For the Record Last Spring’S Evolution 2008 Conference Was the Largest Scientific Meeting in the U’S History

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e v o l u t i o n For the Record Last spring’s Evolution 2008 conference was the largest scientific meeting in the U’s history

t wasn’t quite the Olympics or the Democratic National Convention, but the Cavendar-Bares, assistant professor of ecology, evolution and behavior, and I Evolution 2008 conference was the largest scientific meeting ever held on graduate students from the department gave a presentation on how Ponderosa the University of Minnesota campus and a great opportunity to showcase the U pines changed genetically during the last major climate change. to scientists from around the world. Olivia Judson (aka Dr. Tatiana, sex therapist to the animal kingdom) pro- Typically, scientific meetings are held at hotel conference centers. But there’s vided some comic relief with a public lecture titled “The Art of Seduction: Sex, an evolving trend among research universities to hold them on campus, Evolution and the Public,” in which she talked about how the quirky mating according to George Weiblen, associate professor of plant biology, who orga- habits of green spoon worms (females inhale males) and other species figure nized the event. Evolution 2008, which was held from June 20-24, featured 700 into evolution. presentations and attracted 1,400 participants. The University of Minnesota And there was a special workshop for K-12 teachers on teaching evolution was selected to host the meeting because of the number and influence of called "Evolution 101." College of Biological Sciences faculty members Scott evolutionary biologists at the U, according to Weiblen. Lanyon, Mark Borrello, Mark Decker, Sehoya Cotner and Randy Moore par- Topics spanned fossil history through evolutionary processes that are shaping ticipated. Conference participants were also invited on a field trip to Cedar the world today. Some examples: the way plants respond to climate change Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, with a tour led by Associate Director and how pathogenic bacteria are evolving to elude their predators—big phar- Jeff Corney. maceutical companies. The conference combined the annual meetings of the American Society of “With the advent of modern molecular biology, evolution is having an Naturalists, the Society for the Study of Evolution and the Society of Systematic impact on lots of fields, including genomics,” Wieblen says. “The conference Biologists. The Bell Museum of Natural History and the College of Continuing reflected that.” Education helped plan the event. From the College of Biological Sciences, 15 faculty and 30 graduate students helped out. “Evolution provides a new way of looking at climate change because we can —Peggy Rinard study the fossil record to see how the environment responded to climate changes in the past to predict how it will respond in the future,”

One hot topic was merging phylogenetic biology with spatial ecology, which means that environmental changes trigger genetic changes. Jeannine FAll 2008

And Many More? Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories celebrates a century as a vital resource for the University of Minnesota. story on page 10

profiles college News Class Notes from the dean

What’s so special about Itasca? he first time I saw Itasca was in the late 1970s. It to cutting-edge science. It’s been 30 years since my T was fall and the colors were glorious. I had a very first visit. When I visit Itasca now, its buildings—a good feeling driving onto the campus. The rustic lab generation older—are quaint reminders of another buildings reflected the station’s long academic history. era. They increasingly limit our efforts to offer quality I knew that generations of biologists had been drawn to educational programs and conduct meaningful Itasca to learn about Minnesota’s ecosystems. research. We are grateful for our donors and friends who have helped us make incremental improvements. There was something haunting about the land- As we celebrate the field station’s centennial, we look scape itself. I remember standing on the dock and forward to working with the University and the State looking across the lake to Schoolcraft Island, down Robert Elde, Dean to make the substantive renovations that will enable towards the headwaters, and realizing that this was a very unique part of the geography that defines Minnesota Itasca to thrive for another hundred years. and the middle of the North American continent. As you will read in the cover story beginning on page Itasca is special because it’s the source of the 10, the University has developed a master plan for renovating Itasca and included it in the six-year capital Fall 08 Vol. 6 No. 2 Mississippi River and because the State of Minnesota had the vision early on (1891) to preserve it as a state plan. Funds for the first phase of construction will be Robert Elde part of the 2010 legislative request. Dean park. So it looks the same today as it did hundreds of Robin Wright years ago. It’s also notable that the three major North The price of getting the field station ready for its sec- Associate Dean American biomes come together within the park or ond century of use is an estimated $25 million. That’s Huber Warner nearby: boreal forest, deciduous hardwoods and a lot of money, but it’s a small fraction of Itasca’s value Associate Dean prairie. At Itasca, you can study Minnesota’s natural Elizabeth Wroblewski as a living museum and a resource for ecology educa- Chief Administrative Officer history from a broad perspective, but you can also tion and research. Peggy Rinard explore small, rare ecosystems such as the Iron Communications Director Springs Bog, which interrupts business as usual in Stephanie Xenos Assistant Communications Director the boreal forest with a totally different population of Mary Hoff flora and fauna. Robert Elde, Dean Deane Morrison College of Biological Sciences Peggy Rinard There’s no place quite like Itasca for observing biology. [email protected] Stephanie Xenos But rustic charm simply isn’t enough when it comes Writers Shawn Welch Graphic Designer Tim Rummelhoff Photographer Laurie Hennen Development Director Jean Marie Lindquist Administrative Assistant U of M Printing Services Printing

