a worldexpert in determining pro-tein structures.”

This year the AmericanCrystallographic Association gave Wilmot itsMargaret C. Etter Early Career Award, and sheearlier received the Paul D. Saltman MemorialAward from the Gordon Research Conferences.

“I’m motivated by the beauty of protein struc-tures,” she says. “I’ve been doing this for over adecade, but I still get such a thrill the first time Ilook at one. They provide the answers to so manyquestions, and open up so many more.”

—JACK EL-HAI

“WE’RE TRYING TO PROVIDE A

PLATFORM OF KNOWLEDGE FOR

PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DESIGN

DRUGS AIMED AT ENZYMES.”

—Carrie Wilmot

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15B I O z W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 - 0 7

Mohamed Abdihalim was nine whenhe and his family fled their home in Mogadishu,Somalia because of civil war. Months later,they moved again, just across the Kenyan bor-der. “After the first two years, even that placebecame too danger-ous, because themilitia would makeraids,” Abdihalimrecalls. “It was ascary time.” So thefamily moved again,to a United Nationsrefugee camp deeperinside Kenya.

Abdihalim came toMinnesota in 1999, at17. Despite spendingalmost half his child-hood in refugee camps, he says, “I considermyself lucky.”

In the camp, Abdihalim explains, “I didn’t haveto worry about the war. I could concentrate onschool.” At school—a tent without chairs,tables or electricity—he learned among otherthings to speak English.

For a time, the camp had one hospital and onephysician. When physicians from the organiza-tion Doctors Without Borders arrived, theSomali doctor suggested that Abdihalim workas a translator. The doctors treated people nomatter what tribe they belonged to—they didn’teven ask. For a Somali teenager, it was,Abdihalim recalls, “an eye-opening experience.”

The contrast to Somalia was striking. “The war[in Somalia] is a tribal war, Abdihalim says.“What got me to the camp was tribal warfare.You could not walk in a Somali city without

being asked, ‘What tribe are you from?’ by agunman. If you’re from the wrong tribe, inthe wrong city, you would get robbed orkilled. Tribe was everything.”

An aunt brought Abdihalim to the UnitedStates. After graduatingfrom high school inMinneapolis, he attend-ed the University, major-ing in biochemistry. Hegraduated from CBSsumma cum laude inthe spring of 2005 andstarted at the Universityof Minnesota MedicalSchool in fall 2005.

Soon afterwards,Abdihalim became thefirst University of

Minnesota student ever awarded a scholar-ship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation,which was started by the real estate, mediaand sports mogul, who died in 1997. A highschool dropout, Cooke once described him-self as an “indomitable optimist.”

Competition for the scholarships is intense.More than 1,200 individuals from across theUnited States applied for graduate schoolassistance last year, with about 75 receivingawards of as much as $50,000 annually. ForAbdihalim, who has another small scholar-ship, that amounts to about $40,000 per year.

Abdihalim just started his second year ofmedical school, after a summer of helping aresearcher at the Mayo Clinic. His dream is tospend several months of each year working inSomalia. He is still inspired by the physicianwho first took an interest in him more than a

decade ago, and started him working as amedical translator. “I feel this sense of respon-sibility, to patients and to my community,”Abdihalim says, “to give back.”

—FRANK CLANCY

S T U D E N T L I F E

When he completes his medical education, Mohamed Abdihalim hopesto practice in the United States and Somalia.

N A KENYAN REFUGEE CAMP, MOHAMED ABDIHALIM DIDN’T HAVE TO WORRY

ABOUT THE WAR IN SOMALIA, SO HE COULD CONCENTRATE ON SCHOOL.

T O M E D I C A L S C H O O LRefugee camp

“THE DOCTORS TREATED

PEOPLE NO MATTER WHAT

TRIBE THEY BELONGED TO—

THEY DIDN’T EVEN ASK. FOR A

SOMALI TEENAGER, IT WAS AN

EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE.”

—Mohamed Abdihalim

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DON’T FOCUS ON RAISING MONEY

AS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

FOR THE COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL

SCIENCES. I focus on helping friends of the

college identify opportunities that match their

needs and interests. To do that, I need to get to

know them so that I can point to the options—

big or small—that are best. This is the most

enjoyable part of my job.

You may be thinking about giving to a scholar-ship, research or educational program, build-ings or all of the above. You may be reflectingon how you benefited from someone else’sgenerosity, the impact of a professor on yourlife, or research that is particularly meaningfulto you. For every interest or inclination, there isa need you can help fill. Here are some of theways that you can give back to the College ofBiological Sciences.

z The new Science andInterpretive Center at CedarCreek Natural History Area

z The planned National Center forBiofuels Research

z Habitat for Biologists or theplanned Campus Center at ItascaBiological Station andLaboratories

z Graduate fellowships to supportthe Norwegian CentennialInterdisciplinary Chair in Biofuelsand Food Safety

z Scholarships and fellowshipsfor deserving students in allareas of biology

Please send an e-mail or give me a call if youwould like to learn more about any of theseopportunities. I look forward to meeting you,learning about your connection to CBS andtelling you about the important work that’sgoing on here. Contact me at [email protected] 612-624-9460.

