this issue in PDF format

WINTER 2006-07
Biofuels
T H E S TAT E O F
RENEWABLE ENERGY RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY
PUTS MINNESOTA AT AN ADVANTAGE, BUT WILL THE
STATE REMAIN COMPETITIVE? SEE STORY ON PAGE 8.
RESEARCH NEWS
CLASS NOTES
DONOR HONOR ROLL
F R O M
T H E
D E A N
What are you
DRIVEN TO DISCOVER?
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.
I can’t imagine a more fitting slogan for the University of Minnesota. “Driven” captures the passionate
Robert Elde, Dean
pursuit 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 …
WINTER 2006-07
Vol. 5 No. 2
Robert Elde
Dean
Huber Warner
Associate Dean
Robin Wright
Associate Dean
Elizabeth Wroblewski
Chief Administrative Officer
Peggy Rinard
Communications Director
Stephanie Xenos
Editor
Jack El-Hai
Mary Hoff
Peggy Rinard
Stephanie Xenos
Writers
Shawn Welch
I like the interactive nature of the campaign because it opens the door to the academy and invites people
in for a friendly chat and look around the place. It makes it clear that all visitors and all questions are
welcome. It captures the unique combination of our Minnesota work ethic and creativity. It would have
worked 100 years ago as well as it does today. And I suspect it will make sense as long as discoveries
remain 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 by
University researchers. In the first round, David Tilman addressed the question “Can we end our dependence on foreign oil?” and Daniel Bond responded to “What’s the next alternative energy source?” You may
have 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 the
public. 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.
Graphic Designer
Tim Rummelhoff
Photographer
Laurie Hennen
Development Director
Jean Marie Lindquist
Administrative Assistant
Robert Elde, Dean
College of Biological Sciences
belde@cbs.umn.edu
U of M Printing Services
Printing
Visit our Web site at www.cbs.umn.edu.
For address changes, please contact Jean Marie Lindquist at lindq011@umn.edu or 612-625-7705.
COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
T A B L E
O F
C O N T E N T S
In this issue
WINTER 2006-07
In Every Issue
2
ABSTRACTS
Fungi study gives insights into evolution… ecologist wins Packard prize…
plant diversity boosts bug diversity… a genetic cause for hyperactivity
4
CBS NEWS
Cedar Creek makeover… new Norwegian chair… $1 million for
grad education… a fitting memorial
16
6
THE ROLE OF ROT
8
POWER FROM THE PRAIRIE
GIVING BACK
Making your contributions count
17
ALUMNI NEWS
Class Notes… Calendar
22
BACK PAGE
Fill your tank with prairie grass
Cover Story
8
THE STATE OF BIOFUELS
Research supported by the University of Minnesota’s Initiative for
Renewable Energy and the Environment has helped the state position
itself as a biofuels leader. But will Minnesota stay ahead of the curve?
Features
6
7
13
14
15
18
FIELD NOTES— Decomposition
PLANT BIOLOGY— Plant evolution and global warming
GENETICS— Yeasty inquiries
STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY— Seeing proteins
STUDENT LIFE— Refugee to medical student
DONOR HONOR ROLL
The 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, public
assistance 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
15 A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY
BIO is published two times a year by the University of Minnesota
College of Biological Sciences for alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of
the College. It is available in alternative formats upon request; please
call 612-624-8723 or fax 612-624-2785.
BIO ❚ WINTER 2006-07
a b s t r a c t s
ecology and evolution
New glimpse into
EVOLUTION OF LIFE ON EARTH
s early fungi made the evolutionary journey
from water to land and branched off from
animals, they shed tail-like flagella that propelled
them through their aquatic environment and evolved
new mechanisms (including explosive volleys and fragrances) to disperse spores and multiply.
“What’s particularly interesting is
that species retained their flagella
for different lengths of time and
developed different mechanisms of spore dispersal,”
says David McLaughlin, professor of plant biology and
co-author of a paper published in the October 19
issue of Nature describing how fungi adapted to
life on land.
The discovery provides a new glimpse into the evolution
of life on Earth. It also helps scientists better under-
stand this unusual group of organisms and learn
how to develop uses for their unique properties in
medicine, agriculture, conservation and industry.
The discovery is the latest installment
in an international effort to learn the
origins of species. McLaughlin is one of
five principal investigators leading a
team of 70 researchers at 35 institutions. The group analyzed information
from six key genetic regions in almost
200 contemporary species to reconstruct the earliest days of fungi and their various relations. The
work is funded by a $2.65 million “Assembling the
Tree of Life” grant from the National Science
Foundation that was awarded to Duke University, the
University of Minnesota, Oregon State University and
Clark University in January 2003.
TIM RUMMELHOFF
A
David McLaughlin was co-author of a paper in Nature describing
how mushrooms adapted to life on land.
In 1998, scientists discovered that fungi split from animals nine million years after plants did, which means
that fungi are actually more closely related to animals
than to plants.
ECOLOGIST’S WINNING WORK ON MECHANISMS THAT CONTROL BIODIVERSITY
Helene Muller-Landau, assistant professor of
Earlier this year, Muller-Landau and colleagues
ecology, evolution and behavior, has been
awarded a $625,000 fellowship from the Packard
Foundation to study mechanisms that control
biodiversity in tropical forests, and how human
impact—including global climate change—affects
those mechanisms.
published a pair of papers presenting new
theories for tropical tree growth, mortality and
forest structure that she developed and tested on
more than two million trees from 14 sites around
the world.
Muller-Landau is one of 20 scientists and engineers
selected for the 2006 awards, which recognize the
most promising young faculty in the United States.
The Packard Foundation solicited the nominations
from 50 leading U.S. research universities.
Helene Muller-Landau is the third CBS faculty member
to receive a Packard Fellowship, which recognizes the
nation’s most promising young scientists.
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COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
She is the third College of Biological Sciences
faculty member to receive a Packard Fellowship in
the past several years. Others are George Weiblen,
plant biology, and Claudia Schmidt-Dannert,
biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics.
“According to these studies, there is no one-sizefits-all approach for tropical forests,” says MullerLandau. “The observed patterns not only deviate
substantially from the supposedly universal rules
predicted by current ecological theory, but also
differ significantly among sites.”
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation was
created in 1964 by David Packard, the co-founder
of the Hewlett-Packard Company, and his wife,
Lucile Salter Packard.
MORE PLANTS, MORE BUGS
Since Darwin landed in the Galapagos, biologists have
wondered why there are so many different kinds of bugs
in the tropics. But now a team of researchers from the
University of Minnesota, the
University of South Bohemia
and the Smithsonian Institute
for Tropical Research has
ended the speculation.
Simply put, it’s because there
are so many kinds of plants.
The team disproved a more
complex explanation, which suggested that tropical
bugs dined on fewer plants (were more host specific)
than their temperate-zone cousins. In fact, the
researchers showed that tropical and temperate bug
species 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 Science
Foundation grant that funded the study, which was
carried out in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Papua
New Guinea. The research was published in the August
25 issue of Science.
EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY
MAY GUIDE ECOSYSTEM
RESTORATION
Evolutionary history plays an
important role in determining
community structure, according
to a recent study led by
Jeannine Cavender-Bares,
Department of Ecology,
Evolution and Behavior.
“This has important implications for ecological
restoration,” Cavender-Bares says. ”If species show
deterministic patterns of assembly into communities,
this provides guidelines for how to restore communities
that have been disturbed by humans.” The study,
“Phylogenetic structure of Floridian plant communities
depends on taxonomic and spatial scale,” was published
in the July issue of Ecology.
h u m a n h ea lt h
RESEARCHER DEVELOPS MOUSE
MODEL FOR MUSCLE DISEASE
James Ervasti and his team have identified the importance of a
gene critical to normal muscle function. The researchers “knocked
out” the gene in mice that encodes the protein gamma actin found in
normal muscle cells. The result: a mouse model for centronuclear myopathy, a poorly
understood muscle disease similar to muscular dystrophy. The finding is published in the
September issue of Developmental Cell. Ervasti is professor of biochemistry, molecular
biology 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 Beauty
Transposon system to randomly mutate genes in mice and then pinpoint a possible genetic cause of hyperactivity. “It is our hope that
similar research could lead to advances in understanding human
behavior and the development of medications that target the genetic
causes of many diseases,” says David Largaespada, associate 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 development, is co-author of a paper in the August 18 issue of Science
describing a new technique that provides a 3-D glimpse of the molecular
structure of the flagellum, a tail-like organelle that enables cell
motility and signaling. Defective flagella have been linked to infertility,
chronic respiratory disease and polycystic kidney disease, among
other conditions. Consequently, getting a close look at how the organelle is assembled
will help scientists understand how these diseases occur. The researchers used cryopreservation and high-resolution tomography to obtain exceptionally clear and detailed
images. The title of the paper is “The molecular architecture of axonemes revealed by
cryo-electron tomography.”
