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BIO / BIO Spring 2004
College NewsUniversity Enterprise Laboratories Construction on UEL, which will provide lab space for biotech start-up companies, is expected to begin this summer. Construction on University Enterprise Laboratories (UEL), Inc. a nonprofit incubator for biotech start-up companies, is scheduled to begin this summer. The building, purchased by the City of St. Paul, is situated on an 11-acre site within the St. Paul Bioscience Zone and adjacent to the transitway that connects the University's St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses. UEL is a nonprofit entity separate from the University created to provide lab space for early stage bioscience companies and opportunities for faculty and students. Robert Elde, Dean of the College of Biological Sciences, is chairman of the board of directors. The UEL building has 125,000 square feet of existing office and warehouse space. It will be renovated to create a collaborative research center with 50,000 square feet of lab-based incubator space and 75,000 square feet of office/lab space for bioscience and related companies. Founding partners include the University of Minnesota Foundation, the City of St. Paul, Xcel Energy, 3M, Medtronic, Surmodics, Dorsey, Ecolab, and Guidant. Weisman exhibit explores genomics and art Several CBS faculty members contributed to Gene(sis): Contemporary Art Explores Human Genomics, an exhibit featured at the Weisman Art Museum from January 31 through May 23. Rick Peifer, General Biology Program, provided instruction on genetics for Weisman staff and volunteers. Mark Decker, also in the General Biology Program, developed a kiosk computer program to introduce museum visitors to basic biology behind the art. Philip Regal, professor of ecology, evolution, and behavior, led a series of discussions related to the exhibit titled Art, Genes, and the Future: The Artistic Challenge in the Age of Biology. Gene(sis) is organized into four sections representing the following themes: Sequence: Language and structure of genomic and genetic research. Specimen: Key issues of DNA ownership, personal privacy, and ethics. Boundary: Investigations of the newly permeable boundaries between species and the ways in which transgenics has long haunted both Western and Eastern cultural imaginings, including Eduardo Kac's transgenic GFP Bunny aka "Alba," and large-scale, digitally altered photographs by Seattle artist Jaq Chartier. Subject: Re-imaginings of notions of individual subjectivity, family, and human "nature" in the wake of recent genomic developments. People 2004 Distinguished McKnight University Professors
Young, professor of plant pathology and plant biology, was selected for his achievements in legume genomics and bioinformatics. His research on gene discovery and genome mapping provides useful applications in agriculture by defining genes that affect plant disease resistance, seed quality, and responses to environmental stresses. He is leading the international effort to sequence the first legume genome. Recipients hold the title for as long as they remain at the University of Minnesota and receive $100,000 over five years. Past CBS recipients include David Bernlohr, Larry Wackett, David Tilman, Craig Packer, and Ann Pusey. CBS students win top national scholarships  Maya Babu Maralyssa Bann is one of three University of Minnesota students to receive the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. A graduate of Eden Prairie High School, Maralyssa is pursuing a bachelor of science degree in neuroscience and is a sophomore in the CBS honors program. She plans to become a practicing neurologist, combining laboratory and clinical research to develop treatments for Alzheimer's disease. Goldwater Scholars receive up to $7,500 per year for two years. Joseph Foley is one of eight students in the United States to receive a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship from the American Society of Plant Biologists. Joe is a graduate of Mounds View High School and, as a freshman in the CBS Honors Program, is carrying out a research project in Carolyn Silflow's laboratory in the Department of Plant Biology. The fellowship provides a stipend of $3,000 plus supplies and a travel grant that allows participants to present their research at the annual ASPB meeting. Additional News Claudia Neuhauser is among six University faculty who received the 2004 Horace T. Morse University of Minnesota Alumni Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education. Neuhauser is professor and head of ecology, evolution, and behavior. Leslie Schiff, director of undergraduate studies for microbiology, will receive the Carski Award at the general meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in New Orleans on May 24. The Carski award is the highest honor given for teaching microbiology to undergraduate students. Willard Koukkari, professor of plant biology retired in January. During almost four decades of service to the University, Will devoted himself to helping undergraduates find the key to knowledge within themselves, artfully encouraging them as they learn, not just facts, but also how to learn and perhaps even more important, how to enjoy learning so that it becomes a lifelong pursuit. Will is also known for his research in the field of chronobiology, or biological rhythms. Barbara Theno joined CBS as Director of Human Resources in March. Theno comes to the University from Great River Energy in Elk River, where she worked for nine years and helped arrange a successful merger. She brings a great deal of professional experience in organizational development, performance management, conflict resolution, contract negotiation, legal compliance, and policy development. Jen White, EEB graduate student, was awarded a Torske Klubben Fellowship for 2004-05. The Torske Klubben, founded in 1933, awards fellowships to Minnesota resident graduate students who are interested in connections with Norway and its culture. |
Michael
Sadowsky and Nevin Young are among five faculty named Distinguished McKnight University Professors
for 2004. Sadowsky, professor of soil, water, and climate and Biotechnology Institute member,
was chosen for research achievements in environmental microbiology, including genomics of microbial
degradation of environmental pollutants, and for contributions to research on nitrogen fixation,
microbial ecology of bacteria in soils and water, and understanding how global change influences
microbial processes in soil.