Visit our Web site at www.cbs.umn.edu For address changes, please contact Jean Marie Lindquist at [email protected] or 612-625-7705.

college of biological sciences table of contents

Cover Story And Many More? Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories has been a vital teaching and research resource for a century. But how many more birthdays will it celebrate? Page 10

In Every Issue Features Dean’s Message Molecular Biology 6 Genetic mutations have an upside for the Abstracts 2 immune system Climate change triggers epidemics in lions | The dynamics of cell protein disposal | Insights Plant Biology 7 into how cells sense nearby nutrients | Gene for Getting a nitrogen fix from an unlikely source Lou Gehrig’s disease identified | Aggression in Molecular Biology 8 female chimps commonplace Making sense of how cells copy genetic material 6 Around the College 4 Student Profile 9 Mutations and immunity New department head for Ecology, Evolution and Biology Without Borders returns to Tanzania Behavior | Itasca centennial calendar hot off the presses | Up close and personal in the Galápagos Alumni Profiles 16-17 | Biochemistry faculty help bring textbook price relief | Bridging the divide between basic research and public policy Alumni News 18 | Bringing back the prairie and creating a Back Page source of power Donor Honor Roll 19

The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation. Genetic copy cats 8 Printed on elementally chlorine-free recycled paper containing 20 percent post-consumer waste.

Cover photo by Tim Rummelhoff BIO is published twice a year by the University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences for alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the College. It is available in alternative formats upon request; please call 612-624-8723 or fax 612-624-2785. BIO ❚ FALL 08 a b s t r a c t s