BIO ❚ WINTER 2006-07
3
c b s
n e w s
CEDAR CREEK
MAKEOVER UNDERWAY
Cedar Creek Natural History Area is busier than
usual with construction on a new interpretive
center and housing for
students and visiting
faculty. Construction
workers broke ground
at the field station
September 21. The new
Norwegian chair
facilities will make it
possible “to show people
what we’re doing and
why it’s important,” says
The new Science and
Professor David Tilman,
Interpretive Center will provide
who has conducted
labs, classrooms, an exhibit hall
and a biodiversity garden.
groundbreaking
research at Cedar Creek for more than two
decades. The $7 million expansion will add
22,000 square
feet of space.
Construction will
be completed in
spring 2007.
CBS is also
exploring opportunities to take
advantage of
advances in field
Architects Rafferty Rafferty and
Tollefson designed the Visitors Center
at the Landscape Arboretum.
research technology that are creating multiinvestigator research opportunities spanning the
physical, biological and computational sciences
and engineering. These include climate,
microbial biology, biofuels, eco-informatics
and environmental observatories.
Judd Sheridan and Odd
Jarle Skejlhaugen will
share the Norway chair.
IN BIOENERGY AND FOOD SAFETY ANNOUNCED
J
udson Sheridan, College of Biological Sciences, and Odd Jarle Skjelhaugen, Norwegian
University for Life Sciences, will share the Norwegian Centennial Interdisciplinary Chair and
oversee an international research collaboration. Sheridan is director of international programs
and professor of genetics, cell biology and development. Skjelhaugen is director of research and
professor of environmental engineering.
The chair was created with a $750,000
gift from Norway, presented by Crown
Prince Haakon when he visited the
University of Minnesota to celebrate
Norway’s centennial last fall. The
University of Minnesota matched the gift
with $750,000 from the Permanent
University Fund. CBS will raise funds for
graduate fellowships.
“THE RESEARCH FOCUSES ON
SOME OF THE MOST PRESSING
ISSUES FACING THE WORLD.”
—Judson Sheridan
According to Sheridan: “The research projects currently underway and soon to be initiated focus
on some of the most pressing issues facing Norway, Minnesota and, in fact, the world. We expect
the results from the research to advance our basic knowledge at the frontiers while developing
practical 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 our
environment, the cost of energy and even the safety of our food.”
Sheridan and Skjelhaugen will use the endowment earnings to support faculty and student
exchanges and to develop new research collaborations.
U AWARDS CBS $1 MILLION FOR GRADUATE EDUCATION
Provost Tom Sullivan has awarded CBS $920,000 in
recurring funds to support graduate programs affiliated with the college’s four departments. Funds
will be used to pay teaching assistant salaries,
increase stipends for some graduate programs to
4
COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
make them more competitive and provide fellowship funds for foreign students. This complements
investments made by the state and University to
recruit new faculty and build new research facilities. Graduate students, who work in faculty labs
and assist faculty in carrying out their research, are
a key component of the research enterprise, says
Dean Robert Elde. “We are very grateful to the
University for this support.”
“Driven to Discover”
SPOTLIGHTS CBS FACULTY
D
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, is
designed to strengthen public appreciation of the University’s role as a research
institution. Tilman addressed the question “Can we end our dependence on foreign
oil?” and Bond replied to “What’s the next alternative energy source?” Their answers
were featured in print ads and TV commercials. Go to www.discover.umn.edu
for their responses.
Daniel Bond, BioTechnology Institute, believes bacteria that transform mud into electricity
are a promising source of renewable energy. He was featured in a recent TV commercial.
TAKE A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
CBS luminaries on the Wall of Discovery
include botanist Alexander Anderson, who in
the 1890s invented the process for puffed
cereal; botanist Josephine Tilden, who studied
algae in the early 1900s; Nobel Laureates
Paul Boyer (biochemistry) and Ed Lewis
(genetics); Raymond Lindeman, who discovered how energy moves through an ecosystem; Eville Gorham, who described acid
rain; and Gary Nelsestuen, who in 1974
identified proteins that promote and inhibit
blood coagulation.
Gary Nelsestuen at his spot on the Wall of Discovery. Nelsestuen was recognized for his discovery of proteins
involved in blood clotting, which are being used to treat clotting disorders.
T
he new Scholars Walk, which stretches
from Walnut Street near the McNamara
Alumni Center west to Appleby Hall and
Pleasant Street, and the Wall of Discovery, on
the north side of the Electrical Engineering
and Computer Science Building, include some
familiar names. These tributes to major
research and classroom accomplishments by
University faculty and students highlight a
number of CBS faculty and alumni.
The Scholars Walk includes CBS faculty and
alumni who have been recognized by the
National Academy of Science, the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences, as Regents
Professors, McKnight Professors,
Distinguished Teachers, and Rhodes, Marshall
and Truman scholars.
BIO ❚ WINTER 2006-07
5
I
E
L
D
N
O
T
E
S
TIM RUMMELHOFF
F
Sarah Hobbie studies the role of
decomposition in nutrient recycling
and global climate change.
The rotten truth
IN A CHANGING WORLD, DECOMPOSITION IS A HOT TOPIC
W
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.
“I joke with my classes, it’s hard to go tell your
grandparents you work on decomposition,” she
says. But once she explains how pertinent it is
to everything from growing prize tomatoes to
global warming, the laughs subside.
Decomposition, she says, is critical to recycling
plant nutrients. It’s the main pathway by which
carbon dioxide fixed by plants is returned to the
atmosphere. 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 studying
decomposition as a graduate student looking at
nutrient cycling on the Arctic tundra. She soon
realized that it’s a key—and often neglected—
variable linked to human-caused global changes
such as increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide
and fixed nitrogen. Since then she has led a
number of studies aimed at understanding the
impacts of decomposition and global change on
each other.
In one project, Hobbie is looking at nutrient
cycling in monoculture stands of 14 tree species
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COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
that were planted in Poland three decades ago.
When she started the study, she thought the
amount of lignin and nitrogen in the leaf litter,
shown that the higher the nitrogen in plant
material, the faster it rots. “That suggests that
humans increasing the input of nitrogen should
speed up the rate,” she
says. But when she added
nitrogen fertilizer to her
“DECOMPOSITION IS CRITICAL TO RECYCLING
research plots, decompoPLANT NUTRIENTS. IT’S THE MAIN PATHWAY BY
sition accelerated on
only a few—and even
WHICH CARBON DIOXIDE FIXED BY PLANTS IS
slowed on some.
RETURNED TO THE ATMOSPHERE.”
“I still don’t understand
those results,” she says.
—Sarah Hobbie
Because of the prevalence
of fertilizer use, she
which affects soil microorganisms’ ability to
plans to conduct additional experiments until
break it down, would control the decomposition
she does.
rate. “We found out we were completely wrong,”
When all is said and done, Hobbie says, she
she says. The wrench in the hypothesis turned
out to be nightcrawlers, which prefer leaves with hopes to have “contributed some understanding
of the basic ecological response to humanlots of calcium. This same nightcrawler species
caused global change.”
is now invading Minnesota forests, so the
research “helps us understand what’s currently
going on in Minnesota,” Hobbie says.
Hobbie is also studying decomposition at Cedar
Creek Natural History Area. Past research has
And, she adds, “It would be nice if that information actually related to societal decisions about
global change.”
—MARY K. HOFF
TIM RUMMELHOFF
P L A N T
B I O L O G Y
Peter Tiffin studies the molecular evolution of plants.
Evolving
with the
climate
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 A Y S
T O H E L P T H E M A D A P T T O G L O B A L C L I M AT E C H A N G E .
A
T FIRST GLANCE IT MAY SEEM LIKE A CHARMED LIFE. BUT IN REALITY IT’S NOT ALL THAT EASY BEING A PLANT.
Anchored firmly by your roots, you can’t out-
corn. By comparing the DNA that codes for
“There are suggestions that carbon dioxide
run, dodge or hide from organisms that aim to
eat you. So instead you develop defenses:
tough tissue, toxins, thorns, spines. And what
do your nemeses do in turn? Develop ways to
outsmart them.
defenses such as digestion-inhibiting and antifungal proteins in different populations, he’s
been able to gain insights into a variety of evolutionary strategies for staying alive in a world
replete with plant-eaters.
changes the evolutionary trajectory,” he says.
“We hope to test this idea as well as identify
chromosomal regions contributing to differences among genotypes’ response to carbon
dioxide.”
This evolutionary pas de deux holds plenty of
intrigue for Peter Tiffin, assistant profes-
“We consider Peter Tiffin
one of the top young stars
in the plant molecular
evolution field,” says
Peter Snustad, acting
head of the Department
of Plant Biology. “His
work on the evolution of
plant defense genes and
host-parasite interactions
is cutting edge.”
sor in the Department of Plant Biology. Tiffin
started his scientific career studying plants
from the perspective of crop production. But he
soon found himself captivated not so much by
the organisms themselves, but by the molecular changes in their genes that allow them to
endure in and adapt to a changing world.
Among the most fascinating genetic characteristics Tiffin has studied so far are those that
help plants hold their own against herbivores
and other enemies.
“I want to understand how biotic interactions
shape the evolution of organisms,” Tiffin says.
“As far as a strong evolutionary force, being
eaten is pretty strong.”
Tiffin has been looking at molecular genetic
differences in two species of teosinte, a Central
American grass that is the ancestor of modern
“I WANT TO UNDERSTAND
HOW BIOTIC INTERACTIONS
SHAPE THE EVOLUTION OF
ORGANISMS.”