Here are some examples of recent scholarshipgifts. Each comes with a unique personal story.

JULIAMARIE ANDREEN GRILLY

SCHOLARSHIP

Juliamarie Andreen Grilly earned a B.S. in bac-teriology from the University of Minnesota in1946. She worked her entire professionalcareer as a research scientist at Los AlamosNational Laboratory. She was also an accom-plished cellist and golfer. After Juliamarie diedin November 2005, her husband, Edward Grilly,established this scholarship in her memorywith a gift of $150,000. The gift supports

undergraduate students who conduct researchin molecular biology.

DAVID GRANTHAM BURBEE

MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Dr. Clark Burbee made a gift of $25,000 tohonor the memory of his son, David GranthamBurbee (B.S. biochemistry, 1977). David contin-ued his education at Cornell University andwent on to a career in biochemistry and genet-ics. He attributed the development of his inter-ests to faculty and friends at the University ofMinnesota. David Burbee passed away inOctober 2005. Clark Burbee’s gift has beenmatched by the President’s Scholarship Fund.

WALLACE ARMSTRONG/ VENKATESWARLU

POTHAPRAGADA GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP

This fellowship honors Walllace Armstrong, abiochemistry faculty member from 1934-74,who discovered the protective effects of fluo-ride. It was created with a $25,000 gift fromVenkateswarlu Pothapragada (Ph.D. physiologi-cal chemistry, 1962) and his employer, 3M. Thegift has been matched by the University ofMinnesota 21st Century Graduate FellowshipEndowment. Preference will be given to appli-cants who have a connection to or strong inter-est in India.

—LAURIE HENNEN

“YOU SHOULD FEEL AS GOOD

ABOUT YOUR GIFT AS THE

RECIPIENT DOES.”

—Laurie Hennen

G I V I N G B A C K

What matters to you?

M A K I N G Y O U R G I F T M E A N I N G F U L

Laurie Hennen, CBS director of development, works with donors tohelp them identify giving opportunities that suit their personal needsand interests.

I

17B I O z W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 - 0 7

BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR OF THE SCIENCE MUSEUM’S EXHIBIT ON RACE January 20, 2007 | 5:30-8 p.m.

Enjoy a private reception and an exclusive after-hours tour of the Science Museum’sexhibit, RACE, with Dean Robert Elde. RACE combines human experience, history andscience to explore the concept of race and its role in our world. wwwwww..ssmmmm..oorrgg

DEAN’S BOOK CLUBFebruary 22, 2007 | 6-8 p.m.

Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and discussion about Michael Pollan’s best-selling bookOmnivore’s Dilemma, which explores connections between food, energy and the environment. wwwwww..mmiicchhaaeellppoollllaann..ccoomm

VANCOUVER ISLAND STUDY TOURJune 2007

Spend five days exploring Vancouver Island in British Columbia with Dean Elde and fellow alumni from the College of Biological Sciences. Learn about Seaside Station, a UM field study outpost established by botany professor Josephine Tilden at BotanicalBeach in the early 1900s. Vancouver Island offers pristine coastlines and an abundanceof flora and fauna. wwwwww..vvaannccoouuvveerriissllaanndd..ttrraavveell

Space at these events is limited. Please contact Jean Marie Lindquist at [email protected] 612-625-7705 for more information.

Matthew P. Finke (B.S. Biochemistry, 1997). Aftergraduating from CBS, Matthew completed a Master of PublicHealth (MPH) degree at the University of Minnesota in 2000and earned his M.D. degree at the University of South DakotaSchool of Medicine in 2006. While in medical school he initi-ated Public Health Week in South Dakota, for which hereceived the South Dakota State Medical Association’s PastPresidents’ Leadership award. He began a residency inemergency medicine at University of Iowa Hospitals andClinics in July.

Minali Gala (B.S. Genetics, Cell Biology andDevelopment, 2005). Minali has been working at PDLBiopharma, Inc., where she had previously done an intern-ship, since July 2005. She hopes to go back to school to getan MBA in the near future. A native of India, she returnshome once a year to spend time with her family.

Imee Cambronero (B.S. Biology, 2003). Imee has heldseveral different positions in the Minnesota and Washington,D.C. offices of Congresswoman Betty McCollum since gradu-ation. She maintains her Minnesota connections throughinvolvement with the Philippine Center of Minnesota Board,the University of Minnesota Alumni Association and the CBSAlumni Board of Directors.

