University of California, Berkeley | College of Natural Resources A Newsletter for Faculty, Students, Staff and Friends of the Department

Issue No. 39 October 3, 2015

Research. Academics. Discoveries.

In This Issue ...Lemaux Team­­$12 Million Grant

PMB Position: Assistant Professor of Virology

Sara Branco ­ Postdoc in Paris

Diversity Conferences

Chris Somerville on Food and Fuel

Stask Lab­­Improving Food Security

Apply Now for PMB Graduate Programs

Career Connections, Networking for Students

Important Dates / Upcoming Events

Quick Links

Undergraduate Program

Graduate Program

Give to PMB

Our Faculty

College of Natural Resources

PMB on Facebook

PMB on Twitter

Lemaux Team: $12 Million Grant to Study Drought Tolerance

Biotechnology expert Peggy Lemaux is leading a $12.3 million project funded by theU.S.Department of Energy to examine the role of epigenetics in allowing plants to survive indrought conditions, an increasing concern for agriculture as the effects of climate change arefelt in California and globally.

Epigenetics is the study of cellular andphysiological trait variations that are causedby external or environmental factors thatswitch genes on and off and affect howcells read genes, instead of being causedby changes in the DNA sequence.

Full article: pmb.berkeley.edu/news/lemaux­leads­team­study­drought­plants

Sorghum at the UC Kearney Agricultural Researchand Extension Center, where field testing will take

place next year. (Photo by Peggy Lemaux)

Sara Branco

PMB Position: Assistant Professor of Virology

Applications accepted through November 13th,2015

The Department of Plant and Microbial Biology atthe University of California, Berkeley, has anopening for an Assistant Professor (tenure track,nine­month appointment) with an expected startdate of July 1, 2016.

The Department of Plant and Microbial Biology isseeking applications for a faculty position invirology. We seek an individual studying the biology

of viruses, including but not limited to those that impact plants, bacteria, and/or archaea atthe individual or community level. Research areas of interest include multiple areas ofmechanistic virology, including viral replication, evolution, and virus­host interactions.

For more information: pmb.berkeley.edu/news/opening­assistant­professor­virology

Sara Branco ­ Postdoc on the Move

By Sarah Branco ­ former PMB postdoctoral scholar with Tom Brunsand John Taylor

Even if essential for the advancement of science, postdoctoralpositions are by nature temporary and eventually we all need tomove on. This said, I was fortunate to have had 4 wonderful andproductive years as a PMB postdoc. I could think of this timeonly in regards to my science, as while in Berkeley I authored 12papers, presented at 11 conferences, gave 6 invited seminarsand was awarded the prestigious Mycological Society ofAmerica Fungal Forest Ecology Postdoctoral Award.

But these years were much more than just lines on my CV. Ilearned how to teach from undergraduates to faculty and had

the chance to conduct outreach activities throughout the Bay (including dragging members ofmy lab and others namely to a bar in San Francisco to show people how exciting fungiare...). Was also very fortunate to team up with other postdocs to improve postdoc life andcareers, with the monthly PMB postdoc lunches as the regular venue for discussion and

Rocio Sanchez will be amongthose from UC Berkeleyattending the diversity

conferences (Cory Maryott photo)

sharing. This group was particularly helpful and supportive during my quest for an academicjob.

I am now based in France. I am still a postdoc (but keep your fingers crossed!), this time atthe University of South Paris, and about to embark in yet another exciting period of my life. Iwill be studying the evolution of mating­type chromosomes in anther smut fungi (a veryinteresting group of pathogens that castrates plants to make them disperse its spores) andreally hope I can have a time here as fulfilling and eventful as my years in Berkeley.

University of South Paris

Diversity Conferences

UC Berkeley student advisors, faculty and grad students will beat two diversity conferences this fall:

­ Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and NativeAmericans in Science (SACNAS)­ Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students(ABRCMS)

Representatives will be available to talk about the Plant andMicrobial Biology Graduate Program, answer questions aboutthe application process, talk about research opportunities atBerkeley and answer questions about attending UC Berkeleyand living in the Bay Area.

UC Berkeley has a large presence at both conferences.Undergraduate and graduate students present posters and giveoral presentations. Iman Sylvain (Taylor lab) will be attendingABRCMS, and Daniel Westcott (Wildermuth lab) will be attending SACNAS. Facultyparticipate as speakers and judges, and are available at the Berkeley exhibit booth.

Meet Berkeley SACNAS chapter members, current graduate students, the BiologicalSciences Diversity Director, and graduate program representatives, including PMB GraduateAdvisor Rocio Sanchez at the Berkeley Exhibit Booth.

Learn more by going to:

SACNAS.org ­ Oct. 29­31, Washington DCABRCMS.org ­ Nov. 11­14, Seattle, Washington

Chris Somerville: Farmers can meet Demands for Food and Fuel

Whether you have taken a side or a backseat in thediscussion, the "food versus fuel" debate affects usall. Some say growing more biofuel crops today willdecrease greenhouse gas emissions, but will makeit harder to produce food tomorrow, which hasprevented the U.S. from maximizing the potential ofenvironmentally beneficial biofuels.