—Peter Tiffin
Tiffin is also investigating the genetic implications for genetic variation and selection of
increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide. To
study that, he planted 6,000 Arabidopsis
thaliana plants (the botanical equivalent of
white mice) in research plots exposed to higher-than-normal carbon dioxide at the College
of Biological Sciences’ Cedar Creek Natural
History Area research facility.
In another study,
Tiffin is looking at the
relationship between
molecular genetic
variation and growth
range in Clarkia xantiana, a purplepetaled flower found
in the Sierra Nevada
of California.
“With global climate change, there’s a lot of
evidence that species ranges will shift,” he
says. Improved understanding of the link
between genetics and range, he says,
may prove valuable to predicting—and
potentially boosting—plants’ ability to adapt
to such change.
—MARY K. HOFF
BIO ❚ WINTER 2006-07
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8
COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
INVESTMENT IN RENEWABLE ENERGY AND BIOFUELS RESEARCH
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 LT S W I T H B I G
T
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE STATE
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 shape
Minnesota’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 a
serious commitment to maintaining a competitive edge in biofuels research and production,” says Robert Elde, dean of the College of Biological Sciences, executive director of
IREE and the driving force behind the planned National Center for Biofuels Research at
the University of Minnesota. Elde has observed firsthand what can result from collaborative, 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 you
can 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 a
biofuels hub.
ALL ABOUT IREE
IREE was launched in 2003 when the Minnesota Legislature directed $20 million in funds, set aside by Xcel
Energy for alternative energy development, to the initiative (a $10 million lump sum followed by $2 million a
year through 2007). IREE draws on the intellectual resources of six colleges and professional schools including 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 other
renewable resources and processes. A big goal, and one IREE is already delivering on.
BIO ❚ WINTER 2006-07
9
“WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO COALESCE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
RESEARCHERS INTO A REAL FORCE.”
—Robert Elde
Robert Elde, Executive Director of IREE
In three years, IREE has evolved from an idea to a hub for renewable
energy—especially biofuels—research in the region. The initiative has
funded 110 renewable energy projects involving more than 275 faculty,
research scientists and students at the University of Minnesota. Biofuel
projects go way beyond headline-grabbing crop-based ethanol to cuttingedge inquiry into the potential for hydrogen, wind power and even bacteria
to 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 fastmoving world of biofuels development. “We’ve done a good job starting
out, but we’re already in danger of falling behind,” he says, pointing to
proposals in other states—not to mention tremendous investments in
other countries—as an indication of what Minnesota and the University
are up against in keeping ahead of the curve.
“Many states are committing much more,” adds Elde, “and the reality is
that we are competing with them to establish our niche in the renewable
energy economy.”
RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW
Ethanol is a billion-dollar business in
Minnesota, literally. The BioBusiness Alliance
of Minnesota’s 2006 Statewide Biobusiness
Assessment notes that Minnesota is the second largest producer of
ethanol in the country with an annual production value approaching an
estimated $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 matched
with a strong biobusiness sector. State support is also strong. “The state
has embraced biotechnology and research in renewable energy with its
policy,” points out Darren McBeth, executive director of the Minnesota
Agri-Growth Council. “There are more ethanol plants in Minnesota than
almost anywhere else. Minnesota was the first state to mandate 10 percent [ethanol content in gasoline], which then doubled to 20 percent two
years 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
USING ALGAE TO MAKE
HYDROGEN FUEL
Hydrogen is all around us, but it’s almost always
bound to other elements. Isolating hydrogen for
emission-free, renewable fuel is challenging.
Paul Lefebvre and Carolyn Silflow, Department
of Plant Biology, are collaborating with Michael
Flickinger 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.
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COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
PUTTING CARBON IN ITS PLACE
BIONIC PLASTIC
Wetlands store carbon, which keeps it from entering the atmosphere and adding to global
warming. James Cotner and Shinya Sugita, Department of Ecology, Evolution and
Behavior, are exploring how this process works in order to identify ways to manage wetlands to maximize carbon storage. They are also analyzing sediment to learn how human
impact has altered this system over the past few hundred years. Their research is funded
by a $333,000 grant from IREE.
Bio-based plastics may be more than a replacement for oil-based plastics because they
can be engineered to provide useful functions. Romas Kazlauskas and Claudia SchmidtDannert, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, and the
BioTechnology Institute’s Friedrich Srienc are developing a polymer that conducts electricity
and can be used in electronic devices. IREE awarded the team a $405,000 grant to support
this research.
and inevitable decline in supply of fossil fuels coupled with the limitations of
corn- and grain-based ethanol, which compete with food production, has
spurred innovation. And IREE has taken the ball and run with it by funding
cutting-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 partners, 12 universities and higher education institutions, and an
additional 50-plus outside organizations including state and
federal agencies and departments, national laboratories, trade organizations, 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 and
technical and business capability puts the state at an advantage over other
states 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 use
those advantages aggressively to stake a claim to alternative energy.
“Minnesota should be as ferociously devoted to promoting energy efficiency
and technology as Alaska is to exporting oil or Oklahoma is to the natural
gas industry.”
EARLY RETURNS
“You need to have people like [University of Minnesota’s] David Tilman,
Lanny Schmidt and Ken Keller having these discussions,” says Edward
Garvey, deputy commissioner for energy and telecommunications at the
Minnesota Department of Commerce and an early supporter of IREE. “You
need these folks [from diverse disciplines] to be in the game cross-pollinating
each other. And that’s what IREE is starting to do.”
In recent years, similar undertakings have sprouted up at universities across the country. “The difference with this initiative
is just how comprehensive it is. … Integrating policy, economics
and ecosystems research is unique to IREE,” says
Hemmingsen. So in addition to biofuels research, IREE provides
a framework for analysis. This is key, Hemmingsen notes, since inventions
or new discoveries should be coupled with an understanding of costs
involved in bringing them to market, the policies needed to make their use
widespread and an understanding of the environmental impacts. IREE
brings together faculty and researchers from across disciplines as different
as biochemistry and public policy to make that happen. “We’ve been able to
coalesce this group into a real force,” adds Elde, “which is something that
advances the University’s leadership in this area.”
Some of the early returns on that $20 million investment include:
❚ The first large-scale wind turbine at a public university in the country at
the West Central Research and Outreach Center near the University of
Minnesota’s Morris campus;
❚ research on ways of making hydrogen from biological materials such as
Lanny Schmidt's development of a reactor that converts ethanol to hydrogen.
❚ development of an innovative biomass gasification system, and;
❚ the potential to produce a type of nitrogen fertilizer from wind power.
BIO ❚ WINTER 2006-07
11
“THE EASIEST MISTAKE WE COULD MAKE WOULD BE A FAILURE TO
THINK BIG… THE BIGGEST MISTAKE WOULD BE TO UNDER-INVEST.”
—Michael Noble
Fresh Energy’s Michael Noble
IREE research has even resulted in the launch of a biotech start-up based
on a process developed by Larry Wackett, head of microbial chemistry,
which uses bacteria to transform common renewable resources into fuel
hydrocarbons.
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; an
important step toward making renewable energy sources competitive.
Elde wants to take biofuels research to the next level by establishing the
National Biofuels Research Center (NCBR) to capture and feed the
momentum created so far by IREE. The NCBR would bring together
everything needed to conduct cutting-edge biofuels research, teaching
and technology development in a single facility on the St. Paul campus.
The idea to create a hub for biofuels research at the University of
Minnesota follows logically on IREE’s record of innovation. “Taking bold
steps will move the University and Minnesota closer to realizing our goal
of being a leader in biofuel production,” Elde says. “The University and
the state are depending on us for leadership in areas that are critically
THE COMPETITION HEATS UP
important to the future of Minnesota and the planet.”
In laying out the University’s budget request for 2008-09, University of
Minnesota President Robert Bruininks articulated the return on invest-
JUST GETTING STARTED
ment possible with some forward thinking. “From renewable energy to
Ultimately, says Hemmingsen, biofuels research isn’t optional. It’s a
the biosciences, these are critical investments in Minnesota’s future.
necessity; a national and global imperative. “We have to do it,” he says.
Tomorrow’s jobs are being invented today by our researchers, faculty and
“We have no choice.”
students,” 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 state
needs to take that competition: “Minnesota has no grounds for being
complacent regarding its future position in research and development
within the life sciences.” Fresh Energy’s Noble concurs.
Noble agrees. “The easiest mistake we could make would be a failure to
think big, to not realize that energy issues are at the root of our global
security issues,” he says. “Energy issues are at the root of economic
prosperity. And energy issues are at the root of our global environmental
problems. The biggest mistake would be to under-invest.”
Noble adds that the potential for Minnesota to remain
competitive is very real, even with more and more intense
competition. “There’s no reason why Minnesota and its
neighboring states can’t be the nation’s top producer of
cellulosic biofuels, wind energy, even hydrogen and solar
electricity,” he says. “But the idea that it’s going to fall in
“Minnesota has a reputation as a national leader [in biofuels],
but I think there’s so much more we could do,” he says. “It’s
easy to be proud of our accomplishments but it’s more important to challenge ourselves to do better.”
