Vol. 22, No.4 July / August 1995
NEWSLETTERAmerican Society of Plant Physiologists
Inside This Issue....
2THE PLANT CELL Special Issue
4Obituaries
ASPP MEMBERS ELECT DON ORT,APPROVE EDUCATION FOUNDATIONVesper and Boss Also Chosen by Members inAnnual Election
5President's Letter
7-9Public Affairs• NRICGP Reauthorization• DOE Energy Biosciences• USDA Research Appropriations• NSF Funding• The Magic School Bus
10Minority Travel Grants
11ASPP Education Forum
14New ASPP Book
15Gatherings
21Jobs
Deadline for theSeptember/October 1995 issue
of the ASPP Newsletteris September 1, 1995.
Donald R Ort, who is just completing atwo-year term as secretary of ASPP, willbe the Society's president-elect in 19951996 and will serve as president in 19961997.
The results of the annual election forofficers were announced in early July. Joining Ort as newly elected officers are MaryJo Vesper as secretary, 1995-1997, andWendy Boss, elected member of the executive committee, 1995-1998.
This year's ballot also included elevenproposed amendments to the Society'sconstitution and bylaws, including one toestablish an ASPP Education Foundation.All amendments passed by a wide margin.
Don Ort is a plant physiologist withUSDA/ ARS and a professor of plant biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana.A 1971 graduate of Wake Forest University, where he earned a B.s. in biology andchemistry, Ort did his graduate work atMichigan State University in the laboratory of Norman Good, focusing on coupling of photosynthetic electron transferto ATP formation. He received his Ph.D.in plant biochemistry in 1974. Then followed two NIH postdoctoral fellowships,one at Purdue with Richard Dilley (evidence for localized chemiosmotic coupling) and one at the University of Washington with Bill Parson (mechanism ofproton transport in bacteriorhodopsin),before being hired in the ARS Photosynthesis Research Unit at the University ofillinois in 1978. Don Ort is perhaps bestknown for the work of his laboratory ininvestigating the biochemical and molecular bases underlying the effects of environmental factors (principally low tem-
Donald R. Ort. USDA/ARS. and professor ofplant biology at the University of Illinois.Urbana. was selected by the ASPPmembership to be president-elect.
perature and drought) on the photosynthetic performance of plants.
With his selection as president-elect, Ortcaps several years of service to ASPP. Hehas served on the executive committeesince 1990 when he was an elected member. As secretary since 1993, he was responsible for planning last year's annualmeeting in Portland, Oregon, and thisyear's meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. He also is an associate editor of PlantPhysiology.
Succeeding Don Ort as secretary willbe Mary Jo Vesper, associate professor inthe Biology Department at the Universityof Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, and associatedean of the College of Arts and Sciencesat Dayton. Vesper earned a B.A. (1973) inbiology from Thomas More College inKentucky, and her master's (1975) and
continued on poge 3
ATTENTION.
PLANT BIOLOGY EDUCATORS!The July 1995 issue of
THE PLANT CELLconsists entirely of reviews of
genetic and molecular approaches to plant biochemistry.This is certain to be an invaluable reference work. Order your personal copy
or multiple copies for classroom use during the coming academic year.
Introduction by Joe Varner
Amino Acid BiochemistryR. Last, G. Coruzzi, G. Galili, K. Herrmann, B. Singh
Pigments and Secondary ProductsE. Cornish, P. Scolnik, R. Croteau and D. McGarvey, D. von Wettstein,
T. Kutchan, R. Sederoff, D. Delmer
Storage ProductsA. Smith and C. Martin, J. Ohlrogge, P. Shewry
Cell Processes and Environmental AdaptationB. Taylor, A. Gatenby, J. Schroeder, J. Callis, T. Bisseling, N. Crawford,
R. Dixon and N. Paiva, H. Bohnert, J. Siedow
Order today! THE PLANT CELL July 1995, Plant Biochemistry. S25/copy (S22/copy for orders of 10 or more).Mail this order blank to: ASPP, P. O. Box 64209, Baltimore, MD 21264-4209 USA
Copy No. of 0 Enclosed is a check made out to ASPP, drawn on aprice __ copies __ Amount U.S. bank. U,S. funds only.MD residents, add 5% state sales tax 0 I authorize this charge to my accountShipping/Handling (see below) 0 VISA 0 MasterCard 0 Diner's Club
BookNo30090 TOTAL 0000000000000000Shipping/Handling Expiratlondate DO DONorth America: S3/copy to a maximum of S15,
SignatureOutside North America: Surface (8-12 weeks) Nome(prin-t)--------------
S3/copy to a maximum of $15. Phone---------------
Outside North America: Expedited C2-Ll weeks) Ship to---------------
S6/copy to a maximum of $30.
Fox or e-mail your credit card orders anytime. Fox: 301-279-2996 • E-Mail: skelly@aspp,org
July/August 1995, Vol. 22, No.4 3
NOTE E-MAIL ADDRESSES FOR ASPP HEADQUARTERS STAFF
Please make note of and immeditely begin using thee-mail addresses listed below for ASPP headquarters staff.
The A5PP NEWSLEITER is distributed to all ASPP members and is published six times aMually, in odd-numbered months.it is edited and prepared by ASPP staff from material provided by ASPP members and other interested parties. Copy deadlineis about the fifteenth day of the preceding even-numbered month (e.g., December 15 for January/February publication). Submitcopy bye-mail whene\'er possible; submit all other copy by mail. >lot by fnx. Contact Jody Carlson, Editor, ASPP NEW5LEITER,15501 Monona Dri\'e, Rock\'ille, MD 20855-2768 USA; .-mail [email protected]; telephone 301-251-0560, ext. 17.
receive an M.s. in organic chemistry in1970 from the University of Washingtonand a Ph.D. in plant physiology in 1977from Indiana Cniversity. With the exception of a sabbatical leave in the laboratory of Anthony Trewavas in 1986, Bosshas spent her entire academic career atNCSU, where she is now a professor inthe Department of Botany, studying biochemical, molecular, and cellular techniques to study signal transduction pathways involVing inositol phospholipids,calcium, and cytoskeletal proteins.
The vote to establish an ASPP Education Foundation is a historic and significant event for ASPP. Now that the establishment of the foundation has been formalized, ASPP's president, Jim Siedow,and president-elect, Bob Buchanan, willbe busy over the next several monthsnaming individuals to serve on the inaugural board of directors. For more detailsabout ASPPEF and the significance of thevote, see the president's letter on page 5.
Cathy Balogh, production editor, THE PLANT CELL <[email protected]>Ken Beam, executive director <[email protected]>
Sylvia Braxton, publications assistant <sbraxton©ospp.org>Jody Carlson, publications director <[email protected]>
Susan Chambers, director of finance and administration <[email protected]>Becky Chason, news and reviews editor, THE PLANT CELL <[email protected]>
Estella Coley, receptionist <[email protected]>
Kim Davis. manuscript assistant <[email protected]>
Tom Dushney, accountant ddushney©ospp.org>Judy Grollman, managing editor, THE PLANT CELL <[email protected]>
Brian Hyps, public affairs director <[email protected]>
Sharon Kelly, membership coordinator <[email protected]>
Annette Kessler, manuscript manager <[email protected]>
Aphrodite Knoop. manuscript assistant <[email protected]>
Mark Leader, senior production editor. Plant Physiology <mleader©ospp.org>
Morian Osuji, mail room <[email protected]>Lauren Ransome, production editor, Plant Physiology <[email protected]>
Deborah Weiner, managing editor, Plant Physiology <[email protected]>
Ph.D. (1978) degrees in plant biology fromThe Ohio State University. She was anassistant professor at the University ofNorth Carolina at Charlotte from 1979 to1982, before going to the University ofDayton. Mary Jo Vesper's service to ASPPand its Midwest Section has been continuous since 1987, when she was elected secretary-treasurer of the Midwest Section.She is just completing three years on theexecutive committee as the Midwest Section representative. As incoming secretaryfor the Society, she will be responsible forplanning the annual meetings in 1996 inSan Antonio, Texas, and in 1997 inVancouver, British Columbia.
Rounding out this year's slate of electedofficers is Wendy Boss of North CarolinaState University in Raleigh. Boss, too, received her undergraduate education atWake Forest University, where she earneda B.s. in chemistry in 1968. She went on to
continued from page I
PresidmtJames N. Siedow (919-684-6573)
President-ElectBob B. Buchanan (510-M2-3590)
Immediate Past PresidentRussell L.Jones (510-M2-1486)
SecretaryDonald R. Ort (217-333-2093)
TreasurerMark Jacobs (215-328-8039)
Chair, Board of TrusteesLarry N. Vanderhoef (916-752-2067)
Chair, PufJlications CommitteeStanley Roux (512-471-4238)
Elected MemfJersKenneth Keegstra (517-353-2270)Elaine M. Tobin (310-825-7700)Elizabeth Vierling (602-621-1601)
Sectional RepresentativesMidwestern
Mary Jo Vesper (513-229-2502)NortheasternSubhash Minocha (603-862-3840)
SouthernWilliam H. Outlaw Jr. (904-644-4020)
Washington, DCJ. Michael Robinson (301-504-6633)
WesternTerri Lomax (503-737-5278)
Headquarters Office15501 Monona DriveRockville, MD 20855-2768 USAPhone: 301-251~560 • Fax: 301-279-2996Executive director, Kenneth M. Beam, exl. 15
(e-mail [email protected])Director of finance and administration,
Susan K. Chambers, exl. 11(e-mail [email protected])
Accountant, Thomas M. Dushney, ext. 10([email protected])
Member services coordinQ tor,Sharon Y. Kelly, exl. 29(e-mail [email protected])
Receptionist, Estella Coley, exl. 22(e-mail [email protected])
Mail room clerk, Marian Osuji, exl. 12(e-mail [email protected])
PufJlic affairs director, Brian M. Hyps, exl. 14(e-mail [email protected])
PufJlications director, Jody Carlson, exl. 17(e-mail [email protected])
PufJlications assistant, Sylvia Braxton, exl. 33(e-mail [email protected])
Managing editor, Plant Physiology,Deborah I. Weiner, exl. 18(e-mail [email protected])
Managing editor, THE PLANT CELL,Judith E. Grollman, exl. 19(e-mail [email protected])
News and Reviews editor, THE PLANT CELL,Rebecca Chasan, exl. 21(e-mail [email protected])
Senior production editor, Plant Physiology,W. Mark Leader, ext. 23(e-mail [email protected])
Production editor, Plant Physiology,Lauren Ransome, exl. 30([email protected])
Production editor, THE PLANT CELL,Catherine A. Balogh, exl. 16(e-mail [email protected])
Manuscript manager, Annelle Kessler, exl. 20(e-mail [email protected])
Manuscript assistant, Kimberly A. Davis, exl. 24(e-mail [email protected])
Manuscript assistant, Aphrodite Knoop, exl. 25(e-mail [email protected])
ASPP Officers and Staff
1994-1995 Officers
4
OBITUARIESWard B. Davis
The last surviving charter member ofASPP, Ward B. Davis, died in Californiaon June 17, 1995, at the age of 101. Dr.Davis was one of 67 original members ofthe American Society of Plant Physiologists when the Society was begun 71 yearsago in March 1924 by a group of dissident plant physiologists who broke fromthe Botanical Society of America. Little isknown about Dr. Davis's career, but hismembership records indicate that he wason the staff of the University of Californiaat Riverside while he was still activelyemployed.