Karen Dallas (B.S. Microbiology, 2001). Karenreceived her M.D. degree from McGill University in Montreal,Quebec. She is completing a residency in hematopathologyat the University of Toronto.

Paul A. Rebers (Ph.D. Biochemistry, 1953) died onMay 31 at the age of 83. A retired chemist at the NationalAnimal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, Rebers’ researchfocused on lipopolysaccharide antigens found in Pastuerellamultocida, which is responsible for fowl cholera. He co-edit-ed the book Radon, Radium and Uranium in Drinking Water,which was published in 1990. Rebers was preceded in deathby his son Joseph, and is survived by his wife, E. Louise, twosons and two grandchildren.

Joe Novak (Ph.D, Science Education and Biology, 1958)recently received an honorary doctorate and a gold medalfrom the University of Urbino for contributions to scienceeducation. Joe also has received honorary doctorates fromthe Universidad Publica de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain andthe Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Neuquen, Argentina.

Julie Constable (Ph.D Ecology, Evolution andBehavior, 2000) has been living in Fresno, California for thebetter part of four years. She is a part-time lecturer in thebiology department at California State University (CSU),Fresno, as well as an adjunct faculty member at CSUStanislaus. Julie is also employed fulltime as a wildlife ecol-ogist by the Endangered Species Recovery Program, study-ing the endangered San Joaquin Kit Fox in the Central Valleyof California.

Please take a couple minutes to update us about your careerand personal life. Let your fellow alumni know about yournew job, awards, publications, current research, familychanges and travel experiences. E-mail to [email protected].

Calendar

A L U M N I N E W S

Making ConnectionsBill Diekman (B.S. Biology, 1987) is 2006-07 presi-dent of the Biological Sciences Alumni Society. Underhis leadership, the board is working to build relation-ships with alumni, raise money for the college, andsupport Dean Elde's research and education goals.

BSAS activities include the Mentor Program, whichmatches undergraduates with alumni working incareers they plan to pursue; the Dean's Book Club;and the Vancouver Island Study tour.

www.cbs.umn.edu

Class notes

Click on Alumni & Friends

$5,000+33MM CCoommppaannyy33MM FFoouunnddaattiioonn IInncc..Athena Diagnostics Inc.CC.. RRoobbeerrtt BBiinnggeerr MMJohn G. BrittinghamCCllaarrkk RR.. BBuurrbbeeee MMJonathan C. BurbeeCare for the Wild InternationalCCaarrggiillll IInncc..TThhee CClleevveellaanndd FFoouunnddaattiioonnEdward J. and Carolyn CushingEE II DDuu PPoonntt DDee NNeemmoouurrss && CCoo..TT.. DDaann aanndd DDeebbrraa FFrriieeddkkiinnTThhoommaass HH.. FFrriieeddkkiinnGGeenneerraall MMiillllss IInncc..

EE.. RR.. GGrriillllyyHarris RebarStan T. JensenMMaarryy CC.. KKeemmeenn aanndd BBrriiaann CC.. RRaannddaallll MMLegendary Adventures Inc.LLiinnccoollnn PPaarrkk ZZoooollooggiiccaall SSoocciieettyyMetabolix Inc.National Ataxia FoundationJJoohhnn GG.. OOrrddwwaayy JJrr.. MMNNoorraa SS.. PPlleessooffsskkyyRRiicchhaarrdd EE.. aanndd MMeerreeddiitthh BB.. PPooppppeelleeVVeennkkaatteesswwaarrlluu PPootthhaapprraaggaaddaa MMClare and Jerome RitterElizabeth Burbee SeatonJJoocceellyynn EE.. SShhaaww

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$500 – $999Advanced Telemetry Systems Inc.Patrick J. and Ann W. AntonelliDavid and Suzanne BernlohrBBoossttoonn SScciieennttiiffiicc CCoorrppoorraattiioonnEric W. BurtonCCaarrggiillll FFoouunnddaattiioonnJohn E. and Ting L. CarlsonCon Edison

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$250 – $499Jeffrey J. AndersonJohn S. and Rebecca H. Anderson MMRobert A. ArntsenCharles BartholdAllan Baumgarten and Marilyn Levi-

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Anderson MMMichael A. TurnerPhillip R. and Lisa A. Weik MMEdward M. Welch MMWells Fargo FoundationMerle G. and Mary C. Wovcha MM

MM membership in the University of Minnesota Alumni Association/Biological Sciences Alumni Society * deceased

Freshman at Nature of Life


D O N O R H O N O R R O L L

E V E R Y G I F T M A K E S A D I F F E R E N C E

HE COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE FOLLOWING

DONORS, WHO HAVE GENEROUSLY PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AND

FELLOWSHIPS, RESEARCH AND A VARIETY OF SPECIAL INITIATIVES DURING FISCAL YEAR 2005-06.