But funding is critical. “We’re starting to see a lot of really big
companies investing significant money at universities,” notes
Hemmingsen. Two recent examples: a $12 million research
partnership between Chevron and the Georgia Institute of
Technology launched earlier this year and a $500 million grant
to be awarded by BP to a single university in early 2007.
our laps is false.”
State funding is also on the rise. Michigan is proposing $200 million
and California $1 billion for renewable energy research at their respective
university systems. “Minnesota hasn’t made that kind of commitment
yet,” notes Hemmingsen. To make good on IREE’s mission and, at the
same time, advance Minnesota’s standing as a leader in biofuels research
will require an ongoing investment.
12
COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
And the most direct path to keeping that edge starts with
ensuring ongoing support at the state and federal level for
IREE and NCBR. “The University has repeatedly proven its
ability to develop new ideas and new technologies that
enable Minnesotans to be better off,” notes Sen. Steve Kelley, another
critical early supporter of IREE. “Given that track record, [investing in
IREE] is the right thing to do.”
State Senator
Steve Kelley
—STEPHANIE XENOS
G
E
N
E
T
I
C
S
Yeast raises
good questions
Y
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.
a flat surface of silicon or glass, Berman has
discovered that when exposed to antifungal
who clings to a single focus of study for an
drugs, C. albicans pulls the amazing trick of
entire career. “Biology is so wide open a field—
modifying one of its chromosomes. It copies
that’s what appeals to me,” says the professor
one arm of chromosome 5 so that it can carry
of genetics, cell biology and development. “My
two copies of this chromosome arm on a
strength is in having a broad understanding of
new, rearranged chromosome. The altered
yeasts. And I like to use
chromosome is called
that strength to find
an isochromosome.
interesting questions.”
BERMAN RECENTLY DISCOVShe is currently harBerman and her
nessing her expertise
ERED THAT C. ALBICANS
research team pubin yeasts—singlelished an article in a
ALTERS A CHROMOSOME TO
celled fungi—to explore
recent issue of the
several pioneering
journal Science
RESIST ANTI-FUNGAL DRUGS.
paths of research.
describing this
THE FINDING COULD LEAD TO
discovery. “This major
One of her avenues of
genome rearrangeBETTER TREATMENTS.
investigation spotlights
ment occurs in 20 perCandida albicans, a
cent of the Candida
yeast that can cause
albicans
strains that
infections in humans. In healthy people, this
become
resistant
to
antifungal
drugs,”
she
yeast often exists harmlessly in the mouth and
says. Her findings suggest that pairing antigastrointestinal tract. Sometimes it produces
fungal treatment with a companion drug that
troublesome oral or vaginal infections. But in
blocks the genetic rearrangement offers
people with a weakened immune system, such
hope for extending the usefulness of the curas those who have AIDS or have undergone
rently available antifungal drugs. Her next
chemotherapy, these infections can blossom
step: “We’re now trying to understand the
into life-threatening episodes. Berman’s
mechanism of how the extra chromosome arm
research focuses on a consequence of medical
is gained and lost,” she says.
treatment intended to control serious infections
of C. albicans: the organism’s unusual method
Berman began her study of yeasts years ago
of developing resistance to drugs.
with research on a more prosaic organism,
Because many agents toxic to yeasts are also
toxic to humans, most yeast-fighting drugs
have been designed to control the growth of
yeast populations rather than wipe them out.
Using microarrays, segments of DNA affixed to
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is responsible
for the rising of bread and the fermentation of
beer. She has not abandoned her old laboratory
companion. For the past two years, she has
collaborated with a researcher at the Weizmann
TIM RUMMELHOFF
Judith Berman is not the kind of scientist
Judith Berman studies several varieties of yeast, a one-celled
fungi that provides insights into human genetics.
Institute of Science in Israel in a comparison of
the ways in which S. cerevisiae and C. albicans
convert their DNA sequence into cellular functions. This process is called gene expression.
“We’re interested in finding out how patterns of
controlling genes have evolved over time,”
Berman says.
Another question, another course of research.
—JACK EL-HAI
BIO ❚ WINTER 2006-07
13
B I O L O G Y
TIM RUMMELHOFF
S T R U C T U R A L
Crystal clear
STRUCTURAL BIOLOGIST CARRIE WILMOT USES X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
TO “SEE” THE STRUCTURE OF PROTEINS THAT AFFECT HUMAN HEALTH
T
HE WORLD OF STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY HAS BEEN BETTER OFF SINCE
Veterinary medicine was an early career choice
for Wilmot, assistant professor in the Department
of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and
Biophysics. “Then I became allergic to cats
and dogs,” she says.
Instead of treating animals, Wilmot transferred
her interests to crystallography—the technique
of determining the 3D structural arrangement of
molecules by hitting crystalline samples with a
beam of X-rays and studying the patterns of diffraction that result. Because of her expertise in
crystallography and spectroscopy, the U.K.native has gained wide recognition as an authority
in the difficult task of successfully preparing
samples of protein enzymes for analysis. “She’s
world-famous for developing the techniques to
catch enzymes in their different structural states
as they go through the steps of their enzymatic
reactions, and to trap them in a crystal so she
can determine the structure,” says David
Thomas, who heads the structural biology group.
Wilmot has focused her attention on several protein enzymes in particular. One, copper-containing amine oxidase, is implicated in such human
health problems as congestive heart disease and
inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid
arthritis. When present in the blood, the enzyme
14
COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Carrie Wilmot DECIDED NOT TO BECOME A VET.
can produce inflammation by drawing into sursoluble form of a protein fragment is largely
rounding tissues the cells that help fight off
responsible for memory loss in Alzheimer’s
pathogens. The enzyme also produces formaldedementia. Ashe has succeeded in purifying this
hyde and hydrogen peroxide, chemicals that can
protein assembly, and Wilmot is going to solve
damage hearts already weakened by cardiac disits structure to understand why this particular
ease or diabetes.
form of the protein has
“Here is a single
such devastating effects in
enzyme that reprehumans. “Carrie does very
“WE’RE TRYING TO PROVIDE A
sents a key step in the
well researching in collabPLATFORM OF KNOWLEDGE FOR
inflammatory
oration with other investiresponse,” Wilmot
gators,” Thomas says. “Her
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO DESIGN
says.
contribution is valuable
DRUGS AIMED AT ENZYMES.”
because she’s a world
And because the
expert in determining proenzyme acts alone,
—Carrie Wilmot
tein structures.”
Wilmot has found it an
attractive target for
This year the American
investigation. Her hope is that examination of the
Crystallographic Association gave Wilmot its
enzyme’s structure will suggest pharmaceutical
Margaret C. Etter Early Career Award, and she
approaches to inhibiting its effects. “What we’re
earlier received the Paul D. Saltman Memorial
trying to do is to provide a platform of knowledge
Award from the Gordon Research Conferences.
for people who want to go on and design drugs
“I’m motivated by the beauty of protein strucaimed at the enzyme,” she says.
tures,” she says. “I’ve been doing this for over a
Also in her investigative sights are various
decade, but I still get such a thrill the first time I
molecular assemblies connected to Alzheimer’s
look at one. They provide the answers to so many
disease. In this research she collaborates with
questions, and open up so many more.”
Karen Ashe, professor of neurology and neuro—JACK EL-HAI
science, who has discovered that a particular
S T U D E N T
L I F E
Refugee camp
TO MEDICAL SCHOOL
N A KENYAN REFUGEE CAMP, MOHAMED ABDIHALIM DIDN’T HAVE TO WORRY
ABOUT THE WAR IN SOMALIA, SO HE COULD CONCENTRATE ON SCHOOL.
they moved again, just across the Kenyan bor-
being asked, ‘What tribe are you from?’ by a
gunman. If you’re from the wrong tribe, in
the wrong city, you would get robbed or
killed. Tribe was everything.”
der. “After the first two years, even that place
An aunt brought Abdihalim to the United
Mohamed Abdihalim was nine when
he and his family fled their home in Mogadishu,
Somalia because of civil war. Months later,
became too dangerous, because the
militia would make
“THE DOCTORS TREATED
States. After graduating
from high school in
Minneapolis, he attend-
raids,” Abdihalim
recalls. “It was a
PEOPLE NO MATTER WHAT
ing in biochemistry. He
scary time.” So the
family moved again,
TRIBE THEY BELONGED TO—
graduated from CBS
to a United Nations
THEY DIDN’T EVEN ASK. FOR A
summa cum laude in
the spring of 2005 and
started at the University
refugee camp deeper
inside Kenya.
Abdihalim came to
ed the University, major-
SOMALI TEENAGER, IT WAS AN
of Minnesota Medical
EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE.”
Minnesota in 1999, at
—Mohamed
17. Despite spending
almost half his childhood in refugee camps, he says, “I consider
myself lucky.”
In the camp, Abdihalim explains, “I didn’t have
to worry about the war. I could concentrate on
school.” At school—a tent without chairs,
tables or electricity—he learned among other
things to speak English.
For a time, the camp had one hospital and one
physician. When physicians from the organization Doctors Without Borders arrived, the
Somali doctor suggested that Abdihalim work
as a translator. The doctors treated people no
matter what tribe they belonged to—they didn’t
even 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
Abdihalim
School in fall 2005.