In a recent article, published by the NationalAcademy of Engineering, University of Illinois'Gutgsell Endowed Chair of Plant Biology and Crop

Biofuel crops, University of Illinois.(Photo: Don Hamerman)

Chart courtesy of USDA

Professor Brian Staskawicz

Sciences Steve Long and University of California'sPhilomathia Professor of Alternative Energy ChrisSomerville predict farmers can sustainably andaffordably meet humanity's growing demand for food and fuel.

Full press release: eurekalert.org

Bright Future for Agriculture Students ­ 57,900 Projected Jobs

Students pursuing agricultural and environmental fields will finda bright outlook for employment, according to a report from theU.S. Department of Agriculture and Purdue University.

"Employment Opportunities for College Graduates in Food,Agriculture, Renewable Natural Resources and theEnvironment, United States, 2015­2020" projects annualopenings in agricultural and environmental fields in the next fiveyears will continue to outnumber the number of graduatesprepared to take them.

The fields will see a five percent overall growth with 57,900annual job openings in the next five years with only an average of 35,400 college graduateswith bachelor's degrees or higher to fill them.

Article source: hpj.com

Scientific Open House in Barker Hall

Faculty, researchers, students and staff are invited to the first­ever "MCB Scientific FacilitiesOpen House" from 4­6 p.m. on Thursday, October 8 at the Barker Hall 3rd floor.

There will be 14 vendors in attendance with free samples, goodie bags, a T­shirt raffle, andlots of food and drink.

Come find out about all the services available to the campus research community.

Staskawicz Lab: Improving Food Security

UC Berkeley Professor Brian Staskawicz willtake part in a newly funded global effort toimprove food security and develop betterdisease resistance in staple crops that feed theworld, including potatoes, tomatoes, mustardgreens and domesticated wheat.

Staskawicz, a professor in the Department ofPlant & Microbial Biology, will share in a $2.3million award from the Gordon and Betty MooreFoundation. The money will be granted to theTwo Blades Foundation, a charitable

organization dedicated to the discovery, advancement and delivery of durable diseaseresistance in crops.

The Two Blades Foundation will coordinate the four research groups; the Dangl Lab at the

Rusty Rodriguez

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the Staskawicz Lab at UC Berkeley; the JonesLab at the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich; and the Weigel Lab at Max Planck Institute forDevelopmental Biology in Tubingen.

Link to full PMB article: pmb.berkeley.edu/news/staskawicz­lab­improving­food­security

Apply Now for Graduate Programs

The admissions application for the 2016 Graduate Program inPlant & Microbial Biology is now available. The deadline to applyis December 1, 2015.

For more information, including all of the relevant program linksand pages, please visit:http://pmb.berkeley.edu/news/apply­now­graduate­programs

Tsujimoto Lecture Features Dynamic Industry Leader

Rusty Rodriquez, Chief Executive Officer of Adaptive SymbioticTechnologies, will be speaking on November 4th, 2015 from noonto 1 pm in 101 Barker for the Tsujimoto Lecture. The title of hislecture is "Reprograming Plants for Stress Tolerance and ImprovedNutrition through Symbiogenics." There will be a reception to followin 338 Koshland Hall.

Rodriguez is a leading expert in plant­fungal symbiosis. Hisleadership and innovative thinking has kept Adaptive SymbioticTechnologies at the forefront of science in agriculture. Under avariety of research goals, his company ultimately seeks to "ensuresustainability in agricultural and natural systems, and reduce humansuffering in the 21st century."

The lecture is hosted by PMB graduate students.

For more information on Adaptive Symbiotic Technologies, visit symbiogenics.orgFor a full listing of PMB seminars, visit pmb.berkeley.edu/seminars

Free Statistical Consulting The Berkeley Statistical Consulting Service is now open for the fall semester. The freeconsulting service is operated by the Department of Statistics. Advanced graduate students,under faculty supervision, are available during specified hours to answer your statisticalquestions.

We welcome members of the campus community to take advantage of this service at anystage of their research. To find out more about our service and our hours of operation,please visit our website at statistics.berkeley.edu/consulting.

To schedule a meeting or ask questions about the service, pleaseemail: consulting@stat.berkeley.edu

Berkeley Research News Digest

Be sure to check out the monthly Research News Digest developed by the Office ofCommunications and Public Affairs. To view it, you must subscribe to the mailing list.

Preview of August Digest:

If you have not yet subscribed and would like to do so, click here.

Career Connections" ­ A Networking Series for All Students

The Career Center has teamed up with the Cal Alumni Association in developing a series of20+ casual networking events during the coming year that help students make connectionsand gain clarity in their career pursuits.

At each of these events, a diverse group of 10­20 Cal alumni & professionals will share theircareer insight and help illustrate the variety of jobs & internships offered within specificindustries or career fields. This is a great opportunity for students to practice theirnetworking skills in a low­stress setting!