EVERY GIFT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

IF YOUR NAME IS MISSING OR LISTED INCORRECTLY, PLEASE CALL 612-625-7705 OR E-MAIL [email protected].

2006 graduate

T

Donor honor roll

$100 – $249Pamela J. AlbinChristine M. AmbroseAMGEN FoundationBarbara K. and Carl G. AndersonSusan H. and Kent J. Anderson MMKurt B. and Mary Angstman MMAAllllaann LL.. AApptteerr MMMichele E. Armstrong MMGary N. BackLisa M. and Richard C. Baker Jr. MMFranklin H. and Adrienne BarnwellBBeecckkmmaann CCoouulltteerr IInncc..Enrique R. BediaMarc D. BergRRoobbeerrtt DD.. aanndd PPeeaarrll LLaamm BBeerrggaadd MMBruce A. BerntsonBiogen Idec Foundation Inc.Clayton E. BirneyAndrea BixlerJulie A. BjorakerSuzanne R. and Clifford M. Bloberger MMSimba L. BloodAlfred L. and Margaret P. BogleMichael R. Bourne MMHarry B. Bracey IIIMaryann E. Braun MMGwenda L. BrewerBBrriissttooll--MMyyeerrss SSqquuiibbbb FFoouunnddaattiioonn IInncc..Kristine M. BrowersKirk M. and Ione V. BrownD. Gordon BrownCindy J. Brunner MMCharlotte S. BryantGreg A. BuckleyVictoria L. BuettnerAaron W. BurchellCynthia A. ButcherImee L. Cambronero MMWilliam W. CarleyDebra L. CarlsonJeffrey L. and Carol Q. Carpenter MMPaulina M. ChiuRobert W. ChristensenPaul L. CisekSteven E. ClemantsScott L. CollinsMichael F. Coyle MMDeanna L. CroesDavid A. CroweJames A. CurtisSusan M. DanielsAnath and Archana DasAnthony G. Dodge MMMark I. DonnellyJun DuCharyl M. Dutton Gibbs MMPamela J. DwyerAllen E. EckhardtEEccoollaabb FFoouunnddaattiioonnTamera El-FakahanyEEllii LLiillllyy aanndd CCoo.. FFoouunnddaattiioonnMary Kay ElnesGunnar J. Erickson MMRoger H. EricksonCaroline L. FairbanksPatricia D. Fallbeck MMKathleen A. Ferkul MMMilton H. FischerColleen M. FitzpatrickBradley W. Footh MMJohn E. and Janet M. Fredell MM

James A. and Sandra K. Fuchs MMDennis P. Garin MMRobb M. Garni MMNancy J. GassmanGGeenneerraall MMiillllss FFoouunnddaattiioonnAnthony C. GilbyGMAC Residential Funding CorporationSabiha A. Gokcen MMEville and Ada GorhamNorman R. GouldEric W. Green Jr.Carol J. Gross MMLouise and Donald GrotheJo Ellen M. Gundeck-FaheyEdgar E. Hanna Jr. MMBarry A. HartJohn P. HarvatMark D. Hauge MMBarbara J. Hawkins MMBarbara J. HegartyMich Hein and Elizabeth BrayCraig A. HenkeGregory and Kimberly Heuer MMSuzanne E. HillRobert C. Hodson MMMarshall A. Howe MMJohn O. HuiIIBBMM IInntteerrnnaattiioonnaall FFoouunnddaattiioonnMichael D. IngramPaul M. Ippel MMColleen M. Jacks MMDouglas B. JacobyBruce W. Jarvis IIIRoss A. JilkHenry A. Johnsen Jr.Thomas A. Jones MMJohn R. and Susan C. JungckRichard G. KarlenKent T. KehrbergDavid L. Kinnear MMJulie Anderson Kirihara MMRichard J. and Patricia L. KirschnerElroy C. KlaviterMelanie and Stephen KnierJeffrey A. Kohen MMDavid Koroshec MMJames W. Krueck MMPamela J. LachowitzerBruce L. and Marjorie H. Larson MMDavid M. LarsonJessica J. Larson MMConnie Stechmann LebakkenBryan K. Lee MMJulia M. LeeStephen K. Leenay MMLeo G. LehmickeKathryn A. LeitchLeon LepyanskyJane S. Levy MMJanice M. LeyErik J. Linck MMRichard W. Luecke MMChun Sheng LuoZhengyu Luo and Shibin LiKaren A. MalatestaWilliam V. Marean MMMichele A. MartinJoshua A. MartiniDavid E. and Linda A. MaschwitzAnn Matthias-Oakes and Walter H. OakesJohn A. Mayo MMJames K. Mc Cormack MMAndrew J. Mc Cullough MM