ticks. Lions acquired high levels of Genes recombine tick-borne blood parasites from the Climate change triggers buffalo. CDV suppressed the lions’ during yeast mating immunity, raising blood levels of para- [PLoS Biology | 5.6.08] epidemics in lions sites to deadly levels. Judith Berman led a study, published [PLoS One | 6.25.08] The lion populations recovered within online in PLoS Biology, demonstrat- three to four years after each event, ing that genetic recombination occurs but most climate change models pre- during the mating cycle of Candida dict increasing frequency of droughts albicans. The study showed that this in East Africa. requires the activity of a protein nec- essary for meiotic recombination in Study shows how other eukaryotes. Berman is a Distinguished McKnight cells dispose of University Professor in the Department unwanted proteins of Genetics, Cell Biology and [Nature | 5.22.08] Development. Research associate Anja Forche also contributed to the study. Proteasomes are biological dispos- als that capture unneeded proteins The opportunistic pathogen Candida in cells, break them down and send albicans has a cryptic parasexual mat- them on their way. Until recently, no ing cycle involving epigenetic switch- one knew exactly how they worked. ing and chromosome loss suggesting But Kylie Walters and colleagues potential advantages of a parasexual solved part of the mystery in two cycle over a conventional sexual cycle. research studies published in Nature. The National Institutes of Health has Walters is an associate professor awarded Berman more than $2 mil- in the Department of Biochemistry, lion over five years to study centrom- Molecular Biology and Biophysics. ere structure and function in Candida The Walters lab defined a new albicans. The work was motivated by proteasome subunit (Rpn13) that the discovery of a centromeric region binds to proteins marked for involved in chromosome rearrange- ments in drug-resistant isolates of roughts and floods caused by Led by scientists at the University of destruction. The University of this pathogenic yeast. Dglobal warming can create ideal California, Davis, the University of Minnesota’s cutting-edge nuclear conditions for infectious disease out- Illinois and the University of Minnesota, magnetic resonance and supercom- breaks that cause mass die-offs of live- the study examined outbreaks of puter facilities allowed the research- Researchers discover stock or wildlife, according to a study canine distemper virus (CDV) in 1994 ers to visualize how Rpn13 binds how cells sense by an international team of scientists, and 2001, which killed about a third protein substrates that are degraded nutrients nearby including Craig Packer, Distinguished of the lions in Tanzania’s Serengeti by the proteasome. [Nature Cell Biology | 8.1.08] McKnight University Professor of National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. Proteasome dysfunction leads to Ecology, Evolution and Behavior. The virus periodically strikes these cancer and neurodegenerative Doctoral candidate Pankuri ecosystems, but most epidemics have Goraksha-Hicks, advised by Thomas Extreme climatic conditions are capa- diseases. The findings will enable caused little or no harm to the lions. Neufeld, associate professor of ble of altering normal host-pathogen researchers to address proteasome genetics, cell biology and develop- relationships and causing a “perfect Both outbreaks were preceded by dysfunction in a more targeted way ment, is lead author of a paper pub- storm” of multiple infectious out- severe droughts, which weakened that avoids side effects of current lished in Nature Cell Biology. One breaks that can trigger epidemics with Cape buffalo, a major prey of lions, proteasome inhibitors. of her figures from the paper was catastrophic mortality. and left them heavily infested with chosen as the cover image.