Joseph E. VarnerJoe Varner died in St. Louis, Missouri,
on July 4, 1995, following an illness ofseveral months. Varner, who joined ASPPin 1954 and served the Society as president in 1969-1970, was an emeritus professor at Washington University in St.Louis. A memorial fund to support plantbiology has been established in his nameat the Department of Biology at Washington University. Contributions may be sentto: Varner Fund, Department of Biology,Box 1137, Washington University, St.Louis, MO 63130. A more complete obituary will appear in the September /October issue of the ASPP Newsletter.
Paul J. KramerPaul Jackson Kramer, a most distin
guished plant physiologist, died in ChapelHill, North Carolina, May 24,1995, at theage of 91. He is survived by his wife of 64years, Edith Vance Kramer; a daughter,Jean Findeis of Washington; a son, Richard Kramer of Philadelphia; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Paul Kramer was born on a farm inBrookville, Indiana, on May 8, 1904, toparents who understood the value of education and, in due course, sent him toMiami University in Oxford, Ohio, wherehe received an A.B. in 1926. He continuedto The Ohio State University, where heearned an M.s. in 1929 and a Ph.D. in1931. In that same year he also began twolifelong partnerships when he marriedEdith Sara Vance and accepted a positionas instructor in the Botany Department atDuke University. By 1945 he had attainedthe rank of professor and in 1954 wasappointed James B. Duke Professor of
Botany, a chair that he held until his retirement in 1974, when he was grantedemeritus status.
Although Kramer's first research wason the relationship between dormancyand photoperiod, his prominence becamemanifest in the areas of woody plantphysiology and especially soil-plant-water relationships. Together with T. T.Kozlowski, he wrote Physiology of Trees in1960 and, after his retirement, The Physiology of Woody Plants in 1979. His firstwater relations text, Plant and Soil WaterRelationships, was published in 1949 andwas, for many years, regarded as the standard for reference and research. The successor to that book, Plant and Soil WaterRelationships: A Modem Synthesis (1969),is still used widely, but will soon be supplanted by a text, written with John S.Boyer, completed shortly before his death.His books have been valued by studentsand scholars throughout the world andhave been translated variously into Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, andSpanish.
Dr. Kramer was one of the first plantphysiologists in the United States to workextensively on woody plants, and earlywork by him and colleagues helped materially to explain why pine seedlingscannot compete with hardwood seedlingsunder forest stands. He confirmed experimentally the earlier view of Renner (1915)that two mechanisms were involved inthe absorption of water by plants: an osmotic one resulting in root pressure,which dominates in slowly or negligiblytranspiring plants, and a passive one,based on a reduced xylem pressure potential, which dominates in plants transpiring more rapidly and which accountsfor the bulk of water absorbed. He alsoconducted early investigations of the effects of low temperatures and deficientsoil aeration on water uptake and foundthat both of these variables decreased rootconductivity to water. In addition, he wasinvolved extensively in research on temperature as a limitation to the geographicrange of tree species.
Never content with the current state ofknowledge, he was constantly alert fornew technologies that could be used torefine and resolve recurring physiological questions. Thus, his lab was amongthe first to utilize radioactive tracers tostudy mineral absorption mechanisms bymycorrhizae of pine trees and the suberized and unsuberized roots of various
ASPP Newsletter
other species. Understanding the importance of the quantitative characterizationof water stress, he was instrumental inthe rapid adoption of water potential concepts and terminology. He and his students spent considerable time and energytesting new methods for measuring thesoil and plant water potential and its components (psychrometers, Scholander pressure chamber, porous blocks, and cryogenic techniques).
His interests in temperature, photoperiod, and environmental regulation ofplant growth led him to consider the feasibility of a national controlled environment facility. His efforts led ultimately toconstruction of the phytotrons at DukeUniversity and North Carolina State University. He was fully cognizant of differences between plants grown in controlledenvironments and the field, so as an integral part of furthering the acceptance ofphytotronics he organized a cooperativeproject to characterize some of these differences and to allow improved methodsfor predicting behavior in the field fromphytotron data. Even after retiring, he didnot lose interest in new methods and technologies, and as an emeritus professor hequickly understood the potential and promoted the application of magnetic resonance imaging to problems in water uptake and transport, an effort that his coworkers continue today.
Paul Kramer performed yeoman's service to Duke University, the nation, andmost especially the scientific community.Over the course of his career, because ofhis dedication to truth and the excellenceof his research, teaching, and writing, hewas instrumental in raising Duke University and particularly the Botany Department from relative obscurity to nationaland international prominence. In additionto his other faculty responsibilities, heserved as director of the Sarah P. DukeGardens for nearly three decades and aschairperson of the phytotron committeefor several years. His service to professional societies was extensive, and heeventually served as president of no fewerthan three of them: the American Societyof Plant Physiologists, 1945; the American Institute of Biological Sciences, 1964;and the Botanical Society of America, 1964.He also served a term as program director for regulatory biology at NSF and asa trustee for Biological Abstracts.
Accolades, honors, and recognition accumulated for him as they have rarely for
July/August 1995, Vol. 22, No.4
other individuals. He was the recipient offour honorary doctorates from MiamiUniversity, The Ohio State University, theUniversity of North Carolina at ChapelHill, and the University of Paris VII. Hereceived a service award from the Societyof American Foresters, a DistinguishedService Award from AlBS, a Merit Awardfrom BSA; was elected a fellow of theAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science; and was recognized withlife memberships in ASPP and AIBS. Hisprominence as a scientist and scholar wasacknowledged ultimately by election tothe National Academy of Sciences (1962),the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1963), and the American Philosophical Society (1973).
Dr. Kramer's accomplishments, awards,and honors have been listed, but little hasbeen said about the man, who was a loving husband and father by well-considered choice, a gentleman by virtue of hisupbringing, and a scholar and scientist bynature. Graduate education and beyondwas an exciting experience in his lab, notmerely because of the frequency of visitors, students, and postdoctoral scientistsfrom across the nation and abroad, butprimarily because of his own willingnessto argue even his most cherished ideas. Itseemed, in fact, that there was no concept, idea, or theory so dear or sacred tohim that he would not argue willingly andjust as willingly be convinced otherwise,given sufficient evidence. It was a wonderful experience to have known a manwho lived his life seemingly unencumbered by dogmatic imperatives-a trulymodest man who characterized by wordand action the very essence of science.
Edwin L. FiscusUSDA
Raleigh, North Carolina
Deadline for the
September/October 1995
issue of the
ASPP Newsletter
Is September 1, 1995.
PRESIDENT'S LEITERI offer my congratulations to all the
newly elected ASPP officers, and my sincere thanks to all those who ran in theelection. It speaks to the continued healthof the Society that such a strong slate ofcandidates was fielded. As long as suchgood, committed individuals are willingto participate in the governance of theSociety, ASPP's future will remain bright.
In addition to the new officers, and asthe headline on page 1 of this newsletterannounces, the membership of the ASPPhas also voted to continue on a path thatbroadens the scope of the Society's activities to improve our efforts in both plantbiology education and the public understanding of the plant sciences. The ASPPEducation Foundation (ASPPEF) was approved by a wide margin, and with thatapproval we will establish ASPPEF as afully functioning and vital component ofthe Society. You learned in the last newsletter that Richard Laster, former CEO ofDNAP, has agreed to serve in the pivotalrole of being the first chair of the board ofdirectors of ASPPEF. We now need toappoint twelve additional members to theASPPEF board. That task will fall to mein the remainder of my term in office andto my successor, Bob Buchanan. The goalwill be to have the full board in place bythe end of the year.
Now that ASPPEF is a reality, the hardpart of the venture is upon us: making ita success. For that, we will rely on theleadership provided by Dick Laster andthe members of the ASPPEF board of directors in seeking financial support fromcorporations, foundations, individuals,and federal agencies. However, the taskis not theirs alone. As with your vote, yoursupport of ASPPEF is needed because thesuccess of the foundation will dependupon contributions from ASPP members.Indeed, fund raisers at Duke tell me thatfoundations and corporations are likelyto want to know what fraction of themembership contributes to ASPPEF as anindication of the level of commitment ofthe members to the endeavor.
Last year, many of you responded generously to the request to give to ASPPEFalong with your annual membership renewal. The membership renewal notices
5
that wiJl be mailed later this fall will againinclude an opportunity to give to ASPPEF,all donors from 1995 and 1996 will berecognized as Founding Contributors ofASPPEF. When you send in your 1996membership renewal later this year, I urgeyou to be as generous as you can in helping the Society get this exciting new venture off to a strong start.