Douglas E. Mc KenzieEugene L. and Darlene M. Mc Manus MMJohn H. MeyersWilliam A. and Lynne M. Miley MMRobert S. MillsJ. Mason MorfitWilliam D. Morin MMMichael S. MortonJohn H. Nelson MMPamela L. Nelson MMThomas D. Nelson MMNestle Foods CorporationKevin J. Niemi MMRichard H. and Marcia NorthrupCatherine OjakangasErin C. OlsonLance D. and Trudy L. Olson MMJennifer Horn-OmmenChristine E. Ostendorf

Deborah I. OswaldDavid A. and Rebecca J. Palmer MMChuanbin PanHenry W. ParkParag V. PatelJoan J. and James J. Pearson MMTThhee PPeennttaaiirr FFoouunnddaattiioonnCynthia M. PfannkochMark Pirner and Kathleen SchroederPeter TiffinDouglas C. and Beverly A. Pratt MMGerald W. and Kathleen F. ProbstAnne E. Pusey MMFrank W. PutnamAnne L. Raich and John L. Sharp MMMoira L. M. Richards MMWilliam P. Ridley IIIPeggy J. RinardBarbara A. RoachBruce A. and Carol S. Rorem MMGerald A. and Joyce O. Roust MMScott C. Rowe MMDoris S. RubensteinLolly J. Schiffman MMAlison E. SchiniMark A. Schoenbeck MMGary B. SchwochauRobert and Elsie ShoemakerLaura A. Sikkink MMGary B. Silberstein MMAndre SilvanovichJeffrey S. Simske

Jeffrey E. SmithMurray D. SmithBrian J. Sorbel MMKevin M. Steadland MMJohn G. Steiert MMRichard A. SteinShelley A. Steva MMJay A. StoerkerCharles R. StranckeMelvin P. and Dorothy B. StulbergAnusooya SubramanianDouglas S. Swanson MMSymantec CorporationJeffrey E. TamMichael R. Tekautz MMMari C. ThomasMichael G. ThomasPaul C. ThompsonRobert E. Thompson

Elizabeth A. Thornton MMHeidi L. ThorsonRick D. TimmersC. Ivar Tollefson MMMark A. TomaiMargaret A. TorreanoRobert M. Valente MMMartin G. VickGregory A. VigliantiThomas A. Vogelpohl MMTimothy F. Voller MMTerence C. WagenknechtGeorge M. WagnerMary F. WalkerDavid A. Walters MMA. Vincent WeberMichael L. WegeMarie P. WelshingerWilliam P. WenstromMargaret J. Wheelock and Keith R.

Johnson MMMichael P. WinegarWinnebago United FundJimmy D. Winter MMKim H. WinterLucile E. WrenshallClifford D. Wright MMZhanguo Xin and Junping ChenAdrienne ZihlmanThomas H. Zytkovicz

BBOOLLDD Membership in University of Minnesota President’s Club

Sunset at Lake Itasca

19B I O z W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 - 0 7

G I V I N G M A K E S G R E A T N E S S P O S S I B L E

$1 – $99Alan J. AbbottAlmaz AbebeGregory J. AblerJosephine L. AbrahamGilbert G. Ahlstrand MMNayeema AhmedCailin T. AlgeArthur Allen MMAAlllliiaanntt TTeecchhssyysstteemmss IInncc..James E. AlmendingerSonia M. Altizer MMAAmmeerriiccaann EExxpprreessss FFoouunnddaattiioonnAAmmeerriipprriissee FFiinnaanncciiaall IInncc..Gary R. AndersonJoan E. AndersonKent K. Anderson MMLorraine B. Anderson MM

Paula J. AndrzejewskiBonita K. Antonsen MMCarolyn W. ArndtKamran S. AskariKarl J. AufderheideJennifer and Gerald AugeJohn A. Austbo MMMary Jo Baarsch MMJon R. BackstromMarcia J. Bains-GrebnerJohn F. BamrickLeonard and Joyce Banaszak MMMargaret Johnson BarchDale W. BargstenPaul B. and La Vonne M. BataldenCarl E. BauerKellie A. Benzow