2 college of biological sciences a b s t r a c t s

The paper reports findings about how Discovery could cells sense nutrient levels in their High-impact research environment. While it’s well known advance gene therapy Faculty in CBS departments published that cells control their rate of growth [Proceedings of the National 40 papers over the past five years (2003- and metabolism according to the Academy of Sciences | 6.24.08] 08) in leading peer-reviewed scientific abundance of nutrients such as glu- Eric Hendrickson and colleagues journals Science and Nature. That’s more cose and amino acids, and that the in the Department of Biochemistry, than a third of the 117 papers published activity of a protein kinase called TOR Molecular Biology and Biophysics by University of Minnesota faculty in those is a key regulator of these processes, have discovered that reducing a pro- journals over that time, and more than how changes in nutrient levels lead tein (NHEJ) in human cells makes any other college. to changes in TOR activity has been gene targeting much more effec- a mystery. tive. Accurate targeting is essential The researchers identified a family of for removing or replacing defective Basic research yields access to fertile females. But intense proteins, the Rag GTPases, as impor- genes. Their finding has important female fighting can occur when it has tant components of the signaling path- implications for using gene therapy to gene specific to Lou the potential to permanently change way upstream of TOR. Dysregulation of treat human diseases and modify the Gehrig’s Disease the females’ access to food resources human genome. The publication was and safety. TOR signaling has been implicated in [Current Biology | 5.08] a variety of human diseases including noted in the “Research Highlights” David Greenstein and colleagues This new study cancer, cardiovascular diseases, dia- section of the July issue of Nature have discovered that a homolog of a by Anne Pusey betes and neurodegeneration. Structural Molecular Biology. gene involved in signaling oocyte (egg) and colleagues maturation is also involved in ALS documents five (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Greenstein cases of severe Study to measure tropical forests’ studied the protein in C. elegans, a female aggres- worm used as a model organism. sion related to role in global carbon budget When the protein is absent in worms, competition for space in Gombe eorge Weiblen, associate eggs don’t mature. When the protein National Park, professor of plant biology, is mutated in humans, ALS devel- G Tanzania, where has received a $400,000 grant ops. Greenstein, who joined the CBS the quality of the core area occupied from the National Science faculty two years ago, studied C. by a female is directly related to her Foundation to establish a study elegans at Vanderbilt and Rockefeller reproductive success. in Papua New Guinea. The universities for a decade before com- effort will be part of a global ing to the University of Minnesota. Pusey and colleagues also published network to determine how His finding yields an example of how articles in the May and June issues of these forests maintain their basic science in a genetic model sys- the American Journal of Primatology. biodiversity over time and to tem provides unexpected insights into The first reported that illness (58%) and estimate how much carbon they human health. aggression (20%) were top causes of remove from the atmosphere. chimpanzee deaths. The second showed that the presence of researchers and Weiblen and colleagues will survey a 125-acre plot located in Wanang. Aggression among tourists in Gombe exposes chimpan- Every tree will be mapped, tagged and identified. Trees will be mea- female chimpanzees zees to human diseases, but protects sured every five years. Insects such as termites, moths, butterflies, them from hunters and loss of habitat. ants and bees will also be inventoried. A lot of the work will be carried found to be common Michael L. Wilson was a co-author on out by local scientists and villagers. The plot will be part of a global [International Journal of all three papers and Jane Goodall a co- network representing 18 forests worldwide established by the Center Primatology | 8.08] author on two. Pusey is a Distinguished for Tropical Forest Science, which is part of the Smithsonian Tropical Aggression among male chimpan- McKnight Professor in the Department Research Institute. zees is much more common than among females because it determines of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior.

BIO ❚ FALL 08 3 around the college

The Galápagos up close and personal

ust over a dozen College of Biological Sciences students made their way to anis or the Galápagos hawk, or in evolution with the tortoises. They’re all in J the Galápagos Islands this spring along with faculty members Sehoya Cotner front of your eyes.” and Randy Moore. The group spent two weeks exploring the pristine islands Moore considers the Galápagos the most iconic place for biologists. “When while working on related research projects. you’re there it’s overwhelming. We were told when we disembarked onto land “I think the thing that is so amazing about the Galápagos, especially for the first time, ‘You’re going to see everything not in the first 200 yards or the first biology students, is that it represents the culmination of all your classroom 20 yards—but in your first two steps.’ And it was true!” experiences,” says Cotner. “So many things we learn about in introductory Watch an audio slideshow at www.cbs.umn.edu/galapagos biology like Darwin’s finches, or in behavioral ecology like the groove-billed

Celebrate 100 years Gardens a Go of Itasca station A $10,000 pledge to Cedar Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories turns 100 in Creek Ecosystem Science 2009. Help support a legacy of ecological research and Reserve will go toward education that continues today. Order the 2009 Itasca creating a series of Centennial calendar now. Each month features an image gardens around the new of Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories’ unique Raymond Lindeman flora and fauna—from orchids to water lilies to wood- Research and Discovery cocks. The calendar costs $10. Center. The gardens will Order your copy at www.cbs.umn.edu/itasca/calendar reflect the biodiversity of the field station.

