Plant  Biology faculty member David Seigler has been appointed a U.S. Fullbright Senior Specialist in the Department of Basic Sciences of the Universidad del Bío-Bío in Chillán, Chile. There, Dave will share his expertise on plant secondary metabolism and chemical ecology, collaborate with Chilean colleagues Drs. Carlos L. Céspedes, Julio Alarcón and Luis Lillo, and consult with the Dirección de Investigación concerning the future role of programs in research and development at Bío-Bío.
Congratulations to Plant Biology faculty member Carl  Bernacchi for his selection as the 2010 Melvin Calvin Award winner by the International Society of Photosynthesis Research for his "outstanding studies on carbon fixation and climate change". ISPR's Calvin Award is given annually to a young scientist in recognition of outstanding investigations into metabolic and cellular aspects of the photosynthetic process.
Plant Biology faculty member and Editor-in-Chief of Plant Physiology Don Ort as been  designated a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement
of Science. In presenting this honor, AAAS recognized Don for his research accomplishments in the area of photosynthesis, ranging from molecular mechanisms to ecosystems scale responses, and for leadership through service in professional societies.
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Happenings
 THOUSANDS TUNE IN FOR BIG STINK. Titania, our Amorphothallus titanum, reached sexual maturity this year and, in doing so, put on a stunning coming-of-age multimedia (sight and smell) show at the Plant Biology Conservatory. OCE-ATLAS Digital Media ran a live stream of Titania's three-day march to putrid fullness – a broadcast monitored by thousands of internet visitors. If you missed it, click here for a time-lapse (fragrance-free) version. H2/Modern Marvel's "Stink" episode gave Titania 75 seconds of coverage (starting here at 31:40 into the program). Read Titania's local news coverage here and see more pictures on the Friends of the University of Illinois Conservatory Facebook page here.
 Fall 2011 biotechnology Professional Science Master's students chart a new course for the Plant Biology graduate degree programs: The Professional Science Master's (PSM) in Plant Biology is underway. Situated at the exciting intersection of the science and business of biotechnology, this non-thesis, 16-month program of study merges interdisciplinary graduate studies with the business knowledge and skills vital to the management needs of biotechnology industries. The PSM in Plant Biology enhances the preparation of students for these careers by embedding experiential learning and industry connections into a biotechnology-focused course of study. The first Plant Biology PSM students are advancing their interests in R&D, public relations, market research and consulting. Learn More…
 WHAT GAVE C4 GRASSES THE EDGE? Some environmental factor must have provided the first plants to adopt the C4 photosynthetic pathway a significant advantage over those relying on primordial C3 chemistry. Using a new method to measure carbon isotopes in pollen grains from ancient sediments, Feng Sheng Hu, Michael Urban and David Nelson found that C4 plants took root some 14 million years prior to the drop in atmospheric CO2 to which the rise of C4 grasses had previously been attributed. If not CO2, then what? The search continues. Read more here and here.
 CONGRATULATIONS to Plant Biology and PMPB Graduate Student Elie Schwartz on his Ph.D. and successful defense of his thesis entitled "Regulation of the Chloroplast Light Harvesting Antenna by Plastoquinone Redox: Modulation of Chlorophyll Metabolism and Thylakoid Complex Organization" under Don Ort.
KUDOS TO PBAGS for organizing and hosting the department's Fall Welcome and Graduate Research Symposium on October 8 at IGB. There we welcomed new Plant Biology and PEEC graduate students Rishi Aryal, Robert VanBuren, Colleen Lindsay, Derek Hasselhorst, Stefan Johnsrud, Adriana Corrales Osorio and Katherine Heineman. Congratulations to poster competition winners (below): Post-Prelim: Eile Schwartz (winner) & Paul Nabity (runner-up) and Pre-Prelim: Bob Koester (winner) & Ryan Kelly (runner-up).
   
Browse our Scrapbook for past Happenings.
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