Soon afterwards,
Abdihalim became the
first University of
Minnesota student ever awarded a scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation,
which was started by the real estate, media
and sports mogul, who died in 1997. A high
school dropout, Cooke once described himself as an “indomitable optimist.”
TIM RUMMELHOFF
I
Competition for the scholarships is intense.
More than 1,200 individuals from across the
United States applied for graduate school
assistance last year, with about 75 receiving
awards of as much as $50,000 annually. For
Abdihalim, who has another small scholarship, that amounts to about $40,000 per year.
Abdihalim just started his second year of
medical school, after a summer of helping a
researcher at the Mayo Clinic. His dream is to
spend several months of each year working in
Somalia. He is still inspired by the physician
who first took an interest in him more than a
When he completes his medical education, Mohamed Abdihalim hopes
to practice in the United States and Somalia.
decade ago, and started him working as a
medical translator. “I feel this sense of responsibility, to patients and to my community,”
Abdihalim says, “to give back.”
—FRANK CLANCY
BIO ❚ WINTER 2006-07
15
G I V I N G
B A C K
What matters
to you?
MAKING YOUR GIFT MEANINGFUL
❚ The new Science and
Interpretive Center at Cedar
Creek Natural History Area
❚ The planned National Center for
Biofuels Research
❚ Habitat for Biologists or the
planned Campus Center at Itasca
Biological Station and
Laboratories
❚ Graduate fellowships to support
“YOU SHOULD FEEL AS GOOD
ABOUT YOUR GIFT AS THE
RECIPIENT DOES.”
—Laurie Hennen
undergraduate students who conduct research
in molecular biology.
the Norwegian Centennial
Laurie Hennen, CBS director of development, works with donors to
help them identify giving opportunities that suit their personal needs
and interests.
Interdisciplinary Chair in Biofuels
DAVID GRANTHAM BURBEE
and Food Safety
MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
❚ Scholarships and fellowships
Dr. Clark Burbee made a gift of $25,000 to
honor the memory of his son, David Grantham
Burbee (B.S. biochemistry, 1977). David continued his education at Cornell University and
went on to a career in biochemistry and genetics. He attributed the development of his interests to faculty and friends at the University of
Minnesota. David Burbee passed away in
October 2005. Clark Burbee’s gift has been
matched by the President’s Scholarship Fund.
for deserving students in all
areas of biology
I
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 scholarship, research or educational program, buildings or all of the above. You may be reflecting
on how you benefited from someone else’s
generosity, the impact of a professor on your
life, or research that is particularly meaningful
to you. For every interest or inclination, there is
a need you can help fill. Here are some of the
ways that you can give back to the College of
Biological Sciences.
16
COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Please send an e-mail or give me a call if you
would like to learn more about any of these
opportunities. I look forward to meeting you,
learning about your connection to CBS and
telling you about the important work that’s
going on here. Contact me at hennen@umn.edu
or 612-624-9460.
Here are some examples of recent scholarship
gifts. Each comes with a unique personal story.
JULIAMARIE ANDREEN GRILLY
SCHOLARSHIP
Juliamarie Andreen Grilly earned a B.S. in bacteriology from the University of Minnesota in
1946. She worked her entire professional
career as a research scientist at Los Alamos
National Laboratory. She was also an accomplished cellist and golfer. After Juliamarie died
in November 2005, her husband, Edward Grilly,
established this scholarship in her memory
with a gift of $150,000. The gift supports
WALLACE ARMSTRONG/ VENKATESWARLU
POTHAPRAGADA GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP
This fellowship honors Walllace Armstrong, a
biochemistry faculty member from 1934-74,
who discovered the protective effects of fluoride. It was created with a $25,000 gift from
Venkateswarlu Pothapragada (Ph.D. physiological chemistry, 1962) and his employer, 3M. The
gift has been matched by the University of
Minnesota 21st Century Graduate Fellowship
Endowment. Preference will be given to applicants who have a connection to or strong interest in India.
—LAURIE HENNEN
A L U M N I
Calendar
N E W S
Class notes
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’s
exhibit, RACE, with Dean Robert Elde. RACE combines human experience, history and
science to explore the concept of race and its role in our world. www.smm.org
DEAN’S BOOK CLUB
Matthew P. Finke (B.S. Biochemistry, 1997). After
graduating from CBS, Matthew completed a Master of Public
Health (MPH) degree at the University of Minnesota in 2000
and earned his M.D. degree at the University of South Dakota
School of Medicine in 2006. While in medical school he initiated Public Health Week in South Dakota, for which he
received the South Dakota State Medical Association’s Past
Presidents’ Leadership award. He began a residency in
emergency medicine at University of Iowa Hospitals and
Clinics in July.
Minali Gala (B.S. Genetics, Cell Biology and
February 22, 2007 | 6-8 p.m.
Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and discussion about Michael Pollan’s best-selling book
Omnivore’s Dilemma, which explores connections between food, energy and the
environment. www.michaelpollan.com
VANCOUVER ISLAND STUDY TOUR
June 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 Botanical
Beach in the early 1900s. Vancouver Island offers pristine coastlines and an abundance
of flora and fauna. www.vancouverisland.travel
Space at these events is limited. Please contact Jean Marie Lindquist at lindq011@umn.edu
or 612-625-7705 for more information.
Making Connections
Bill Diekman (B.S. Biology, 1987) is 2006-07 president of the Biological Sciences Alumni Society. Under
his leadership, the board is working to build relationships with alumni, raise money for the college, and
support Dean Elde's research and education goals.
BSAS activities include the Mentor Program, which
matches undergraduates with alumni working in
careers they plan to pursue; the Dean's Book Club;
and the Vancouver Island Study tour.
www.cbs.umn.edu
Click on Alumni & Friends
Development, 2005). Minali has been working at PDL
Biopharma, Inc., where she had previously done an internship, since July 2005. She hopes to go back to school to get
an MBA in the near future. A native of India, she returns
home once a year to spend time with her family.
Imee Cambronero (B.S. Biology, 2003). Imee has held
several different positions in the Minnesota and Washington,
D.C. offices of Congresswoman Betty McCollum since graduation. She maintains her Minnesota connections through
involvement with the Philippine Center of Minnesota Board,
the University of Minnesota Alumni Association and the CBS
Alumni Board of Directors.
Karen Dallas (B.S. Microbiology, 2001). Karen
received her M.D. degree from McGill University in Montreal,
Quebec. She is completing a residency in hematopathology
at the University of Toronto.
Paul A. Rebers (Ph.D. Biochemistry, 1953) died on
May 31 at the age of 83. A retired chemist at the National
Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, Rebers’ research
focused on lipopolysaccharide antigens found in Pastuerella
multocida, which is responsible for fowl cholera. He co-edited the book Radon, Radium and Uranium in Drinking Water,
which was published in 1990. Rebers was preceded in death
by his son Joseph, and is survived by his wife, E. Louise, two
sons and two grandchildren.
Joe Novak (Ph.D, Science Education and Biology, 1958)
recently received an honorary doctorate and a gold medal
from the University of Urbino for contributions to science
education. Joe also has received honorary doctorates from
the Universidad Publica de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain and
the Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Neuquen, Argentina.
Julie Constable (Ph.D Ecology, Evolution and
Behavior, 2000) has been living in Fresno, California for the
better part of four years. She is a part-time lecturer in the
biology department at California State University (CSU),
Fresno, as well as an adjunct faculty member at CSU
Stanislaus. Julie is also employed fulltime as a wildlife ecologist by the Endangered Species Recovery Program, studying the endangered San Joaquin Kit Fox in the Central Valley
of California.
Please take a couple minutes to update us about your career
and personal life. Let your fellow alumni know about your
new job, awards, publications, current research, family
changes and travel experiences. E-mail to sxenos@umn.edu.
BIO ❚ WINTER 2006-07
17
D O N O R
H O N O R
R O L L
Donor honor roll
EVERY GIFT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
T
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 LINDQ011@UMN.EDU.
$5,000+
$1,000 – $4,999
3M Company
3M Foundation Inc.
Athena Diagnostics Inc.
C. Robert Binger M
John G. Brittingham
Clark R. Burbee M
Jonathan C. Burbee
Care for the Wild International
Cargill Inc.
The Cleveland Foundation
Edward J. and Carolyn Cushing
E I Du Pont De Nemours & Co.
T. Dan and Debra Friedkin
Thomas H. Friedkin
General Mills Inc.
Loren L. Bahls M
Carl V. Barnes
Judith G. Berman
Marcia F. Birney
Joanne J. Brooks
Robert J. Buck and Cheryl L. Quinn M
Richard S. and Lucille P. Caldecott M
Cortec Corporation
Douglas and Wendy Dayton
Denneth C. and Joan L. Dvergsten M
Robert P. Elde
Leroy W. Gardner M
Charles M. Goethe Estate
Margherita Gale Harris
John J. Jackson III
Jane E. Johnson
Johnson & Johnson
Kaufman Family Foundation
Carol F. Kirkwood
Erika E. Lauffer and Max A. Lauffer Jr. M
Mary E. and David W. Loveless
John S. and Theresa R. Mc Keon
Meadowood Foundation
J. Emory Morris
Claudia M. Neuhauser
Kien T. Nguyen and Julie A. Warren
Jean M. Parmelee M
John F. and Mary F. Pelton
The Pfizer Foundation
Bernard O. and Jean S. Phinney M
James R. and Patricia M. Pray M
Kipling Thacker and Kevyn K. Riley M
Jeffrey A. Simon and Ann E. Rougvie
Patricia B. and James B. Swan M
G. David and Catherine E. Tilman
Nancy Wilson
The Windibrow Foundation
Robin L. Wright M
Shye-Ren Yeh M
Freshman at Nature of Life
E. R. Grilly
Harris Rebar
Stan T. Jensen
Mary C. Kemen and Brian C. Randall M
Legendary Adventures Inc.