4 college of biological sciences around the college

CBS professor and Master of Biological longtime peregrine Sciences turns 10 The Hidden advocate dies at 85 For a decade the Master of World of Bears Peregrine falcon expert Harrison Biological Sciences program has Bell Museum of Natural History “Bud” Tordoff, died July 23. “He filled a critical niche for those look- Through January 1, 2009 ing for a boost to their careers or a was the heart and soul of the whole CBS alum Lynn Rogers’ photo- way to update their knowledge. peregrine restoration effort (in the graphs provide an intimate look Midwest),” says Pat Redig, founder The program, which allows stu- at the lives of bears and a new and former director of the University dents to draw on a variety of subject understanding of their foraging of Minnesota’s Raptor Center. areas within the biological sciences, habits, maternal care and social Tordoff joined the faculty of the has opened the door to medical and behavior. www.bellmuseum.org College of Biological Sciences’ dental school and other programs Department of Ecology, Evolution for its graduates. It also serves and Behavior in 1970. He was direc- those who need to stay current $60 less than the previous course Bell director tapped tor of the Bell Museum of Natural in their field such as teachers and textbook. industry scientists. Says one gradu- to lead Ecology, History from 1970-83, and served “With 1,200 students per year, this ate, a high school teacher: “The as acting dean for CBS from is one of the larger courses at Evolution and MBS program helped me advance 1986-87. Tordoff was best known the University,” says Professor Paul my knowledge in valuable core areas Behavior for his peregrine falcon restora- Siliciano, “so we had some bargain- Scott Lanyon has been in biology making me a much more tion efforts. He retired in 1991, but ing power. named head of the effective teacher. Choosing my remained involved in falcon recovery Department of Ecology, research capstone prepared me “With tuition increasing, we felt it and conservation. Evolution and Behavior. to teach my students the was important to control textbook Lanyon served as the research process.” costs,” says Siliciano. “The students director of the Bell told us that although tuition far Students in the program Museum of Natural History for more exceeds textbook costs, saving even

S t e v W ilson complete a research proj- than a decade. $20 on books is important to them.” ect on topics ranging from Harrison "Bud" Lanyon teaches and conducts Tordoff bioinformatics to microbi- Biochemistry professor research on the evolutionary history ology. Visit www.cbs.umn. of New World blackbirds. He is also edu/biolink/MBS for more leaves rich legacy participating in Tree of Life, an inter- information. James Koerner, professor emeritus national effort to better understand in the Department of Biochemistry, evolutionary relationships among the Faculty reduce Molecular Biology and Biophysics, died Earth’s species. textbook costs May 31. He was 78. Koerner helped As Bell director, Lanyon improved col- found the neuroscience graduate pro- lections and bolstered research and After agreeing on a single gram at the University of Minnesota outreach programs. He led the muse- text to be used for all bio- and was active in the summer um through planning for a new build- chemistry sections, College research program in neuroscience at ing and increased private support. of Biological Sciences faculty the University’s field station in Itasca Prior to joining the University of members successfully nego- State Park from 1995-98. The James Minnesota, Lanyon held positions tiated with publishers to offer F. Koerner Itasca Neuroscience Fund as a scientist and curator at the the textbook to students for is being established in his honor. Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.

BIO ❚ FALL 08 5 molecular biology T im R umm e lhoff Fascination With Mutation A similar switch in DNA base pairs boosts the immune system in two very different ways

hen we think of genetic mutations, we often think of the harm they W can cause. But some mutations offer hope for health instead. Reuben Harris, associate professor of biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics, studies mutations of a beneficial sort: those that cells use to protect against invaders. Some of these mutations, he is learning, offer promise for fighting such deadly opponents as HIV and cancer.

As a post-doctoral scholar in the late-1990s, Harris was fascinated by how B cells—immune system cells that make antibodies—are able to strengthen the affinity of the antibodies they make against a particular invader after they encounter the invader.