Support for ASPPEF is not limited tothe financial realm. Programs that couldbe supported by ASPPEF include developing new teaching tools and methods forK-12 education, initiating efforts to attractand recruit students into the plant sciences, and expanding ASPP efforts in thearena of public outreach, among others.Even with the availability of funds todevelop these programs, they can only beundertaken if you, the members of ASPP,are willing and able to participate in theirdesign, development, and implemenation.As ASPPEF becomes successful in raisingfunds for various new programs, and itwill, you will be kept apprised of theseprograms and of opportunities to participate in them. Indeed, many of you willbe actively sought out to participate inthem. When you are, I hope your responsewill be as enthusiastic and positive as yourresponse to the call to give ASPPEF yourvote.
Let me thank you again for your support of the foundation in the election. Thisis a pivotal step for the Society. As withother ventures the Society has undertakenin the recent past, such as starting THE
PLANT CELL and setting up an office ofpublic affairs at ASPP headquarters, thestep will lead to a more forward-lookingand more vital Society that will, in thelong run, better serve the interests of theentire plant science community.
Finally, on a more personal level, andwriting with no small amount of sadness,I note the recent passing of Joe Varner.Joe stood out as a giant in ASPP not onlyfor the excellence of his science, but alsofor the distinguished contributions hemade to the Society and the internationalcommunity of plant scientists as a leaderand as a guiding intellectual force overmany years. He will be sorely missed.
James N. SiedowASPP President, 1994-1995
Duke [email protected]
6
Five Companies ProvideSupport for Women'sCommittee Luncheon
Elizabeth Bray, chair of the corrurutteeon the status of women in plant physiology, announced that five companies havegenerously provided support for thecommittee's luncheon held each year atthe ASPP annual meeting. The contributions from DuPont Company, MonsantoCompany, Pioneer Hi-Bred International,Inc., Ciba-Geigy Corporation, andBeckman Instruments, Inc., will subsidizestudent attendance at this year's gathering in Charlotte on Monday, July 31.
The luncheon this year should be alively one. A panel discussion onmentoring is planned. Participants willinclude Patricia Myers, who, with CaryMitchell, conducted a survey of womenin plant physiology in 1993; CatherineDidion, executive director of AmericanWomen in Science; and Dina Mandoli,University of Washington.
Just published!
CARBON PARTITIONING
AND SOURCE-SINK
INTERACTIONS IN PLANTS
edited by
Monica A. Madore
William J. Lucas
Proceedings of the
117th Annual
Riverside Symposium
in Plant Physiology
See order form on page 14.
LEDER TO THE EDITOR
I would like to thank those membersof ASPP who have contacted me formy efforts on behalf of the DOEEnergy Biosciences Program. [Editorsnote: See May!June 1995 newsletter,page 10.] Of course, this was a labor oflove and a matter close to my heart (aswell as to my Jab budget). However, allof my activities (and certainly anyaccomplishments) were based on theguiding hand of Brian Hyps, the publicaffairs director of ASPP. It was Brianwho first contacted me and whoinvited me to testify before the Energyand Water Development subcommitteeof the Appropriations Committee. Thesubcommittee is now chaired byRepresentative John Myers, whosedistrict encompasses Purdue University.
Brian then helped me to establish aseries of meetings with RepresentativeMyers and other members of his staff,as well as staff members from theoffices of both Indiana senators. Hehelped me draft my testimony beforethe subcommittee and accompanied meduring part of my day in Washington.More importantly, he then promptedme at various times after my visit.Once I had established some personalrelationships with the staff members inWashington, it was easier to pick upthe phone and call them directly.Brian's prompts, which had the senseof disasters of biblical proportions,prodded me into instant action. We cannever be precisely sure of cause andeffect, but at least people in the directlegislative process were kept educatedas to the importance of the researchbeing conducted through EnergyBiosciences.
Many of us in science are by natureapolitical or are too busy with ournormal research and teaching obligations to become involved in thepolitical process. It even took us a longtime to recognize the virtue of having afull-time coordinator for such matters. Ifeel that the ASPP membership owes adebt of gratitude to those in theorganization who pushed for thedevelopment of a public affairs director. In this role, Brian Hyps has been akey player these past few months, andhis efforts may have brought far moreinto plant research than the cost of thisoffice for the next 25 years.
ASPP Newsletter
I hope that we long remember thislesson and that we maintain supportfor such activities. If anything, I hopethat the office of the public affairsdirector is strengthened in the nearfuture so that we can continue themomentum initiated by Brian. If ourefforts this year are successful, I hopethat you will individually and collectively thank Brian for his work.
Sincerely,Louis Sherman
Biological SciencesPurdue University
Student and Postdoc FellowshipsAvailable to Attend JointUSA-Mexico Meeting
In November, ASPP will co-sponsorwith its counterpart in Mexico, the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the first joint USA-Mexico Symposium on the topic"Agrobiology, Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology ofCrops Important for Mexican Agriculture." This meeting will be held inCocoyoc, Morelos, near Mexico City (seeGatherings, page 16).
A grant expected from the NationalScience Foundation (International Programs) and contributions from u.s. biotechnology companies will make it possible to give $500 fellowships to graduatestudents and postdoctorals who want toattend this meeting. Preference will begiven to Mexican nationals studying outside Mexico and to younlS researcherswho are fluent in Spanish and want toestablish contact with Mexican scientists.
Interested individuals should requestan application form and instructions forabstract preparation from MaartenChrispeels ([email protected]). Persons receiving a fellowship will be expected to present a poster about theirwork and could be selected for a shortoral presentation.
July/August 1995, Vol. 22, No.4
Public AffairsSenate Committee Farm Bill Would ReauthorizeNRICGP, Study ARS
7
The National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (NRlCGP) wouldbe reauthorized for five years at a level of$500 million under the 1995 Farm Billapproved by the Senate Agriculture Committee on July 18. (The actual appropriation made in separate legislation has generally been about $100 million for a year.)The legislation also allows the NRICGPto award funds available in a two-yearperiod. This will keep the NRICGP fromlosing funds in instances such as when apotential grantee cannot accept funds nearthe end of a year because of a change ofposition or for some other reason. Insteadof the funds being lost because they couldnot be awarded that year, they would beavailable for use by another grantee thenext year.
The legislation also would require thatnot less than 40 percent of appropriatedfunds would go for mission-linked systems research, which is an increase fromthe existing requirement of not less than20 percent. Sen. Thomas Daschle (D-SD),Democratic Leader in the Senate and amember of the Agriculture Committee,learned that NRICGP in practice currentlydirects 37 percent of its funds to missionlinked research and thereby he had apersuasive argument favoring the higherlevel requirement.
Action by ASPP members helped prevent a more problematic portion of themission-linked proposal from being included in the legislation. Senate staff assured ASPP that mission-linked researchcan include fundamental research.
The Farm Bill passed by committee alsocalled for a study of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) by the National Academy of Sciences. The Academy would review the mission of federal research conducted by ARS, evaluate the strength ofARS science and its relevance to nationalpriorities, and examine how the agency'swork relates to the capacity of the U.s.agricultural research, education, and extension system overall. The call for such astudy may raise some concerns at this timeof budget constriction. ASPP will followdevelopments concerning the study if thisprovision is included in the final bill.
DOE ENERGY BIOSCIENCES AVERTS CUTS IN HOUSEThe House Appropriations Committee
on June 20 approved funding $30.2 million for the Department of Energy Division of Energy Biosciences for Fiscal Year1996. This appropriations legislation waslater approved by the full House. TheSenate Appropriations Subcommittee onEnergy and Water Development was expected to vote on appropriations legislation for DOE on July 25.
In addition to providing an increaseover the Fiscal Year 1995 appropriationfor the Division of Energy Biosciences, theHouse appropriation also exceeds thePresident's request of $29,534,000. Theseincreases were approved by the House inthe same legislation (HR 1905) that cutoverall spending for DOE by six percentfor FY 96.
Much of the basic research supportedby DOE was spared in the budget cutting. However, research and alternativefuels cuts made up a large portion of thebudget reductions for DOE. Those interests that lost funding in the House are
mounting efforts to recoup losses as action on the DOE budget moves to theSenate. Continued support by ASPPmembers will be needed for Division ofEnergy Biosciences funding in the Senate. Many ASPP members have beenactively involved with key members ofCongress to explain the importance ofbasic research supported by the Divisionof Energy Biosciences.
Concerns over the level of fundingbecame acute after the authorizing subcommittee with jurisdiction over DOEresearch took the first action and cutfunding for the Division of Energy Biosciences significantly below the FY 95level. ASPP members subsequently increased efforts with the AppropriationsSubcommittee on Energy and WaterDevelopment urging its support for vitalresearch. The subcommittee recognizedthe need for increased funding for thisprogram and raised funding above boththe FY 95 level and the President's request.
ASPP continued efforts with the authorizing subcommittee and full committee.The full committee subsequently restoredthe more than $3.2 million the subcommittee had called for cutting below the FY95 amount for the Division of Energy Biosciences. The full committee also added anincrease over the FY 95 level.
(The references to authorizing committees and appropriations committees in thisbudget story can be confusing. Both committees have jurisdiction over the budget,as does the Budget Committee. However,action by the Budget Committee is advisory. The authorizing legislation for DOEapproved by the Science Committee onJune 22 is not expected to become law. Theappropriations legislation will almost certainly become law in some form. It is theappropriations legislation which will setthe spending amounts for DOE. However,the Science Committee staff and Appropriations Committee staff worked witheach other on the FY 96 budget legislation
continued on page 8
8
continued from page 7
and both bills have a similar emphasis onthe need to support basic research. Theincreased involvement by the ScienceCommittee on the budget this year enhances its role in the budget process compared to previous years.)