Lincoln Park Zoological Society
Metabolix Inc.
National Ataxia Foundation
John G. Ordway Jr. M
Nora S. Plesofsky
Richard E. and Meredith B. Poppele
Venkateswarlu Pothapragada M
Clare and Jerome Ritter
Elizabeth Burbee Seaton
Jocelyn E. Shaw
$500 – $999
Advanced Telemetry Systems Inc.
Patrick J. and Ann W. Antonelli
David and Suzanne Bernlohr
Boston Scientific Corporation
Eric W. Burton
Cargill Foundation
John E. and Ting L. Carlson
Con Edison
M membership in the University of Minnesota Alumni Association/Biological Sciences Alumni Society
18
COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Timothy J. and Rita A. Ebner
David R. Edwards
Maxine A. Enfield M
Guidant Corporation
Nancy and Robert J. Haight M
Roy H. and Susan A. Hammerstedt
Thomas R. Jacques
James C. Underhill Scholarship-Study
Natural History Fund
Sandra L. Johnson M
Martha K. and Arthur A. Johnson
Patricia R. Lewis
Pamela H. Lewis
Nancy G. Lillehei
May So-Ying and Alec Y. Lui M
David J. and Esther G. Mc Laughlin
Medtronic Inc.
Haile Mehansho M
Dan and Mical Middaugh M
Monsanto Fund
Gary L. and Mary Nelsestuen M
Mary H. Nett M
Corbett M. Peterson
The Pharmacia Foundation Inc.
William and Margaret Pilacinski
Carol H. and Wayne A. Pletcher M
Russell J. and Nina M. Rothman M
Gloria T. and Orlando R. Ruschmeyer M
Penny and Robert S. Sikes Jr.
Smiths Medical MD Inc.
St. Jude Medical Inc.
Clifford J. Steer M
SurModics Inc.
Ruth R. Thiel
Louise and Ben Thoma M
Steven J. Thompson
Katherine M. Walstrom
Agnes M. Walz
$250 – $499
Jeffrey J. Anderson
John S. and Rebecca H. Anderson M
Robert A. Arntsen
Charles Barthold
Allan Baumgarten and Marilyn LeviBaumgarten M
W. David Benton
Daniel D. Billadeau
Ross A. Bjella M
David E. Blockstein
John E. and Terri L.Brandt
* deceased
2006 graduate
Vera E. Cooke
Robert R. and Barbara L. De La Vega M
Gary L. Dillehay M
Mark S. and Patricia J. Ellinger M
Daniel R. Engstrom and Barbara A.
Coffin
James M. Fitzpatrick M
William R. Fraser M
Jeffrey D. Gabe
GlaxoSmithKline Foundation
James P. Grover
Kathryn L. Hanna M
David A. Hanych M
Paul E. Huepenbecker M
George L. Jacobson
Thorkil Jensen
Patti Jo Jukich
Andrew R. and Mary Ellen Klemer
Betty V. and James F. Koerner
L E Phillips Family Foundation
Judith L. Maccanelli
The Medtronic Foundation
Cheryl L. and George G. I. Moore
Bradly J. and Terry L. Narr M
Richard E. and Elaine E. Phillips
Sandra K. Rosenberg and James E.
Liston Jr.
Julie A. Ross M
Larry J. and Sharyn M. Salmen M
Peter M. Torgerson and Pamela
Anderson M
Michael A. Turner
Phillip R. and Lisa A. Weik M
Edward M. Welch M
Wells Fargo Foundation
Merle G. and Mary C. Wovcha M
G I V I N G
$100 – $249
Pamela J. Albin
Christine M. Ambrose
AMGEN Foundation
Barbara K. and Carl G. Anderson
Susan H. and Kent J. Anderson M
Kurt B. and Mary Angstman M
Allan L. Apter M
Michele E. Armstrong M
Gary N. Back
Lisa M. and Richard C. Baker Jr. M
Franklin H. and Adrienne Barnwell
Beckman Coulter Inc.
Enrique R. Bedia
Marc D. Berg
Robert D. and Pearl Lam Bergad M
Bruce A. Berntson
Biogen Idec Foundation Inc.
Clayton E. Birney
Andrea Bixler
Julie A. Bjoraker
Suzanne R. and Clifford M. Bloberger M
Simba L. Blood
Alfred L. and Margaret P. Bogle
Michael R. Bourne M
Harry B. Bracey III
Maryann E. Braun M
Gwenda L. Brewer
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Inc.
Kristine M. Browers
Kirk M. and Ione V. Brown
D. Gordon Brown
Cindy J. Brunner M
Charlotte S. Bryant
Greg A. Buckley
Victoria L. Buettner
Aaron W. Burchell
Cynthia A. Butcher
Imee L. Cambronero M
William W. Carley
Debra L. Carlson
Jeffrey L. and Carol Q. Carpenter M
Paulina M. Chiu
Robert W. Christensen
Paul L. Cisek
Steven E. Clemants
Scott L. Collins
Michael F. Coyle M
Deanna L. Croes
David A. Crowe
James A. Curtis
Susan M. Daniels
Anath and Archana Das
Anthony G. Dodge M
Mark I. Donnelly
Jun Du
Charyl M. Dutton Gibbs M
Pamela J. Dwyer
Allen E. Eckhardt
Ecolab Foundation
Tamera El-Fakahany
Eli Lilly and Co. Foundation
Mary Kay Elnes
Gunnar J. Erickson M
Roger H. Erickson
Caroline L. Fairbanks
Patricia D. Fallbeck M
Kathleen A. Ferkul M
Milton H. Fischer
Colleen M. Fitzpatrick
Bradley W. Footh M
John E. and Janet M. Fredell M
James A. and Sandra K. Fuchs M
Dennis P. Garin M
Robb M. Garni M
Nancy J. Gassman
General Mills Foundation
Anthony C. Gilby
GMAC Residential Funding Corporation
Sabiha A. Gokcen M
Eville and Ada Gorham
Norman R. Gould
Eric W. Green Jr.
Carol J. Gross M
Louise and Donald Grothe
Jo Ellen M. Gundeck-Fahey
Edgar E. Hanna Jr. M
Barry A. Hart
John P. Harvat
Mark D. Hauge M
Barbara J. Hawkins M
Barbara J. Hegarty
Mich Hein and Elizabeth Bray
Craig A. Henke
Gregory and Kimberly Heuer M
Suzanne E. Hill
Robert C. Hodson M
Marshall A. Howe M
John O. Hui
IBM International Foundation
Michael D. Ingram
Paul M. Ippel M
Colleen M. Jacks M
Douglas B. Jacoby
Bruce W. Jarvis III
Ross A. Jilk
Henry A. Johnsen Jr.
Thomas A. Jones M
John R. and Susan C. Jungck
Richard G. Karlen
Kent T. Kehrberg
David L. Kinnear M
Julie Anderson Kirihara M
Richard J. and Patricia L. Kirschner
Elroy C. Klaviter
Melanie and Stephen Knier
Jeffrey A. Kohen M
David Koroshec M
James W. Krueck M
Pamela J. Lachowitzer
Bruce L. and Marjorie H. Larson M
David M. Larson
Jessica J. Larson M
Connie Stechmann Lebakken
Bryan K. Lee M
Julia M. Lee
Stephen K. Leenay M
Leo G. Lehmicke
Kathryn A. Leitch
Leon Lepyansky
Jane S. Levy M
Janice M. Ley
Erik J. Linck M
Richard W. Luecke M
Chun Sheng Luo
Zhengyu Luo and Shibin Li
Karen A. Malatesta
William V. Marean M
Michele A. Martin
Joshua A. Martini
David E. and Linda A. Maschwitz
Ann Matthias-Oakes and Walter H. Oakes
John A. Mayo M
James K. Mc Cormack M
Andrew J. Mc Cullough M
M A K E S
Douglas E. Mc Kenzie
Eugene L. and Darlene M. Mc Manus M
John H. Meyers
William A. and Lynne M. Miley M
Robert S. Mills
J. Mason Morfit
William D. Morin M
Michael S. Morton
John H. Nelson M
Pamela L. Nelson M
Thomas D. Nelson M
Nestle Foods Corporation
Kevin J. Niemi M
Richard H. and Marcia Northrup
Catherine Ojakangas
Erin C. Olson
Lance D. and Trudy L. Olson M
Jennifer Horn-Ommen
Christine E. Ostendorf
G R E AT N E S S
P O S S I B L E
Jeffrey E. Smith
Murray D. Smith
Brian J. Sorbel M
Kevin M. Steadland M
John G. Steiert M
Richard A. Stein
Shelley A. Steva M
Jay A. Stoerker
Charles R. Strancke
Melvin P. and Dorothy B. Stulberg
Anusooya Subramanian
Douglas S. Swanson M
Symantec Corporation
Jeffrey E. Tam
Michael R. Tekautz M
Mari C. Thomas
Michael G. Thomas
Paul C. Thompson
Robert E. Thompson
Sunset at Lake Itasca
Deborah I. Oswald
David A. and Rebecca J. Palmer M
Chuanbin Pan
Henry W. Park
Parag V. Patel
Joan J. and James J. Pearson M
The Pentair Foundation
Cynthia M. Pfannkoch
Mark Pirner and Kathleen Schroeder
Peter Tiffin
Douglas C. and Beverly A. Pratt M
Gerald W. and Kathleen F. Probst
Anne E. Pusey M
Frank W. Putnam
Anne L. Raich and John L. Sharp M
Moira L. M. Richards M
William P. Ridley III
Peggy J. Rinard
Barbara A. Roach
Bruce A. and Carol S. Rorem M
Gerald A. and Joyce O. Roust M
Scott C. Rowe M
Doris S. Rubenstein
Lolly J. Schiffman M
Alison E. Schini
Mark A. Schoenbeck M
Gary B. Schwochau
Robert and Elsie Shoemaker
Laura A. Sikkink M
Gary B. Silberstein M
Andre Silvanovich
Jeffrey S. Simske
Elizabeth A. Thornton M
Heidi L. Thorson
Rick D. Timmers
C. Ivar Tollefson M
Mark A. Tomai
Margaret A. Torreano
Robert M. Valente M
Martin G. Vick
Gregory A. Viglianti
Thomas A. Vogelpohl M
Timothy F. Voller M
Terence C. Wagenknecht
George M. Wagner
Mary F. Walker
David A. Walters M
A. Vincent Weber
Michael L. Wege
Marie P. Welshinger
William P. Wenstrom
Margaret J. Wheelock and Keith R.