“At the time, we knew that mutations in antibody genes were responsible for stronger immune responses, but Some genetic mutations show promise we didn’t know how these mutations formed,” he says. in combating deadly diseases. Another laboratory demonstrated that a protein called activation-induced deaminase (AID) was involved, but they didn’t know how it worked. Harris and colleagues change on the genetic material the viruses insert into a cell’s discovered that the secret to the protein’s success was DNA. That change, it turns out, mucks up the virus enough its ability to lop an amine group off the DNA base cyto- to prevent replication. sine, transforming it into the RNA base uracil. Because of the way DNA bases Harris is now working to understand the mechanism behind the method. His pair, this can lead to a permanent change when the DNA is copied. laboratory has shown that another human protein can block HIV-1 replication, “It took many replica experiments and the use of other unique conditions to and has made considerable progress toward understanding how these proteins definitively show that AID was mutating DNA,” Harris recalls. “One experiment are regulated and how they access and interact with (and only with) their tar- in particular provided the ‘eureka moment’—a supernatural high, if I were to gets. Just a few months ago, Harris, Hiroshi Matsuo, and colleagues took a big try and put the feeling into words. After that it was mostly grinding out sup- step forward when they published a high-resolution structure of a key part of porting data and controls.” human APOBEC3G in the journal Nature.

The discovery of this amazing collaboration between mutation and a healthy A better understanding of exactly how deaminases pull off the nucleotide immune response paved the way for yet another one. It turns out that AID is switch, Harris says, will provide valuable insights for developing strategies just one member of a larger family of proteins that turn DNA cytosines to ura- to disable retroviruses, boost antibody-mediated immune defenses, and even cils. What tasks might other members be taking on? combat cancers caused by lapses in the mechanisms that control these pow- erful proteins. As a new faculty member, Harris turned his attention to two other members of the family, APOBEC3F and APOBEC3G, which are known to be valuable allies “We need to know much more,” Harris says. in cells under onslaught from retroviruses like HIV-1. He discovered that these Based on his track record so far, we likely soon will. — Mary Hoff proteins help the cell resist retroviruses by performing the nucleotide quick-

6 college of biological sciences plant biology R umm e lhoff T im

Infectious Enthusiasm How plants recognize the one invader that will feed them and the world

eep in the soils of our planet, a battle rages between hordes of bacteria D and the tender plant roots they are trying to infect. The roots muster their defenses and fight off the invaders—all except for one, which they invite in.

The plants are legumes—like beans, soybeans, peas, chickpeas, and peanuts— and the infecting bacteria promptly set up shop inside their roots. There, they “fix,” or convert, nitrogen from the air into ammonium, a form of nitrogen that legumes and other plants can use to make the protein they need. Grazing animals obtain protein from plants, and so the whole food web is made possible.

But it would all collapse if the legume roots couldn’t tell bacterial friend from foe. The question of how they do it intrigues University plant biologist Kate VandenBosch, who, with colleagues from the University and MIT, has discovered a key step in the process. Understanding the special relationship between legumes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria may yield knowledge to reduce both hun- Legumes use friendly bacteria to "fix" nitrogen ger and the fossil fuel-intensive production of artificial fertilizer.

Since the dawn of agriculture, farmers the world over have rotated such grain crops as wheat, corn and rice with legumes, whose ability to fix nitrogen rescues us from a predicament. Like the Ancient Mariner surrounded by salt water, we’re surrounded by an atmosphere rich in nitrogen, the key element of protein, but there’s not a morsel to metabolize.

“I’ve thought of this as one of biggest ironies in plant biology,” says VandenBosch. “Nitrogen is so stable and abundant, but plants can’t use it. It would take far too much energy to convert nitrogen to ammonium and ammonium into nitrate, another usable form of nitrogen. Legumes and some close relatives have found a way to get around this by partnering with bacteria that The infection sites develop into swellings called nodules; in these tiny work- have enzymes to fix nitrogen into a usable form.” shops, the bacteria fix nitrogen. In turn, the plant furnishes them a home in its But first, the bacteria must find shelter in a legume. VandenBosch found that roots and pays wages in the form of nourishment. a chemical signal works for nitrogen-fixing bacteria the same way “open, Helping legumes protect themselves from disease promises far-reaching sesame” worked for Ali Baba. The chemical, called succinoglycan, is a slimy benefits and is one goal of VandenBosch’s research. “It’s important to know carbohydrate molecule attached to the outer surfaces of the bacteria. When how a plant can recognize friend from foe, often simultaneously,” she says. the bacteria touch cells of the legume’s root hairs, the cells detect the succino- “Then we can enhance plant defenses against deleterious organisms. There’s glycan and throw down the welcome mat. Like a sock turning itself inside out, a lot of interest in how defense mechanisms are regulated and how excep- the root hair cells grow inward, forming an “infection tube” that paves the way tions are made.” —Deane Morrison for the bacteria to enter the root. But if bacteria lacked succinoglycan, the team found that the plants raised their defenses as if the bacteria were pathogens.