ASPP members who played key rolesin supporting funding for the Division ofEnergy Biosciences in the House were LouSherman of Purdue University, KenKeegstra of Michigan State University,Hans Kende of Michigan State University,Peter Albersheim of the University ofGeorgia, and several others. Committeeon public affairs chair Ralph Quatranoearlier identified Sherman as the leadcontact in the important home district ofHouse Appropriations Subcommittee onEnergy and Water Development Chairman John Myers (R-IN).
House CommitteeApproves USDAResearch Appropriations
The House Committee on Appropriations recently approved appropriations forFiscal Year 1996 for Agriculture, RuralDevelopment, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies. Overallspending on discretionary programs wasdown more than $135 million from FiscalYear 1995 levels to $13.25 billion. Overallspending on mandatory programs wasreduced more than $5.36 billion to $49.2billion. The legislation reduces spendingfor nearly every account below 1995 levels.
Funding for the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program(NRICGP) for FY 96 in the legislation isapproximately level with the FY 95amount. However, the Committee pointedout that it could also be interpreted thatthere was an increase for NRICGP. Thequestion of interpretation of an increase,decrease, or same level of funding forNRICGP centers around the removal ofearmarked programs from NRlCGP in thelegisla tion.
According to the Committee report,"For competitive research grants, theCommittee provides $98,810,000. Due toshifting in categories of research in FiscalYear 1996, the comparison to Fiscal Year1995 is an increase of $4 million." This
shifting of ca tegories refers to theCommittee's decision to discontinue funding earmarked categories Water Quality,Integrated Pest Management, and Pesticide Impact Assessment within NRlCGPand, instead, to fund them outside ofNRlCGP.
The NRICGP had not favored havingthese three programs earmarked withinthe competitive grants program. The Department of Agriculture requested nodollars for these three earmarked categories within NRICGP. Although the Department did not want to fund these programs as separate earmarks, it had soughta substantial increase in funding in theremaining categories within NRICGP tomake up for the loss of the earmarkedcategories. The three earmarked programstotalled more than $8 million and the remaining six programs received increasestotalling $4 million for FY 96.
Funding for Integrated Pest Management and Pesticide Impact Assessmentwas moved out of NRICGP to the Improved Pest Control program which includes the Pesticide Clearance line item.The legislation funds Integrated PestManagement at $3,093,000 for FY 96. Pesticide Impact Assessment is funded at$1,795,000 for FY 96. Both NRICGP andImproved Pest Control are housed withinthe Cooperative State Research, Educationand Extension Service (CSREES) withinthe Department. Water Quality is fundedat $2.5 million within CSREES as a special research grant for FY 96 under thelegislation.
A fourth earmark that NRICGP had notrequested to fund was not continued inNRICGP for FY 96 in the legislation. Thisis the United States-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development(BARD) earmarked program, which, in FY95, NRICGP was directed to fund fromthe existing categories of research at $2.5million. The appropriation legislation forFY 96 frees up NRICGP funds for spending in existing categories without earmarkrestrictions.
For the Agricultural Research Service(ARS), the legislation calls for spending$705,610,000 in FY 96, which is down $9million from the FY 95 appropriation orslightly more than one percent. The legislation included some of the President'srecommendations for closing research locations. The President's budget recommended that 12 research locations beclosed. Nine of these research locations
ASPP Newsletter
were also proposed for closure in theprevious budget. Congress had directedthat further evaluations be conducted onthese sites before concluding action onthese proposals.
"The Committee has not been furnishedadequate justification to support the closure of these laboratories. However, theCommittee is faced with reduced funding allocations and recognizes that difficult decisions must be made within thescope of the information available. In thisregard, the Committee concurs with theAdministration's proposal to close research facilities at Brawley, CA;Chatsworth, NJ; Orono, ME; Brownwood,TX; and Houma, LA. The research beingconducted is of long term importance....The Committee directs that the researchbe maintained at EI Reno, OK; Reno, NY;Miami, FL; and Clemson, Sc.
"Program leadership and resourcesshould be redirected and consolidated atprimary ARS facilities to coordinate andcarry out research currently assigned toEast Grand Forks, MN, and Sidney, MT.These locations should be relegated towork site status if required to be maintained for plot work, germplasm collections, or other physical or research applications. The Jackson, TN, location is university owned and houses only one ARSscientist. This scientist should work outof the Stoneville, MS office," the Committee-approved report said.
Important agricultural research generally fared much better in the House Appropriations Committee than in the nonbinding Budget Resolution for FY 96 thatemerged from the budget committees. Theappropriations legislation in some formwill be the applicable law after it isadopted by Congress. The Budget Resolution is just a guideline.
Support by ASPP members and otherswho contacted their members of Congresshelped in protecting funding for researchwhen many other programs in the federal budget are experiencing dramatic cutsor elimination.
Constituent support reinforced calls byleaders in the majority in Congress toplace an emphasis on supporting basicresearch. Spending on special (pork)projects is significantly reduced in thelegislation. The legislation still must passthe full House and Senate before beingsent to the President for signature intolaw.
July/August 1995, Vol. 22, No.4
FY 96 NSF RESEARCH DOWN ONE PERCENT IN HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE
9
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD and Independent Agencies on July 10 approved spending $2.254billion on Research & Related Activitiesof the National Science Foundation forFiscal Year 1996. This amoW1t is down $26million from the Fiscal Year 1995 spending level.
NSF Education and Human Resourceswould receive $599 million, down from$606 million in FY 95. Academic Researchand Infrastructure is at $100 million forFY 96, down from $118 million in FY 95.Major Research and Equipment is at $70million, which compares to $126 millionin FY 95. Spending approved by the subcommittee for these three accoW1ts is thesame as the President proposed for FY96.
The cuts for NSF were dwarfed by thesize of spending reductions for manyother programs in the VA, HUD and Independent Agencies FY 96 appropriationslegislation. The Department of Housingand Urban Development is cut $5.6 billion, which is 23 percent below its FY 95level. The National Service Program,which is strongly supported by PresidentClinton, is proposed for termination. TheEnvironmental Protection Agency is re-
duced by 33 percent from its FY 95 level,though EPA research and developmentis increased by $34 million to a level of$384 million. NASA's total budget is reduced by $720.4 millon below thePresident's request for FY 96. The subcommittee calls for closure of three NASAcenters: Goddard, Langley and theMarshall Space Flight Center.
The full Appropriations Committeewas expected to act on the legislation theweek of July 17, at which time furtherdetails will be available. House floor action is expected to follow soon afterward.Nter action in the full AppropriationsCommittee and on the House floor,spending legislation is considered by theSenate Appropriations Subcommittee onVA, HUD and Independent Agencies andby the full Appropriations Committeefollowed by action on the Senate floor.
Differences in the Senate and Housebills will be worked out in conference.The conference agreement will then needapproval by the House and Senate before being sent to the President for signature into law or a possible veto. A vetowould send the legislation back to theHouse and Senate. A two-thirds vote inCongress is needed to override a
President's veto and that would be difficult to reach, as Republicans have onlyslim majorities in the House and Senate.
Prior to action by House appropriationssubcommittees on FY 96 spending bills,House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) andScience Committee Chairman Bob Walker(R-PA) met with the subcommittee chairmen overseeing most civilian science programs and urged them to protect fW1dingfor research, especially fW1damental research. Walker, a close friend of Gingrich's,helped originate many years ago an aggressive Republican, then minority, stancethat was joined and lead by Gingrich.Walker's Science committee chairmanship,Budget Committee vice-chairmanship andfriendship with the Speaker assists him inhis advocacy in support of basic research,which has fared better than many otherareas in this year of deep budget cuts.
ASPP member Carl Pike, a constituentof Walker's who has known him for manyyears, met with Walker recently citing theneed to support fW1damental research inthe plant sciences. A number of otherASPP members have also made importantcontacts with their members of Congress.Further constituent contacts will be neededin the Senate.
ASPP MEMBERS TO REVIEW CHILDREN'S SCIENCE PROGRAM FOR PBS
Science staff of "The Magic School Bus"will be working with ASPP members tohelp ensure technical accuracy in television programs relating to plant science.
ASPP member Robert Pearcy, professor at the University of California atDavis, has agreed to volunteer his services in reviewing story content for anupcoming program concerning tropicalplants. ASPP members will also be askedto review future programs of The MagicSchool Bus that relate to plant science.
The Magic School Bus is a children'scartoon on PBS that covers a range ofscience topicS, such as the solar system,germs, sound, kitchen chemistry, seeds,ants, and weather. For the show on seeds,Robby Benson was the celebrity voice ofMr. Seedplot. Directed at viewers age 4to 10, The Magic School Bus is the firstfully animated PBS series.
One of its previous shows explainedhow plants are the first step in virtuallyevery food chain. This lessoh wasachieved by having cartoon character
children in a classroom bring in thingsthat "match" for a science project. Twoof the students forgot about the assignment so they supplied only a till1a fishsandwich and shoes with "green slime"on them with the slim hopes that theseitems might somehow match. After taking a ride in the Magic School Bus, whichconverted into a shrinking magic submarine for a closer look at the relationshipbetween plant and fish life under the sea,the students discovered that "greenslime" in the form of phytoplankton doeshave a connection to a tW1a fish sandwich after all.
The science show has received highmarks from reviewers. The September 511, 1994, issue of Variety said, "The MagicSchool Bus expertly balances entertainment and education. The show featuresan ethnically diverse group of studentswho take fantastic field trips on a yellowschool bus piloted by their teacher, Ms.Frizzle (voiced by Lily Tomlin). Each adventure is exotic enough to keep young
viewers glued, plus there's a steady flowof information.
"Tomlin's Ms. Frizzle is the perfect facilitator, whimsical yet trustworthy.Armed with crazy outfits and magicalpowers, the character doesn't dispensefacts as much as urge her students to "takechances" and "ask questions."