Johnson M
Michael P. Winegar
Winnebago United Fund
Jimmy D. Winter M
Kim H. Winter
Lucile E. Wrenshall
Clifford D. Wright M
Zhanguo Xin and Junping Chen
Adrienne Zihlman
Thomas H. Zytkovicz
BOLD Membership in University of Minnesota President’s Club
BIO ❚ WINTER 2006-07
19
D O N O R
H O N O R
$1 – $99
Alan J. Abbott
Almaz Abebe
Gregory J. Abler
Josephine L. Abraham
Gilbert G. Ahlstrand M
Nayeema Ahmed
Cailin T. Alge
Arthur Allen M
Alliant Techsystems Inc.
James E. Almendinger
Sonia M. Altizer M
American Express Foundation
Ameriprise Financial Inc.
Gary R. Anderson
Joan E. Anderson
Kent K. Anderson M
Lorraine B. Anderson M
Nature of Life field study
Paula J. Andrzejewski
Bonita K. Antonsen M
Carolyn W. Arndt
Kamran S. Askari
Karl J. Aufderheide
Jennifer and Gerald Auge
John A. Austbo M
Mary Jo Baarsch M
Jon R. Backstrom
Marcia J. Bains-Grebner
John F. Bamrick
Leonard and Joyce Banaszak M
Margaret Johnson Barch
Dale W. Bargsten
Paul B. and La Vonne M. Batalden
Carl E. Bauer
Kellie A. Benzow
R O L L
Jeffrey O. and Cynthia L. Bergsbaken
Robert W. Bertoy
Bryce C. Beverlin
Bopaiah A. Biddanda
BioInsight, LLC
Suzanne Marie Bissonnette
David M. Blehert
David S. Blehert
Thomas E. Boelter
Renee J. Boerner
Veta Bonnewell
Patricia L. and Del Bosacker
Jane Boss
Andrew G. Bostrom
James G. Bradley
Bradley J. Bramer
Chris S. Brandt
Derek R. Brandt
Charles J. Brecht
Rebecca A. Brenner
Rosa and Allan J. Brody
Louanne S. Brooks M
Terry L. Brown
David A. Bruce
Joan V. Bruland M
Lakshmi R. Buddhavarapu
Gail M. Buhl
Monika R. Burau M
William R. Burns
Claudia J. H. Bursch
Gregory A. Burtman
David G. Butler M
Cherrie P. Carapetyan
David D. Carlson
Jodi A. Carlson
Jenifer L. Carmody
Gabriel John Caron M
Carolyn E. Carr
Robyn M. Casey M
Winston Cavert and Carol Witte M
Brenda L. Chadwick
Justin Chan
Shin Lin Chen
Wen-Ping Chen
Yongmei Chen and Jianwei Wu
Stephana A. Choong
John J. Cierzan
Michelle R. Cilek
Thomas W. Collins
Jean Conklin
Carmen K. Converse
Jessica Elouise Cott M
Jane M. Cowan-Kassick
Daniel E. Cox
Dona B. Cromer
Paul E. Cunnien
Robert G. Currie
Kevin W. Custer
Megan E. Daoust
Jennifer Davidson
Douglas N. Day M
Christopher J. Dayger
Mervyn de Souza and Jennifer Seffernick
M
John V. Dean
Michael J. Decker M
Stephanie J. Decker and Jeffrey S.
Johnson M
Annette J. Des Lauriers
Jayna L. DeVore
Margaret A. Dietrich
Maria S. Dlott
Shah-Nawaz Mohammed-Xqbal
Dodwad M
Terry G. and Barbara J. Domino M
Patricia M. Donahue
Robert R. Doohen
Roger F. Drong
Milta Rabell Dudek
Robert L. Dunbar
Timothy S. Dunsworth
Christopher T. Dunwiddie
Scott James Dylla M
Members of the class of 2006
M membership in the University of Minnesota Alumni Association/Biological Sciences Alumni Society
20
COLLEGE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Rebecca J. Haack-Deetz
Nancy A. Haas M
Kelly Z. Hadsall M
Susan K. Hafferman
Kris M. Hagen
Cynthia A. Hagley
Daniel R. Hahn
Sten E. Hakanson
John A. Eelkema M
William A. and Alina E. Ehrlich
David G. Einzig
Daniel S. Elko
Mark E. Ellefson
Laura J. England
Mark K. Erickson
Jerome L. and Beth W. Fahrmann
Falcon Inn Bed and Breakfast
Jonathan Dan Fargo
Barbara J. Fealy M
James B. Ferrari M
Steven J. Fifield and Christian
B.Calaguas
Rebecca J. Fishel
Colleen A. Fitzpatrick
Cynthia K. Folland
Kin C. Fong
Foothill Veterinary Surgery Inc.
Jesse M. Ford
Blair and Melinda Foreman M
Deborah F. Fleetham
Carl E. Frasch
Michael D. Frenchik
Sherilyn C. Fritz
Eileen F. Furlong
Preston S. and Renetta J. Gable M
Howard B. Gale M
Gwendolyn Markus Gallant M
Mukul C. Ganguli M
Sarah C. Gantert M
James A. Garrity M
Scott R. and Laurie A. Gauer
Karl A. Geidans
Robert J. Geraghty M
Robert W. Gibbs Jr.