Jeffrey O. and Cynthia L. BergsbakenRobert W. BertoyBryce C. BeverlinBopaiah A. BiddandaBioInsight, LLCSuzanne Marie BissonnetteDavid M. BlehertDavid S. BlehertThomas E. BoelterRenee J. BoernerVeta BonnewellPatricia L. and Del BosackerJane BossAndrew G. BostromJames G. BradleyBradley J. BramerChris S. BrandtDerek R. BrandtCharles J. BrechtRebecca A. BrennerRosa and Allan J. BrodyLouanne S. Brooks MMTerry L. BrownDavid A. BruceJoan V. Bruland MMLakshmi R. BuddhavarapuGail M. BuhlMonika R. Burau MMWilliam R. BurnsClaudia J. H. BurschGregory A. BurtmanDavid G. Butler MMCherrie P. CarapetyanDavid D. CarlsonJodi A. CarlsonJenifer L. CarmodyGabriel John Caron MMCarolyn E. CarrRobyn M. Casey MMWinston Cavert and Carol Witte MMBrenda L. ChadwickJustin ChanShin Lin ChenWen-Ping ChenYongmei Chen and Jianwei WuStephana A. ChoongJohn J. CierzanMichelle R. CilekThomas W. CollinsJean ConklinCarmen K. ConverseJessica Elouise Cott MMJane M. Cowan-KassickDaniel E. CoxDona B. CromerPaul E. CunnienRobert G. CurrieKevin W. CusterMegan E. DaoustJennifer DavidsonDouglas N. Day MMChristopher J. DaygerMervyn de Souza and Jennifer Seffernick

MMJohn V. DeanMichael J. Decker MMStephanie J. Decker and Jeffrey S.

Johnson MMAnnette J. Des LauriersJayna L. DeVoreMargaret A. DietrichMaria S. DlottShah-Nawaz Mohammed-Xqbal

Dodwad MMTerry G. and Barbara J. Domino MM

Patricia M. DonahueRobert R. DoohenRoger F. DrongMilta Rabell DudekRobert L. DunbarTimothy S. DunsworthChristopher T. DunwiddieScott James Dylla MM

John A. Eelkema MMWilliam A. and Alina E. EhrlichDavid G. EinzigDaniel S. ElkoMark E. EllefsonLaura J. EnglandMark K. EricksonJerome L. and Beth W. FahrmannFalcon Inn Bed and BreakfastJonathan Dan FargoBarbara J. Fealy MMJames B. Ferrari MMSteven J. Fifield and Christian

B.CalaguasRebecca J. FishelColleen A. FitzpatrickCynthia K. FollandKin C. FongFoothill Veterinary Surgery Inc.Jesse M. FordBlair and Melinda Foreman MMDeborah F. FleethamCarl E. FraschMichael D. FrenchikSherilyn C. FritzEileen F. FurlongPreston S. and Renetta J. Gable MMHoward B. Gale MMGwendolyn Markus Gallant MMMukul C. Ganguli MMSarah C. Gantert MMJames A. Garrity MMScott R. and Laurie A. GauerKarl A. GeidansRobert J. Geraghty MMRobert W. Gibbs Jr.Jean F. GivensStuart F. GoldsteinSue E. and Charles W. Gramith MMCraig D. GrimesAmy R. Groszbach MM

Rebecca J. Haack-DeetzNancy A. Haas MMKelly Z. Hadsall MMSusan K. HaffermanKris M. HagenCynthia A. HagleyDaniel R. HahnSten E. Hakanson

Myrna M. Halbach MMLarry D. HallTimothy J. and Susan M. HalloranWilliam J. Hammes MMScott M. HannahKaren A. HansenJennifer L. HansonKimberly HartEdward F. HaskinsCarolyn E. HazenLaura Heitman MMWilliam C. HenkeCurtis P. HenryMichelle J. Henry-Stanley MMDonald R. Hickman MMDaphne W. HillJason D. HillTimothy T. HinzePaul HladkySarah HobbieRonald H. HoessJames M. Hogle MMSarah J. HolmenGordon L. HoukMarlys L. HouseAndrew W. Hudacek MMJennifer W. Humphrey MMElaine M. HurtJohn D. JacksonBradley P. JahnkeMarc K. and Karen E. Jenkins MMStephen F. JensenD. A. Joachim-Etrheim and S. W. Etrheim

MMCandace J. JohnsonDale L. JohnsonEmilia P. JohnsonGary D. Johnson MMMiles F. JohnsonMyron L. JohnsonJustin R. Jordan

MM membership in the University of Minnesota Alumni Association/Biological Sciences Alumni Society * deceased

Nature of Life field study

Members of the class of 2006


D O N O R H O N O R R O L L

Jacki R. Just MMTerrance J. KaaseMichael J. and Mary E. Kallok MMByron N. KarnsJames T. KatterPamela K. KaufmanShiela U. KeefeMary J. KellyKari B. KenefickPhilip E. KerrCraig D. Kile MMGeorge A. KingDavid and Catherine KirkpatrickM. Dean KnightonJulie A. KnottMary M. Knudsen MMGaylord J. KnutsonLuke R. KoconWilliam H. Kojola and Shayne E. Dizard MMLeslie A. Kopietz and Mark SteinhauserRichard V. Kowles MMMichael P. KowskiBarbara J. KoziolTimothy K. KratzPenelope J. Krosch**Jeffrey R. KruegerCarrell J. KuceraRodney L. Kuehn MMErin A. Kunkel MMPaul M. Kunkel MMRandall K. La BountyRoberta K. Lammers-CampbellPaul D. Lampe MMJonathan and KelleyJo LancasterAnne C. LangfordDavid M. LanglieVictoria R. LappiAndrew Larson MMKara Larson MMKarin L. LarsonElizabeth Jansen Le Mire and William Le