The New York Times September 22, 1994,review said '''The Magic School Bus'" iseducational television at its most disarming, something that seems too often thesole province of public television." TheNovember 26, 1994, issue of EntertainmentWeekly listed The Magic School Bus as oneof the ten best television shows for children
ASPP received the invitation recentlyfrom The Magic School Bus to participatein reviews after ASPP staff contacted TheMagic School Bus staff. The show can beseen on local public television stations. TheNational Science Foundation and Department of Energy have supported the program.
10
Minority Affairs Committee Awards Travel GrantsFunded by NSF and USDA
ASPP Newsletter
NEW EDITION OF PLANTHORMONE BOOK PUBLISHED
ASPP's minority aifairs committeemet at ASPP headquarters in Rockville,Maryland, on Saturday, June 24, andawarded 16 travel grants to minoritystudents and beginning faculty topermit them to attend scientific meetings relevant to the plant sciences.Funds for the grants were provided bythe National Science Foundation andthe U.s. Department of Agriculture.
The travel grant program wasadvertised to members of other plantscience organizations as well as toASPP members. As a consequence ofthat interorganizahonal outreach, eightof the awardees will attend ASPP'sannual meeting in Charlotte, NorthCarolina, five will attend the meeting ofthe American Phytopathological Society,and the remaining three will attendthree smaller, more specialized plantscience meetings.
A unique feature of ASPP's grantprogram is that all awardees are pairedwith mentors. The mentors will helpthe awardee benefit as much as possiblefrom attendance at the meeting byguiding them and helping themnetwork with like-minded scientists.
This is the first year for the minoritytravel grant program. It is anticipatedthat it will continue and expand in thefuture. The following individuals arethe awardel?s for 1995-1996:
Pamela D. AdamsAuburn University, Auburn, Alabama
John Rasheed BennettTuskegee UniverSityTuskegee, Alabama
Angela FosterRutgers University-Cook CollegeNew Brunswick, New Jersey
Pamela L. HughesAuburn University
Jacquelyn R. JacksonTuskegee University
Lillian R. JonesMarshall UniversityHurricane, West Virginia
Roslyn A. March-AmegadzieCheyney UniversityCheyney, Pennsylvania
Joe R. MontanaOklahoma State University, Stillwater
Cesar V. MujerTexas A&M University, CollegeStation
Philip RamseyUniversity of Arizona, Tucson
Yolanda Salva-VargasRutgers University
Patrice N. SmithUniversity of Tennessee, Knoxville
Teferi TsegayeUniversity of Maryland, College Park
Wakar UddinUniversity of Georgia, Athens
Debbie VillalonInstitute of Paper Scienceand TechnologyAtlanta, Georgia
Martis WattsTuskegee University
THE PLANT CELL
July 1995
A new edition of Plant HormonesPhysiology, Biochemistry and MolecularBiology, edited by Peter J. Davies, hasjust been published and is now available. It contains 35 chapters written by64 authors and can be obtained throughany bookseller or direct from thepublisher at: Kluwer Academic Publishers, Order Dept., PO box 322, 3300AHDordrecht, The Netherlands; [email protected], fax 31-78-392254,telephone: 31-78-392233 or KluwerAcademic Publishers, Order Dept., P.O.Box 358, Accord Station, Hingham MA02018-0358, USA; [email protected], fax 617-8716528, telephone 617-871-6600.
AIBS Publication Science &Biodiversity Po/icy Now Available
Compiled from speeches given at theAIBS 1994 Annual Meeting, this 96page stand-alone supplement containsimportant information about the manyaspects of biodiversity and publicpolicy. Authors include Hal Mooney,Thomas Lovejoy, Jane Lubchenco, KentE. Holsinger, Quentin D. Wheeler,Monica G. Tumer, Frank W. Davis, W.Franklin Harris, Lance H. Gunderson,Jerry F. Franklin, Louisa Willcox, andH. Ronald Pulliam. An excellentteaching resource, topics coveredinclude the role of science in formulating policy decisions and the public'sunderstanding of biodiversity. Singlecopies are available for $10.50; bulkorders are available at a discount. Formore information about the issue,contact Dr. Julie Ann Miller, 202-6281500, ext. 243; to order, contactGenevieve Clapp, ext. 251.
A Special Issue Devoted to Plant Biochemistry
For Sale to Non-subscribers
See order form on page 2 of this newsletter.
July/August 1995, Vol. 22, No.4
ASPP Education Forum11
Edited by Robert R. Wise. Department ofBiology. University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.Oshkosh. WI 54901. [email protected]
Saw You in CharlotteThis edition of the Education Forum
should be awaiting our return from the1995 ASPP meetings in Charlotte, NC.The education corrunittee, with helpfrom many others, had a full dancecard planned and, with luck, everythingwas a smashing success. A wrap up ofthe meetings and talk about futureprojects will be in the September/October Education Forum.
Hope everyone learned a lot, shareda lot, and had a great time.
Nature Launches Journal forUndergraduate Science Majors
Nature, the prestigious scienc~
magazine from the U.K., has announcedplans to publish a new journal designedfor undergraduate science majors.Called Nature Undergraduate, it will bepublished quarterly starting aboutJanuary of 1996. The editors anticipatethat the journal will be 80-90 pages in4-color. It will contain research articlesby college and high school researchstudents, condensed summaries ofstudent papers published elsewhere,instructional articles, news and perspective sections, an opportunities section(conferences, etc.), and a review sectionon current interesting topics. NatureUndergraduate is designed for undergraduates in the natural sciences. Formore information contact Sharon Kedar(Rice University and Nature), 11212Korman Drive, Potomac, MD 20854,301-399-3677, fax 301-299-9338.
Plant Education ElectronicNewsgroup Chartered
According to BIOSCI/bionet managerDave Kristofferson, the prototype PlantEducation newsgroup was made officialas of July 10, 1995. The voting was 186for and 2 against. The charter of thegroup reads, liThe purpose of thePLANT-EDUCATION newsgroup is tofunction as a means for communicationamong all educators, including faculty,
instructors, lab preparators, andgraduate assistants, involved in courseson any aspect of plant biology." JonMonroe Games Madison University)and Susan Singer (Carleton College)remain as the discussion leaders,although the group remainsunmoderated. Subscribers are invited(send message "subscribe plant-ed" to<[email protected]» andcontributions are encouraged.
Options Available for PlantPhysiology Textbooks andLab Manuals
With the fall semester fast approaching, the question of textbook selectionfor plant physiology educators is onceagain at the forefront. Without claimingto be comprehensive, a compilation ofcurrent offerings is given below.Although most of the titles are recent(i.e. after 1990), it is possible that somemay be out of print or otherwiseunavailable.
Which book is the "best"? Thatdepends to a large degree on students'background, the goals of the instructor,and whether the course is introductoryor advanced. There has been considerable recent discussion on the plant-ednewsgroup on the strengths andweaknesses of many of the titles listedbelow. For a look at tha t discussion, seethe plant-ed archives at <gopher/bio.net/PLANT-EDUCATION>. (Onecontributor to plant-ed, on the otherhand, taught an introductory plantphysiology class using only the originalliterature and reviews.)
Anderson, J. W. and J. Beardall (1991)Molecular Activities of Plant Cells:An Introduction to Plant Biochemistry, Blackwell Scientific Publications
Brett, C. and K. Waldron (1990) Topicsin Plant Physiology, Vol. 2, Physiology and Biochemistry of Plant CellWalls, Unwin Hyman Ltd.
Chrispeels, M. and D. E. Sadava (1994)Plant, Genes, and Agriculture, Jonesand Bartlett Publishers
Davies, P. J. (ed.) (1987) Plant Hormones and Their Role in PlantGrowth & Development, Martinus
Nijhous PublishersDennis, D. T. and D. H. Turpin (eds.)
(1990) Plant PhYSiology, Biochemistry,and Molecular Biology. John Wiley &Sons
Fosket, D. E. (1994) Plant Growth andDevelopment: A Molecular Approach,Academic Press
Galston, A.W. (lY94) Life Processes ofPlants. Scientific American Library(dist. by W. H. Freeman)
Hart, J. W. (1987) Topics in PlantPhysiology, Vol. 1, Light and PlantGrowth, Unwin Hyman Ltd.
Hershey, D. R. (1995) Plant BiologyScience Projects, John Wiley & Sons
Hopkins, W. G. (1995) Introduction toPlant Physiology, John Wiley & Sons
Lyndon, R.F. (1990) Topics in PlantPhysiology, Vol. 3, Plant Development: The Cellular Basis, UnwinHyman Ltd.
Lea, P. J. and Leegood, R. C. (1993)Plant Biochemistry and MolecularBiology, John Wiley & Sons
Meidner, H (1984) Class Experiments inPlant Physiology, G. Allen & Unwin
Mohr, H. and P. Shopfer (1995) PlantPhysiology, Springer-Verlag
Moore, T. C. (1981) Research Experiences in Plant Physiology: A Laboratory Manual, Springer-Verlag
Murphy, T. M. (1995) Manual for PlantPhysiology Laboratory, published byauthor (contact at<[email protected]»
Noggle, G. R. and G. Frits (1983)Introductory Plant Physiology,Prentice Hall
Reiss, C. (1994) Experiments In PlantPhysiology, Prentice Hall
Salisbury, F. B. and C. W. Ross (1992)Plant Physiology, 4th ed., WadsworthPublishing Company
Sebanek, J. (ed.) (1992) Plant Physiology, Elsevier
Taiz, L. and E. Zeiger (1991) PlantPhysiology, Benjamin/CummingsPublishers
Ting, I .P. (1982) Plant Physiulogy,Addison-Wesley Publishing Company
Wilkins, M.B. (ed.) (1987) AdvancedPlant Physiology, John Wiley & Sons
12
Effect of Ultraviolet Light onArabldopsis Plants:A laboratory Exerciseby Mark Shotwell (Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA)
IntroductionPlants growing in sunlight are
constantly exposed to ultravioletradiation. UV light induces the formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers(CPDs) and other photoproducts inDNA, which, if not removed, createpotentially lethal mutations. TheseCPDs can be corrected by at least threedifferent mechanisms: photoreactivation,excision repair, and recombinationalrepair. The first response is likely to bephotoreactivation, in which aphotolyase uses radiant energy to breakthe cyclobutane ring linking thepyrimidines. Photolyases are energizedby light of wavelengths between 370450 nm, in the near-UV range, which isabundant in sunlight. The CPDs notremoved by the photolyase may becorrected by excision repair, or anothermechanism not yet identified.