Here is the remainder of our fall "Career Connections" event lineup:

10/13 ­ Marketing & Public Relations10/16 ­ Environment & Sustainability10/22 ­ International Students10/27 ­ Government & Public Policy10/28 ­ Teach For America Alumni Pathways11/5 ­ Career Speed "Dating"11/5 ­ Design Careers for Mechanical Engineers& more events coming in spring, including site visits to employers

**Events typically take place on­campus in the evening or late afternoon. Open to allstudents.**

Details and RSVP on callisto.berkeley.edu

CalNet Login Screen ChangeThe login screen for the campus CalNet system is

New CalNet login screen

getting a new look on October 20, 2015. The newscreen has a clean, modern design and usesBerkeley­branded design elements and fonts. Moreimportantly, it offers improved security.

The new CalNet screen uses an ExtendedValidation certificate that will allow you to moreeasily recognize if a CalNet screen is real or fake.To identify a real CalNet login screen, just look atthe address bar. If you see a long green bar withour institution's name ("University of California,Berkeley (Regents of the Univ. of CA)[US]"), youare safe to proceed.

The screenshot above shows what the new CalNet login screen looks like in Chrome. Youcan see what it will look like in your own web browser by navigating to: auth­test.berkeley.edu. Check it out now so you aren't surprised on October 20.

Google Apps and bConnected

In response to feedback from campus, UC Berkeley has enabledadditional applications provided by Google, including YouTube,Blogger, and Google+.

Unlike the Google Core Apps, bMail, bDrive, and bCal, the newapplications are not covered by the same Terms of Service anddon't offer the same level of protection for your files and data. Pleasetake the time to understand the difference between core andconsumer apps, as they each protect data differently.

In addition, bCourses, Box, and CalShare have been added to the Google Apps Launcher.

If you need help with any of this or want to learn more about how to integrate Google appsfor education with your research or study please contact Karyn Houston, PMB Webmaster,at 510.643.7614 or karyn@berkeley.edu

Please go to this web page to learn more about Core and Consumer Google Apps:kb.berkeley.edu

Expanding Potential Workshop Synberc is hosting its second annual Expanding Potential Workshop to increase inclusion inScience, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). While the first ExpandingPotential workshop focused on the challenges women face in STEM, the 2016 workshophas broadened its scope to include all underrepresented groups.

The workshop will take place on January 30th and 31st, 2016 inStanley Hall at UC Berkeley and registration will open in early October.The first day of the workshop will focus on "Recognizing the Issues", orhelping students and professionals identify and understand thechallenges and unconscious biases underrepresented groups face. The

second day will focus on "Developing the Solutions", or building and highlighting programsthat effectively foster inclusive STEM workplaces.

To keep updated please sign up for the Expanding Potential Mailing List. .

Eight Assistant Professor Tenure­Track Positions

The College of Agriculture at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, invites applicationsfrom outstanding basic scientists for eight academic year tenure­track assistant professorpositions that will comprise a college­wide cluster hire in fundamental plant biology.

Candidates utilizing modern methods to address important questions in plant biologyincluding but not limited to genomics and molecular genetics, computational modeling,biosensor/imaging, synthetic biology and metabolism are all encouraged to apply. We areinterested in individuals working on molecular, organismal or ecosystem levels, and in modelsystems, crops, or natural systems.

We envision that the majority of candidates will be considered for positions inthe Department of Botany and Plant Pathology and the Department of Biochemistry.Positions are also available in the Department of Agronomy, the Department ofEntomology, the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, and the Department ofHorticulture and Landscape Architecture for individuals conducting basic plant scienceresearch but with an interest in application of their research in more applied contexts.

For more information, click here

Important Dates | Upcoming Events Fall 2015

10/7/15 ­ Roger Y. Stanier Memorial Lecture, 3:30 pm, 101Barker, featuring David Zusman

10/13/15 ­ Faculty Meeting, noon, 338 Koshland

11/4/15 ­ Tsujimoto Lecture

11/5/15 ­ PMB Micro Retreat, Tilden Park

11/11/15 ­ Veteran's Day Holiday

11/25 to 11/27/15 ­ Thanksgiving Holiday (note non­instructional day on Wednesday, 11.25)

12/1/15 ­ Graduate Program Applications Due

12/4 ­ Last Day of Classes for Fall Semester

12/14 to 12/18/15 ­ Finals Week

12/24/15 to 1/1/16 ­ Winter Holiday, University Offices Closed

111 Koshland Hall I Berkeley, California 94720 I 510.642.9999pmb.berkeley.edu I pmbinfo@berkeley.edu

The PMB newsletter is produced by the Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, UC Berkeley.

Professor Kris Niyogi, Chair

Professor Pat Zambryski, Associate Chair

Dana Jantz, Chief Operating Officer

Karyn Houston, Communications / Webmaster / Newsletter Editor Rocio Sanchez, Graduate Program

Jennifer Halpert and Ricky Vides, Undergraduate Majors Advisors