Mire MMMelinda J. C. and Steven H. C. Lee MMKristin M. LeifermanIrvin E. Liener MMMargitta G. LindbergStephen R. Lines MMRebecca J. LinkeJoseph D. LittleMary Jo Lockbaum MMTze Hong LuThomas H. Luepke IIIChad M. Lund Lisa A. LundTimothy A. LundahlDaniel H. Lussenhop MMDaniel O. Lynch MMJohn W. LyrenmannMelissa and Peter MalenHarriet G. MasonJohn J. MattaMay Department Stores Company

FoundationPaul M. Mayer MMJohn E. MazuskiSteven P. Mc CullaghRichard Mc Gee Jr. MMCheryl A. Mc GinnLisa M. and Chad A. Mc KenzieStefanie M. and Maxwell J. Mc LaughlinElizabeth R. Mc LeanJill R. Meilahn MMSteven E. and Jean M. MelinTThhee MMeerrcckk CCoommppaannyy FFoouunnddaattiioonnSharon S. Meyer

Susan M. Meyer MMGina R. Miller Joanna L. MillerJoanne M. MillerJoseph B. MillerRandall S. Miller MMAmy and Olaf Minge MMLaurel MochinskiJames R. Moldenhauer MMDerek A. MolineYvette C. MonstadNorman R. MoodyPatricia M. MuellerRobert E. Muller MMJohn T. MundahlJames W. MungerSusan M. MurraySteven H. Myster MMNicole D. NaaszPatricia J. NealConrad N. NelsonDeborah A. Nelson MMAnita Ky Ngo MMJessica L. NguyenThomas H. NichollsKevin R. NickelsonKenneth E. NieteringGlen C. and Joyce E. NilsenMilena P. Ninkovic MMKennedy J. O’BrienAmy OganekuAnn M. OlsonChristine M. OlsonChristy Olson MDouglas J. Olson MMEric R. OlsonKristine D. OlsonRonn D. OlsonLeslie K. Olufson MMDonna R. OnstottPatrick E. O’ReganSean M. O’RourkeGretchen L. OswaldGeorge P. PapadiMark T. ParenteauJean G. ParodiAnn M. ParsonsAlicia F. PaulsonJannette Quast PauluErnest M. Peaslee MMWilliam R. Peglow MMElizabeth A. Petersen MMDennis PetersonLee A. Pfannmuller MMMartha M. PhillipsRobert L. Pierce MMDiane C. PietigPamela J. PietzJames Pirie and Linda Eells MMDouglas A. PlagerGeorge Eric PlumNancy J. PoindexterAaron M. Potretzke MMWilliam J. PremBo QiFrederick A. Radmer Jr.Robert S. RaikeAmy Rebecca Reckinger MMKent M. Reed MMMaria A. ReedstromJohn J. Reiners Jr.Michelle S. ReinertNancy Rice MMTimothy I. Richardson MMRichter Construction

Seung H. Ro MMSu Sie RoAnnette L. RobinsonDiana M. Rocha PlasterJames S. RochfordCharles F. RodellRobert D. and Lori G. RoettgerSedgwick C. Rogers MMMichael D. RohwerLouise A. Rollins-SmithH. Gerritt RosenthalRichard P. RyanChristopher and Brittany Sabol MMSteven D. SaltThomas E. Sauber MMPaul D. and Tamara J. SaundersSuzanne Savanick HansenMichael and Kristin ScanlanSusan V. Schauer MMPaul R. ScheeleMarianne Adele ScherzerKaren G. SchikPeter M. Schmitt MMBeverly L. SchomburgJanet L. and Christopher L. SchottelChristine A. Schousboe MMLaura D. SchroederRichard F. Schroeder MMWilliam A. Schroeder MMMarcia K. SchuylerLisa M. Schweizer MMRobert W. and Nikki R. SeabloomTina Seeland MMSandra H. SeilheimerMichelle I. SetterholmJoel C. SettlesRobert A. SharrockPaul J. SheldonGregg D. SimonsonThomas C. Skalbeck MMLynda K. SmithArnold W. SodergrenRex L. SolomonThomson P. Soule and Janet S. Boe MMLindsay M. SovilSandra L. SpierMary E. Spiotti-CoelhoJoseph M. SpitzmuellerNathan P. StaffKenneth L. Stein MMMatt and Linda StenzelMay T. StewartTheresa L. StiernagleMichael K. StockSteven M. StoneDiane R. StorvickLawrence Strate and Mary Jo MarshallConstance S. StuelandJerry L. Stumpf MMScott A. Stursa MMPaul M. SullivanEdward B. Swain and Mary E. Keirstead MMPaul N. SwensonRebecca R. SwitzerJean E. TakekawaLawrence M. TalapaWendy N. Taylor MMPaul A. TesseneDennis N. ThadenMargaret L. ThomasJacob A. ThompsonKimberly S. ThompsonRandall M. ThompsonSandra M. ThompsonCheryl L. Thorpe