To better understand how plantsrespond to UV light, David Mount'sgroup in the Department of Molecularand Cellular Biology at the Universityof Arizona isolated several mutants ofArabidopsis hypersensitive to UVradiation. Of these, the best characterized is the uvhl mutant (Harlow et a!.,1994). The experiment outlined below,developed in Mount's lab, uses theuvhl mutant to illustrate the effects ofUV light on plants. Its purpose istwofold: (1) to determine the relativeUV sensitivity of wild-type Arabidopsisand the uvhl mutant, and (2) to assessthe role of photoreactivation in therepair of UV damage in Arabidopsis.The latter is accomplished by incubating the plants after the UV exposures ineither white light (which contains thephotoreactivating wavelengths) or goldlight (which lacks the photoreactivatingwavelengths). The exercise is quitesimple and can be completed in lessthan an hour. The only piece ofequipment required is a UV crosslinker,which can be found in most molecularbiology labs.
Materialso Seeds of wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana
Columbia ecotype (available from the
Arabidopsis Biological ResourceCenter) and the UV-hypersensitivemutant uvhl (soon to be availablefrom ABRC; until then from theauthor). • For each lab section of 24students: sixty-four 2.5 inch squarepots, two F1020 flats, two propagation domes, eighteen 4-inch white potlabels, eighteen 4-inch yellow potlabels (available from Hummertinternational, 800-392-9113; cat nos.12-1250, 11-3050, 11-2568, 49-1504,and 49-1596, respectively).
• Potting soil• UV crosslinker (e.g. Metro Mix 360)• Growing area with white fluorescence
lights• Gold-light growth chamber (e.g. shop
light with two gold fluorescent bulbs(F40GO) mountedundemeath a tablewrapped in black plastic sheeting)
• Lamp with yellow incandescent bulb(General Electric 60A/Y 60 watt BugLite)
Part One1. For each lab section, plant 32 pots of
wild-type and 32 pots of uvh-l, 12 to20 seeds per pot. Water thoroughly(with Miracle Gro if desired). Placepots in separate F1020 flats and covereach with a propagation dome tomaintain high humidity. Place underfluorescent lights.
2. After 3 days remove the propagationdomes.
3. Grow seedlings for two weeks,watering when the soils dry out.
Part Two1. Divide the class into 6 groups.2. Have each group get 6 pots of either
wild-type or the uvh-l mutant.3. Using white and yellow pot labels as
appropriate, have the students labeltheir six pots with their initials, thelab section, either WT or uvh-l, and:(1) O-white, (2) O-gold, (3) 100-white,(4) 100-gold, (5) 700-white, (6) 700gold.
4. Have the students place their O-whitepots in the white-light area and theirO-gold pots in the gold-light chamber.IMPORTANT: Remember which potshave white labels and which haveyellow labels, since in the dim yellowlight they will all look yellow.VERY IMPORTANT: Protect the 100-goldpots from white light as much aspossible so that photoreactivation
ASPP Newsletter
cannot occur.6. Repeat step 5 for the remaining three
100-white pots and three 100-goldpots.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the 700 pots,but increase the UV dose to 700 J/m2.
As before, take care to shield the 700gold pots from white light.
8. After three days, transfer all potsfrom the gold-light chamber to thewhite-light area. All the plants willreceive white light for the next fourdays.
Part Three1. In the following week's lab, have the
students retrieve their set of 6 potsfrom the white -light area andarrange them according to UV dose.
2. Ask the students to assess thedamage to the plants caused by thetwo doses of UV light and the whitelight and gold-light treatments. Havethem grade the condition of theplants in each pot on the followingscale: (1) not damaged, (2) slightlydamaged, (3) moderately damaged,(4) severely damaged, (5) dead.The O-white plants serve as thenegative control; thus, they should beassigned a grade of 1. The otherplants should be compared to the 0white plants when assessing thedamage.
3. Make sure the students examine notjust their own set of plants, but oneset of 6 of both the wild-type and theuvh-l.
4. Have the students compile their datain one table (it will comprise 12damage estimates, 6 each for wildtype and uvh-l).
5. Interpreting the results will involveasking the following questions:a. Is there a general effect on growth
of Arabidopsis plants caused byincubation in gold light? (Comparethe O-gold plants to the O-whiteplants.)
b. Is there an effect of increasingdoses of UV light on Arabidopsisplants? (Compare the 100-whiteand 700-white plants to the O-whiteplants.)
c. Is the uvh-l mutant more sensitiveto UV light than the wild-type?(Compare the uvh-l plants to thewild-type plants at each UV dose.)Is it possible to estimate therelative difference in sensitivity
July/August 1995, Vol. 22, No.4
between mutant and wild-typefrom these results?
d. Do the results support the involvement of photoreactivation in therepair of UV damage to DNA inArabidopsis plants? (Compare the100-gold plants to the 100-whiteplants, and the 700-gold plants tothe 700-white plants.) Does photoreactivation occur in the wild-typeplants? Does photoreactivationoccur in the uvh-l plants? Based onthese results, which type of DNArepair appears to be defective inuvh-l plants, photoreactivation oranother mechanism?
Notes1. The key to the success of this
experiment is selecting the rightdoses of UV light. Two or threepreliminary experiments should thusbe done to determine the UV dosethat results in significant damage touvhl plants incubated in gold lightbut very little or no damage to plantsincubated in white light. This shouldbe between 50 and 150 J/m2
• Thiswill serve as the lower dose in theexperiment. Since uvhl plants areabout 7 times as sensitive as wildtype plants to UV, the higher doseshould be 7 times the lower dose(Le., 350 to 1050 JI m2
). When theexperiment works just right, the uvhlplants that have received the lowerdose show the same damage as thewild-type plants that have receivedthe higher dose. If the students pickup on this, they can arrive at therelative difference in sensitivitybetween uvhl and wild-type.
2. UV crosslinkers generate UV-C, notthe less energetic but more physiologically relevant UV-B. (TheArabidopsis mutants are hypersensitive to both.) The experiments maybe done using UV-B after replacingthe UV-C bulbs in the cross-linkerwith UV-B bulbs and re-calibratingthe machine with a radiometer.
ReferenceHarlow, G. R., Jenkins, M. E.,Pittalwala, T. S. and Mount, D. W.(1994) Isolation of uvh-l, an Arabidopsismutant hypersensitive to ultravioletlight and ionizing radiation. The PlantCell 6, 227-235
13
[\lumbers Suggest ThaElectronic Plant Gene Registers Are a Success
By the most recent count, 56 electronic Plant GeneRegisters (PGRs) are posted on Plant Physiologys WorldWide Web site. The papers, formerly published in printform in Plant Physiology, are now pUblished exclusivelyon line, with a listing in the table of contents of each
onth's issue of the journal (see the listing under 'Electronic Plant Gene Register" in the table of contents of
the July 1995 Plant PhysiologY;.
The electronic PGRs can be accessed through the WorldWide Web, which prOVides hypertext links directly to
GenBank, and through gopher.
To access electronic PGRs via the Web,
use the uniform resource locator CURL):http://ophelia.com/Ophelia/pgr/index.html
Once you are in a PGR on the Web, selecting the highlighted accession number will take you directly to the
appropriate data at GenBank.
To access electronic PGRs through gopher,point your gopher client to
aspp.org,select "Publications," then "Plant Physiology,"
and then "Plant Gene Registers."
You can olso get gopher access bypointing your client to
ophelia.com,selecting "Ophelia Publishing"
and then "Plant Gene Registry."
July/August 1995, Vol. 22, No.4 15
GatheringsAll anno.uncements are subject to editing. Wherever possible, submit announcements via e-mail to jcarlson@as orAlternatIvely, mail submissions to Jody Carlson, ASPP Newsletter, 15501 Monona Drive, Rockville MD 20855-:b~8 g.USA. Because announcements are scanned into the computer, faxed transmissions will not be ac~epted.
FUTURE ASPP ANNUAL MEETING SITESSEPTEMBER
1996: San Antonio, TexasSaturday, July 27, through
Wednesday, July 31
1997: Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaSaturday, August 2, through
Wednesday, August 6
1995: Charlotte, North CarolinaSaturday, July 29, through
Wednesday, August 2
AUGUST
August 6-1110th International Workshop onPlant Membrane BiologyRegensbur~ GennanyContact Widmar Tanner or Norbert Sauer,Lehrstuhl hir Zellbiologie undPflanzenphysio!ogie, Universitat Regensburg,Universitatsstrasse 31, 93053 Regensburg,Germany; fax 49-941-943-3352. See November/December 1994 ASPP Newsletter fordetails.
August 7-114th International Congress on Amino AcidsVienna, AustriaContact: Bijay K. Singh, American CyanamidCompany, P.O. Box 400, Princeton, NJ 085430400 USA, or B. Lubec, Department ofPediatrics, University of Vienna, WahringerGurtel 18, A-1090, Vienna, Austria. SeeNovember /December 1994 ASPP Newsletterfor details.
August 7-1110th International Conference on Frankiaand Actinorhizal PlantsUniversity of California, DavisContact: Dr. A. M. Berry, Department ofEnvironmental Horticulrure, University ofCalifornia, Davis, CA 95616; fax 916-752-1819e-mail [email protected]. See November / December 1994 ASPP Newsletter fordetails.