Jean F. Givens
Stuart F. Goldstein
Sue E. and Charles W. Gramith M
Craig D. Grimes
Amy R. Groszbach M
* deceased
Myrna M. Halbach M
Larry D. Hall
Timothy J. and Susan M. Halloran
William J. Hammes M
Scott M. Hannah
Karen A. Hansen
Jennifer L. Hanson
Kimberly Hart
Edward F. Haskins
Carolyn E. Hazen
Laura Heitman M
William C. Henke
Curtis P. Henry
Michelle J. Henry-Stanley M
Donald R. Hickman M
Daphne W. Hill
Jason D. Hill
Timothy T. Hinze
Paul Hladky
Sarah Hobbie
Ronald H. Hoess
James M. Hogle M
Sarah J. Holmen
Gordon L. Houk
Marlys L. House
Andrew W. Hudacek M
Jennifer W. Humphrey M
Elaine M. Hurt
John D. Jackson
Bradley P. Jahnke
Marc K. and Karen E. Jenkins M
Stephen F. Jensen
D. A. Joachim-Etrheim and S. W. Etrheim
M
Candace J. Johnson
Dale L. Johnson
Emilia P. Johnson
Gary D. Johnson M
Miles F. Johnson
Myron L. Johnson
Justin R. Jordan
G I V I N G
Jacki R. Just M
Terrance J. Kaase
Michael J. and Mary E. Kallok M
Byron N. Karns
James T. Katter
Pamela K. Kaufman
Shiela U. Keefe
Mary J. Kelly
Kari B. Kenefick
Philip E. Kerr
Craig D. Kile M
George A. King
David and Catherine Kirkpatrick
M. Dean Knighton
Julie A. Knott
Mary M. Knudsen M
Gaylord J. Knutson
Luke R. Kocon
William H. Kojola and Shayne E. Dizard M
Leslie A. Kopietz and Mark Steinhauser
Richard V. Kowles M
Michael P. Kowski
Barbara J. Koziol
Timothy K. Kratz
Penelope J. Krosch**
Jeffrey R. Krueger
Carrell J. Kucera
Rodney L. Kuehn M
Erin A. Kunkel M
Paul M. Kunkel M
Randall K. La Bounty
Roberta K. Lammers-Campbell
Paul D. Lampe M
Jonathan and KelleyJo Lancaster
Anne C. Langford
David M. Langlie
Victoria R. Lappi
Andrew Larson M
Kara Larson M
Karin L. Larson
Elizabeth Jansen Le Mire and William Le
Mire M
Melinda J. C. and Steven H. C. Lee M
Kristin M. Leiferman
Irvin E. Liener M
Margitta G. Lindberg
Stephen R. Lines M
Rebecca J. Linke
Joseph D. Little
Mary Jo Lockbaum M
Tze Hong Lu
Thomas H. Luepke III
Chad M. Lund
Lisa A. Lund
Timothy A. Lundahl
Daniel H. Lussenhop M
Daniel O. Lynch M
John W. Lyrenmann
Melissa and Peter Malen
Harriet G. Mason
John J. Matta
May Department Stores Company
Foundation
Paul M. Mayer M
John E. Mazuski
Steven P. Mc Cullagh
Richard Mc Gee Jr. M
Cheryl A. Mc Ginn
Lisa M. and Chad A. Mc Kenzie
Stefanie M. and Maxwell J. Mc Laughlin
Elizabeth R. Mc Lean
Jill R. Meilahn M
Steven E. and Jean M. Melin
The Merck Company Foundation
Sharon S. Meyer
Susan M. Meyer M
Gina R. Miller
Joanna L. Miller
Joanne M. Miller
Joseph B. Miller
Randall S. Miller M
Amy and Olaf Minge M
Laurel Mochinski
James R. Moldenhauer M
Derek A. Moline
Yvette C. Monstad
Norman R. Moody
Patricia M. Mueller
Robert E. Muller M
John T. Mundahl
James W. Munger
Susan M. Murray
Steven H. Myster M
Nicole D. Naasz
Patricia J. Neal
Conrad N. Nelson
Deborah A. Nelson M
Anita Ky Ngo M
Jessica L. Nguyen
Thomas H. Nicholls
Kevin R. Nickelson
Kenneth E. Nietering
Glen C. and Joyce E. Nilsen
Milena P. Ninkovic M
Kennedy J. O’Brien
Amy Oganeku
Ann M. Olson
Christine M. Olson
Christy Olson M
Douglas J. Olson M
Eric R. Olson
Kristine D. Olson
Ronn D. Olson
Leslie K. Olufson M
Donna R. Onstott
Patrick E. O’Regan
Sean M. O’Rourke
Gretchen L. Oswald
George P. Papadi
Mark T. Parenteau
Jean G. Parodi
Ann M. Parsons
Alicia F. Paulson
Jannette Quast Paulu
Ernest M. Peaslee M
William R. Peglow M
Elizabeth A. Petersen M
Dennis Peterson
Lee A. Pfannmuller M
Martha M. Phillips
Robert L. Pierce M
Diane C. Pietig
Pamela J. Pietz
James Pirie and Linda Eells M
Douglas A. Plager
George Eric Plum
Nancy J. Poindexter
Aaron M. Potretzke M
William J. Prem
Bo Qi
Frederick A. Radmer Jr.
Robert S. Raike
Amy Rebecca Reckinger M
Kent M. Reed M
Maria A. Reedstrom
John J. Reiners Jr.
Michelle S. Reinert
Nancy Rice M
Timothy I. Richardson M
Richter Construction
M A K E S
Seung H. Ro M
Su Sie Ro
Annette L. Robinson
Diana M. Rocha Plaster
James S. Rochford
Charles F. Rodell
Robert D. and Lori G. Roettger
Sedgwick C. Rogers M
Michael D. Rohwer
Louise A. Rollins-Smith
H. Gerritt Rosenthal
Richard P. Ryan
Christopher and Brittany Sabol M
Steven D. Salt
Thomas E. Sauber M
Paul D. and Tamara J. Saunders
Suzanne Savanick Hansen
Michael and Kristin Scanlan
Susan V. Schauer M
Paul R. Scheele
Marianne Adele Scherzer
Karen G. Schik
Peter M. Schmitt M
Beverly L. Schomburg
Janet L. and Christopher L. Schottel
Christine A. Schousboe M
Laura D. Schroeder
Richard F. Schroeder M
William A. Schroeder M
Marcia K. Schuyler
Lisa M. Schweizer M
Robert W. and Nikki R. Seabloom
Tina Seeland M
Sandra H. Seilheimer
Michelle I. Setterholm
Joel C. Settles
Robert A. Sharrock
Paul J. Sheldon
Gregg D. Simonson
Thomas C. Skalbeck M
Lynda K. Smith
Arnold W. Sodergren
Rex L. Solomon
Thomson P. Soule and Janet S. Boe M
Lindsay M. Sovil
Sandra L. Spier
Mary E. Spiotti-Coelho
Joseph M. Spitzmueller
Nathan P. Staff
Kenneth L. Stein M
Matt and Linda Stenzel
May T. Stewart
Theresa L. Stiernagle
Michael K. Stock
Steven M. Stone
Diane R. Storvick
Lawrence Strate and Mary Jo Marshall
Constance S. Stueland
Jerry L. Stumpf M
Scott A. Stursa M
Paul M. Sullivan
Edward B. Swain and Mary E. Keirstead M
Paul N. Swenson
Rebecca R. Switzer
Jean E. Takekawa
Lawrence M. Talapa
Wendy N. Taylor M
Paul A. Tessene
Dennis N. Thaden
Margaret L. Thomas
Jacob A. Thompson
Kimberly S. Thompson
Randall M. Thompson
Sandra M. Thompson
Cheryl L. Thorpe
G R E AT N E S S
P O S S I B L E
Scott R. Thulien
William A. and Anne C. Tisel M
Peter D. Tomascak
John D. Trawick M
Catherine A. and Paul V. Trescony
Tong S. Tseng M
Genevieve M. Tvrdik
Todd M. and Jill M. Vannelli
Robert S. Veit M
Robert C. Venette
Stella M. Veretnik
Scott Q. Vidas M
Margaret M. Walker
James Walker and Randi Nordstrom M
Patricia M. Walsh
Bradley J. Ward
Waters Corporation
Jane M. Wattrus M
Guang-Jong Jason Wei
John Anderson, mace bearer,
CBS Commencement, 2006
Michael J. Weisbrod
Jane I. Wenger M
Janice A. Westerling
Deborah A. Whitcomb
Karen E. White
Paul White
Richard J. White
Susan L. Wichlacz
Julie H. Wicklund M
C. Robert Wikel
Wildflower Cottages of Pequot Lakes
Jeanette A. Wiltse
Kam M. and Lo Wong
Robert C. Wong
Timothy V. Woolard
Judith L. Wulff
Brent L. Wyrick
Zhaohui Xu
James J. Youngblom
Jeffrey Y. Yung M
BOLD Membership in University of Minnesota President’s Club
BIO ❚ WINTER 2006-07
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B I O F U E L S
Prairie grass biofuel is the best choice
FO R T H E E C O N O M Y A N D T H E E N V I R O N M E N T
H
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.
A new study led by David Tilman, Regents
Professor of Ecology in the University of
Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences, shows
that mixtures of native perennial grasses and
other flowering plants provide more usable energy
Tilman and two colleagues, postdoctoral
researcher Jason Hill and research associate Clarence Lehman, estimate that fuel
made from prairie biomass would yield 51
percent more energy per acre than
per acre than corn-grain ethanol or soybean
biodiesel, and are far better for the environment.
ethanol from corn grown on fertile land.
This is because prairie plants, which are
perennials, require little energy to grow
“Biofuels made from diverse mixtures of prairie
and all parts of the plant above ground
plants can reduce global warming by removing
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, meet a substantial portion of global energy needs, and leave
fertile land for food production,” Tilman said.
are usable.
The findings were published in the Dec. 8 issue of
the journal Science and featured on the cover.
Based on 10 years of research at Cedar Creek
Natural History Area, the study shows that land
planted with highly diverse mixtures of prairie
grasses and other flowering plants produces
more than twice the amount of bioenergy than
the same land planted with any single prairie
plant species, including switchgrass.
Research plots at Cedar Creek Natural History Area were used to study
the potential of native prairie plants as a source of bio-based fuel.
Fuels made from prairie biomass are
“carbon negative,” which means that they
reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) in the atmosphere. This is because
perennials store more carbon dioxide in roots and
soil than is released when fuels made from them
are burned. Using prairie biomass to make fuel
would remove and store from 1.2 to 1.8 U.S. tons
of carbon dioxide per acre per year.
In contrast, corn ethanol and soybean biodiesel
are “carbon positive,”meaning they add carbon
dioxide to the atmosphere, although less than
fossil fuels.
The researchers estimate that growing mixed
prairie grasses on all of the world’s degraded
land could produce enough bioenergy to replace
13 percent of global petroleum consumption and
19 percent of global electricity consumption.
The research was supported by the University of
Minnesota Initiative for Renewable Energy and
the Environment and by the National Science
Foundation (NSF). Cedar Creek Natural History
Area has been an NSF Long-Term Ecological
Research (www.lter.umn.edu) since 1982.