Scott R. ThulienWilliam A. and Anne C. Tisel MMPeter D. TomascakJohn D. Trawick MMCatherine A. and Paul V. TresconyTong S. Tseng MMGenevieve M. TvrdikTodd M. and Jill M. VannelliRobert S. Veit MMRobert C. VenetteStella M. VeretnikScott Q. Vidas MMMargaret M. WalkerJames Walker and Randi Nordstrom MMPatricia M. WalshBradley J. WardWaters CorporationJane M. Wattrus MMGuang-Jong Jason Wei

Michael J. WeisbrodJane I. Wenger MMJanice A. WesterlingDeborah A. WhitcombKaren E. WhitePaul WhiteRichard J. WhiteSusan L. WichlaczJulie H. Wicklund MMC. Robert WikelWildflower Cottages of Pequot LakesJeanette A. WiltseKam M. and Lo WongRobert C. WongTimothy V. WoolardJudith L. WulffBrent L. WyrickZhaohui XuJames J. YoungblomJeffrey Y. Yung MM

BBOOLLDD Membership in University of Minnesota President’s Club

21B I O z W I N T E R 2 0 0 6 - 0 7

G I V I N G M A K E S G R E A T N E S S P O S S I B L E

John Anderson, mace bearer, CBS Commencement, 2006

123 Snyder Hall1475 Gortner AvenueSt. Paul, MN 55108

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PPAAIIDDMpls., MN.

Permit No. 155

A new study led by David Tilman, RegentsProfessor of Ecology in the University ofMinnesota’s College of Biological Sciences, showsthat mixtures of native perennial grasses andother flowering plants provide more usable energyper acre than corn-grain ethanol or soybeanbiodiesel, and are far better for the environment.

“Biofuels made from diverse mixtures of prairieplants can reduce global warming by removingcarbon dioxide from the atmosphere, meet a sub-stantial portion of global energy needs, and leavefertile land for food production,” Tilman said.

The findings were published in the Dec. 8 issue ofthe journal Science and featured on the cover.

Based on 10 years of research at Cedar CreekNatural History Area, the study shows that landplanted with highly diverse mixtures of prairiegrasses and other flowering plants producesmore than twice the amount of bioenergy thanthe same land planted with any single prairieplant species, including switchgrass.

Tilman and two colleagues, postdoctoralresearcher Jason Hill and research asso-ciate Clarence Lehman, estimate that fuelmade from prairie biomass would yield 51percent more energy per acre thanethanol from corn grown on fertile land.This is because prairie plants, which areperennials, require little energy to growand all parts of the plant above ground are usable.

Fuels made from prairie biomass are “carbon negative,” which means that theyreduce the amount of carbon dioxide (a green-house gas) in the atmosphere. This is becauseperennials store more carbon dioxide in roots andsoil than is released when fuels made from themare burned. Using prairie biomass to make fuelwould remove and store from 1.2 to 1.8 U.S. tonsof carbon dioxide per acre per year.

In contrast, corn ethanol and soybean biodieselare “carbon positive,”meaning they add carbondioxide to the atmosphere, although less thanfossil fuels.

The researchers estimate that growing mixedprairie grasses on all of the world’s degradedland could produce enough bioenergy to replace13 percent of global petroleum consumption and19 percent of global electricity consumption.

The research was supported by the University ofMinnesota Initiative for Renewable Energy andthe Environment and by the National ScienceFoundation (NSF). Cedar Creek Natural HistoryArea has been an NSF Long-Term EcologicalResearch (www.lter.umn.edu) since 1982.

Research plots at Cedar Creek Natural History Area were used to studythe potential of native prairie plants as a source of bio-based fuel.

IGH-DIVERSITY MIXTURES OF NATIVE PRAIRIE PLANT SPECIES

HAVE EMERGED AS THE LEADER IN THE QUEST TO IDENTIFY THE

BEST SOURCE OF BIOMASS FOR PRODUCING SUSTAINABLE, BIO-BASED

FUEL TO REPLACE PETROLEUM.

B I O F U E L S

Prairie grass biofuel is the best choiceFOR THE ECONOMY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

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