August 13-17Phytochemical Society of North AmericaAnnual MeetingSault Ste. Marie, Ontario, CanadaContact: Dr. James A. Saunders, PlantSciences Institute, USDA, Bldg. 9, Rm 5,Beltsville, MD 20705, telephone 301 504-7477,fax 301 504-6478; or Dr. Pedro Barbosa,Department of Entomology, University ofMaryland, College Park, MD 20742,telephone 301 405-3946 office, fax 301 3149290. See November/December 1994 ASPPNewsletter for details.
August 13-175th International Conference on theTransport of PhotoassimilatesCanterbury, UKContact: Dennis Baker, Biological Sciences,Wye College, Kent TN25 5AH, UK; fax +441233-813140, e-mail s.simpson®Wye.lon.ac.uk.
August 20-2510th International Photosynthesis CongressMontpellier, FranceContact: Dr. Paul Mathis (PhotosynthesisCongress), DBCM-SBE, CEA Saclay, Batiment532, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette CEDEX, France; fax33-1-69-08-87017. See November /December1994 ASPP Newsletter for details.
September 3-74th International Workshop onPathogenesis-Related Proteins in Plants:Biology and Biotechnological PotentialKloster Irsee, GennanyContact: Dr. Erich Kombrink, AbteilungBiochemie, Max-Planck Institut furZiichtungsforschung, Carl-von Linne-Weg 10,D-50829 Ko!n, Germany, fax +49-221-5062313. See November/December 1994 ASPPNewsletter for details.
September 11-13Physiological Responses ofPlants to PathogensUniversity of Dundee, ScotlandContact Dr. Dale Walters, Plant ScienceDepartment, The Scottish AgriculturalCollege, Auchincruive, Nr Ayr KA6 5HW,UK. See March/April 1995 ASPP Newsletterfor details.
September 11-15Laboratory Course: NMR of CarbohydratesAthens, GeorgiaSee listing above under July 31-August 4 fordetails.
September 11-16Plant Respiration:Physiological and Ecological AspectsSyktyvkar, Komi Republic, RussiaPlease address all correspondence to Dr.Tamara K. Golovko, Institute of Biology,Komi Science Center, Ural Division, RussianAcademy of Sciences, Kommunisticheskaya,28, 167610 Syktyvkar, Russia; telephone 82122-51-15; fax 821-22-201-63. See May/June1995 ASPP Newsletter for details.
September 13-1514th Long AshtonInternational Symposium:Plant Roots-from Cells to SystemsLong Ashton Research StationBristol, EnglandContact H. M Anderson, Department ofAgricultural Sciences, University of Bristol,Instirute of Arable Crops Research, LongAshton Research Station, Bristol, BS18 9AF,United Kingdom; telephone 275-392181, fax275-394007. See November/December 1994ASPP Newsletter for details.
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September 24-27European Science Foundation WorkshopGenes and Their Products for Tolerance toPhysical Stresses in PlantsMaratea, ItalyFor further information please contact A.Leone, Research Centre for VegetableBreeding, CNR, Via Universita'133, 1-80055Portici, Italy; telephone 39 776 16 46, fax 39775 35 79, e-mail leone®Vm.cised.unina.it.See Marchi April 1995 ASPP Newsletter fordetails.
September 25-27Harnessing Apomixis: A New Frontier inPlant ScienceTexas A&M University, College StationContact Dr. David M. Steller, Department ofSoil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&MUniversity, College Station, TX 77843-2474;telephone 409-845-2745, fax 409-862-4733, email [email protected]. See NovemberI December 1994 ASPP Newsletter fordetails.
OCTOBER
October 1-4, 1995International Symposium:Engineering Plants For CommercialProducts/ApplicationsUniversity of Kentucky, LexingtonCo-organizers: Glenn B. Collins and Robert J.Shepherd. To be added to the conferencemailing list, send your name and address to:International Symposium on EngineeringPlants, clo Conferences and Institutes, 218Peterson Service Building, Lexington, KY40506-0005 USA; [email protected], telephone606-257-3929, fax 606-323-1053.
October 8-12Third International Symposium:Cytochrome P450 BiodiversityWoods Hole, MassachusettsContact: Dr. John C. Loper, Department ofMolecular Genetics, University of CincinnatiSchool of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 452670524, fax 513-558-8474. See NovemberIDecember 1994 ASPP Newsletter for details.
October 8-12International Symposium:Dynamics of Physiological Processes inWoody RootsIthaca, New YorkContact Dr. Mary A. Topa, Boyce ThompsonIn~titute, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 148531801, USA; fax 607-254-1242, [email protected]. See NovemberIDecember1994 ASPP Newsletter for details.
October 25-2911th Annual MeetingAmerican Society for Gravitational andSpace BiologyCrystal City, VirginiaThis conference provides a forum forpresentation and exchange of graVitationaland space biological information and datafrom scholarly and applied research. Theprogram consists of oral and poster scientificsessions, symposia, and workshops. Topicsinclude. mechanosensing andmechanoloading mechanisms; physiologicalresponses to increased levels of carbondioxide; spaceflight experiment results;controlled ecological life support systems;plant gravity perception; plant growth,development, and genetics; calcium role incell processes; cell biology; biotechnology Iinstrumentation; animal structural systems Imuscle physiology, animal gravity sensingand neurophysiology; and animal growth,development, and genetics. For furtherinformation contact: Donald R. Beem,American Institute for Biological Sciences,Special Science Programs, 730 11th StreetNW, Washington, DC 20001; telephone 202628-1500.
October 25-November 1Short Course: Optical Microscopy andImaging in the Biomedical SciencesMarine Biological LaboratoryWoods Hole, MassachusettsCourse Director: Colin S. Izzard, StateUniversity of New York at Albany; telephone 518-442-4367. Designed for researchscientists, physicians, postdoctoral trainees,and advanced graduate students in animal,plant, medical, and material sciences seekinga comprehensive introduction to microscopyand video-imaging. The course consists oflectures, laboratory exercises, demonstrations, and discussions that will enable theparticipant to obtain and interpret microscope images of high quality. Instruction onstate-of-the-art equipment will be providedby experienced staff from universities andindustry. Topics to be cuvered include:principles of microscope design and imageformation; bright and dark-field, phasecontrast, polarized light, differentialinterference contrast, interference reflection,and fluorescence microscopy; confocalscanning microscopy; digital image restoration, and 3-D reconstruction; video imaging,recording, enhancement, and intensification,analog and digital image processing andanalysis; and fluorescent probes and ratioimaging. Application of the optical methodsto live cells will be emphasized, otherspecimens will be covered. Course fee:$1,690 (room and board available at noadditional charge). Applications due' August15. Admissions are competitive. For formsand information contact: AdmissionsCoordinator, Marine Biological Laboratory,Woods Hole, MA 02543; telephone 508-289-
ASPP Newsletter
7401; e-mail [email protected]
NOVEMBER
November 5-9First Joint USA-Mexico SymposiumAgrobiology, Molecular Physiology, andBiotechnology of Crops Important toMexican AgricultureCocoyoc, MexicoFor more information and registrationpackets (hotel reservation forms, abstractforms, etc.) send your complete mailingaddress to Maarten Chrispecls(mchrispeels®Ucsd.edu) or AlejandraCovarrubias([email protected]). SeeMarchi April 1995 ASPP Newsletter fordetails.
November 26-December 1Sustainable Agriculture for the Tropics:The Role of Biological Nitrogen FixationAngro dos Reis, BrazilThe conference will honor the researchaccomplishments of Dr. Johanna Dobereiner.Speakers representing 13 countries currentlyare scheduled. The proceedings of thesymposium will be published as a specialedition of "Soil Biology and Biochemistry."You are invited to present posters, andadditional oral presentdions may beaccepted. Information and registration formscan be obtained from Dr. Avilio A. Franco,F.MBRAPACNPAB, Km 47, Estrada AntigaRio San Paulo, Seropedica, Itaguai, 23851970, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
1996
JANUARY
January 25-27, 1996Third DBMS WorkshopPlant Cell Metabolism and Its RegulationVillard de Lans, FranceOrganizers: R. Douce, J. Joyard. The thirdworkshop of the Departement de BiologieMoleculaire et Structurale of the Centred'Etudes Nucleaires de Grenoble will includesessions on carbon metabolism, nitrogen andsulfur metabolism, cell membranes andtransport, metabolism and Signaling, andlong distance transport. Invited speakersinclude: H. Barbier-Brygoo, A. A. Benson, R.Brouquisse, D. R. Bush, M. Caboche, M.Chrispeels, S. Delrot, R. Dumas, M. J. Emes,1. FlLigge, J. Guern, P. J. Lea, G. Lorimer, A.Pugin, R. Ranjeva, T. ap Rees, K. Saito, J.Schell, H. Sentenac, T. Siabas, M. Stitt, J.Vidal, L. Willmitzer. Application deadline isDecember 1, 1995. For information, contact:Dr. Jacques Joyard, DBMS/PCV, Grenoble,France, telephone 33-76-88-41-84, fax 33-7688-50-91.
July/August 1995, Vol. 22, No. <:,
MARCH
March 8-14, 1996Keystone SymposiumThe Extracellular Matrix of Plants:Molecular, Cellular andDevelopmental BiologyTamarron, ColoradoIf you have ever applied to attend or haveattended a Keystone Symposia conference,you will automatically be sent applicationinformation. Otherwise, contact KeystoneSymposia, Drawer 1630, Silverthorne, CO80498; telephone 303-262-1230, fax 303-2621525. See May IJune 1995 ASPP Newsletterfor details.
March 10-16, 1996Seventh International Symposium onFlower BulbsHerzliya, IsraelConvener of the meeting is A. H. Halevy.For more information, contact Ortra Ltd.,P.O.B. 50432, Tel Aviv, 61500, Israel,; fax972-3-5174433. See January IFebruary 1995ASPP Newsletter for details.
March 10-16, 1996Third International Workshop onBasic and Applied Research inPlasmodesmal BiologyZichron Yakov, IsraelFor further information contact one of thefollowing: Bernard Epel, Division of PlantBiology MRC7, The Scripps ResearchInstitute, 10666 North Torrey Pines, La Jolla,Ca 92037; fax 619-554-6330; [email protected]; Shmulik Wolf, Department of Vegetable Crops, The Faculty ofAgriculture, Hebrew University, Rehovot,Israel 76100; fax 972-8- 468-265, [email protected]; William Lucas, Sectionof Plant Biology, University of California,Davis, California 95616; fax 916-752-5410, email wjlucas©Ucdavis.edu. See MarchiApril1995 ASPP Newsletter for details.
APRIL
April 11-13, 1996New Biological Approaches to Understandand Improve Winter Survival of PlantsArhus, DenmarkContact: Bjarni L. Gudleifsson, RALAModruvellir, 601 Akureyri, Iceland; telephone: + 354-6-24477, fax + 354-6-27144. SeeJanuary IFebruary 1995 ASPP Newsletter fordetails.
April U-19, 19969th International Congress onSoilless CultureSt. Helier, Jersey, Channel IslandsWrite to Secretariat of ISOSe, P.O. Bo'S 52,6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands. SeeJanuary /February 1995 ASPP Newsletter fordetails.
April 15-17, 1996Starch: Structure and FunctionCambridge, UKContact: Mrs. M. A. Staff, CavendishLaboratory, Madingley Road, Cambridge,CB3 ORE, United Kingdom; telephone 441223-3370007, fax 44-1223-337000. SeeMarchi April 1995 ASPP Newsletter fordetails.
April 17-20, 199615th Annual Missouri SymposiumProtein Phosphorylation in PlantsColumbia, MissouriTopics to include: protein kinases andphosphatases in metabolism; Ca'+-dependentphosphorylation; protein kinases in development; protein phosphorylation in defenseresponses; protein phosphorylation in controlof the cell cycle; protein phosphorylationand signal transduction. To be consideredfor oral or poster presentations, submit a ]-2page abstract not later than December 15,1995. Registration will be limited to 250.Submit abstracts or write for registrationmaterial to Missouri Symposium, 117Schweitzer Hall, University fo Missouri,Columbia, MO 65211; fax 314-882-5635.
MAY
May U-17, 1996VIII CongressInternational Society of CitricultureSun City Resort, South AfricaFor information, contact: Congress Secretariat, Institute for Tropical and SubtropicalCrops, Private Bag X 1]208, Nelspruit 1200,South Africa; telephone 27-1311-52071, fax27-1311-23854, e-mailsupervisor®itsg.arc.agric.sa. See May IJune1995 ASPP Newsletter for details.
JUNE
June 2-5, 1996The Monroe Wall Symposium onNatural Products:Harnessing Biodiversity for TherapeuticDrugs and FoodsNew Brunswick, New JerseyOrganizers: Rutgers University and Xechem,Inc., New Brunswick, NJ 08901 USA. Forfurther information, contact: Keitgh Wilson,Office of Continuing Professional Education,Rutgers University, Cook College, P.O. Box231, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0231;telephone 908-932-9271, fax 908-932-1187.
June 16-21, 1996Third International Symposium on in VitroCulture and Horticultural BreedingJerusalem, IsraelFor more information, or to receive a call forpapers, contact Third International Symposium on in Vitro Culture and Horticultural
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Breeding, P.O. Box 50006, Tel-Aviv 6500,Israel. See May IJune 1995 ASPP Newsletterfor details.
June 22-26-19961996 World Congress on In Vitro BiologyBioctechnology: From FundamentalConcepts to RealitySan Francisco, CaliforniaProgram will include a formal symposium,exhibits, contributed sessions, workshops,and poster presentations. Topics will beorganized under the general headings ofvertebrate, cellular toxicology, invertebrate,and plant. Deadline for abstracts is January12, 1996. Contact: Tiffany McMillan,telephone 410-992-0946, fax 410-992-0949.
June 23-26, 1996Second International Symposium on theBiology of Root Formation andDevelopmentJerusalem, IsraelFor more information, or to receive a call forpapers, contact Second InternationalSymposium of the Biology of Root Formation and Development, P.O. Box 50006, TelAviv 6]500, Israel. See May IJune 1995 ASPPNewsletter for details.
JULY
July 7-12 1996Uth International Symposium onPlant LipidsToronto, CanadaThe 12th International Symposium on PlantLipids to be held on the main campus of theUniversity of Toronto will cover all topicsrelated to plant lipidS including, but notexclusively: fatty acid metabolism, lipidmetabolism and biochemistry, membranestructure, oil seed metabolism, isoprenoidsand sterols, environmmental effects on lipidsand the biotechnology of lipids. The meetingwill consist of 30- and IS-minute oralpresentations and poster sessions. Anybodyinterested in plant lipids is invited to attend.To request a registration package, to bedistributed at the end of 1995, contact JohnP. Williams, Department of Botany, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St., Toronto,Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2; telephone 4]6978- 3540, fax 416-978-5878, [email protected].
July 14-17, 19964th IUBMB ConferenceThe Life and Death of the CellEdinburgh, ScotlandTopics at this meeting will include: ceUgrowth, control, and development; cell deathmechanisms; signal termination andcompartmentalization; cellular fates ofproteins; cellular stress and protectionmechanisms. To obtain a circular givingdetails of travel, accommodation, registra-
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tion, and scientific and social programs,contact: The Meetings Office, The Biochemical Society, 59 Portland Place, London WIN3AJ, United Kingdom; telephone 44-171-5805530, fax 44-171-637-7626, [email protected]
July 14-18, 19965th Symposium of the International Societyof Root Research:Root Demographics and Their Efficienciesin Sustainable Agriculture,Grasslands, and ForestryClemson, South CarolinaCurrently sessions are planned for (I) globalcarbon cycling, (2) water quality, (3)sustainable agroecosystem production, (4)carbon allocation and/or competition byabove and below ground biomass incroplands, grasslands and forest ecosystems,and (5) contemporary methods for measuring root dynamics. InteIJ'\ationally recognizedkeynote speakers will open each session. Foradditional information please contact Dr.James E. Box, Jr., USDA-ARS, P.O. Box 555,Watkinsville, GA 30677, U.s.A., or [email protected], fax 706-769-8962,telephone 706-769-5631. Please supply your
name, complete address, and, if available,your e-mail, fax, and telephone numbers.
July 14-19, 19968th International Symposium on MolecularPlant-Microbe Interactions and7th Annual Gatlinburg SymposiumUniversity of Tennessee, KnoxvilleSponsored by the International Society forMolecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. Thehost for this symposium will be the Centerfor Legume Research at the University ofTennessee. The meeting will supersede theannual Gatlinburg Symposium hosted by theCLR. Dr. Gary Stacey is chair of the localorganizing committee. For more information,contact: Dr. Gary Stacey, Director, Center forLegume Research M409 Walters Life ScienceBldg. The University of Tennessee Knoxville,TN 37996-0845 USA; fax 615-974-4007; email: [email protected].
July 21-24, 1996Third International Fructan SymposiumLogan, UtahContact N. Jerry Chatterton, USDA/ ARS,Forage and Range Research, Utah StateUniversity, Logan, Utah 84322-6300, USA;
ASPP Newsletter
telephone 801-797-2249, fax 801-797-3075, email [email protected].
AUGUST
August 4-9 1996Postharvest 96:Fourth Yearly International Conference onPostharvest ScienceTaupo, New ZealandSessions: Postharvest research on fruits,vegetables and ornamentals; Postharvestphysiology, biochemistry, and molecularbiology; Packaging, handling, storage, andtransport technology. Under the auspices ofthe ISHS and NZSHS. For more informationand registration materials contact: Dr IanFerguson, HortResearch, Private Bag 92 169,Auckland, NZ; telephone 00 64 9 849 3660,fax 00 64 9 815 4202, [email protected].
It's not too early!Begin planning now to attend the
1996 ASPP Annual Meeting
Saturday, July 27through
Wednesday, July 31
San Antonio, Texas
July/August 1995, Vol. 22, No.4
WSSA UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AWARD
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The Weed Science Society of America sponsors an undergraduate student research grant designed to encourage and involve exceptional undergraduates in agricultural research. Interestedfaculty members are encouraged to identify potential award candidates and discuss the possibility of sponsoring a research project. Awards may be used as a stipend, for research budgetexpenses (travel, supplies, etc.), to defer fees, to defray living expenses for summer research, orany combination of these items.
AWARD:
APPLICANTS:
TO APPLY:
FACULTY SPONSOR:
HOW TO APPLY:
Up to $1000 for support of undergraduate research to be conducted over a minimum of one quarter or semester during 1996.This award may be used to defray the cost of research suppliesor as a stipend. Support of a facility sponsor is reqUired. Awardswill be made to the student, to be administered by the facultysponsor's department.
The applicant is an undergraduate student with a strong interest in weed science. Students majoring in all related disciplinesmay apply.
Applicants should prepare a 2-3 page research proposal including title, objective, experimental approach, discussion, budget,and references. The discussion section of the proposal shoulddescribe the expected results and their possible significance toweed science. The student should provide a cover letter in whichgeneral academic and career goals are discussed. A copy of thestudents academic transcripts should also be provided.
Any faculty member who is actively engaged in weed scienceresearch is qualified to be a sponsor. The faculty sponsor shouldreview the research proposal with special attention to the budget, the distribution of funds should be approved by both thestudent and sponsor. In addition, the sponsor should provide aletter of reference including a statement of his/her willingnessto supervise the proposed research and to provide needed space,equipment and supplies above those requested in the proposal.The sponsor is encouraged to assist the student in presentinghis/her results at a regional weed science meeting.
The completed proposal, academic transcripts, cover letter andfaculty letter of support should be forwarded to: Dr. JohnJachetta, DowElanco, Bld. 308: 3£/10, 9330 Zionsville Road,Indianapolis, IN 46268-1054. Proposals should be received nolater than November 1, 1995. Funding decisions will be madeby January 15, 1996.