BIO ❚ FALL 08 7 molecular biology R umm e lhoff T im

Unraveling the Secrets of Replication Surprising twists and turns come to light in the way cells are copied

xpect the unexpected” might be the motto for Anja-Katrin Bielinsky’s “E laboratory. “Everything was a surprise,” she says of her discoveries so far. “The theme of my independent career has been stumbling into unknown problems.”

An associate professor of biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics, Bielinsky explores the mechanisms behind the process by which a cell repli- cates its genetic material before it divides.

The star of the show is a molecular machine that inserts itself between the two complementary strands of DNA and uses them as templates for two new Better understanding replication could strands. In bacteria, scientists have a pretty good idea of how the resulting con- lead to improved cancer therapies. figuration, known as a replication fork, works. But in eukaryotic organisms— that would include you and me—the process is much less clear. “This came as a complete surprise,” she says. “For many years, people thought Bielinksy, whose work is supported in part by the Leukemia and Lymphoma the fork would just move on, regardless of what happens behind it. It turns out Society, has been looking at replication in yeast and human cells to understand the cell is so much smarter than we thought.” how replication forks form, what they do and what happens when they don’t do Recently, Bielinsky teamed up with Brandt Eichman of Vanderbilt University what they’re supposed to. to solve the crystal structure of MCM10. That means they can now explore A particular focus of her attention is DNA polymerase α, a protein required to how the shape of the molecule relates to its interactions with other proteins start replication. It reads the templates and assembles the new DNA strands. and DNA. Looking for clues as to how it does its job, Bielinsky was surprised to discover Bielinksy is currently looking at other parts MCM10 might play at the rep- that it owes its success to another molecule. MCM10 chaperones polymerase lication fork, as well as working to understand how it connects with DNA α to the replication site, then stands by to keep it stable while it does its job. polymerase α, how it keeps DNA polymerase α from falling apart, and what “If you take that out, the whole structure falls apart,” she says. “Nobody controls the chaperone molecule’s comings and goings. expected that.” “It’s really very thrilling,” Bielinksy says. “Every week there’s something I didn’t In another surprising turn, Bielinsky and colleagues discovered that the rep- expect. It’s very unsettling—in a good way.” lication fork is responsible not only for copying DNA, but also for recognizing Understanding how the replication fork works can provide clues to preventing whether the DNA it is about to copy is damaged and, if so, putting the process cancers that result from DNA fractures that occur when replication goes awry. on hold until it can be repaired. The fork even looks back at DNA it has already And, because MCM10 is such a linchpin in the replication process, this helper copied to see if there are problems there, and at the new strands to make sure molecule could make a good target for new therapies to halt the uncontrolled they’re okay too. cell division that is a hallmark of cancer. —Mary Hoff

8 college of biological sciences student profile B orders iology B iology Without Photos Photos courtesy of

Into Africa Biology Without Borders members reflect on their volunteer experience in Tanzania

ollege of Biological Sciences undergraduates Jenna Racine, Anh Tran Anh: We also got to sit in on HIV consultations and testing, something we'd C and Karen Kont made their way to Bukoba, Tanzania this summer as never be able to do here at home. On one particular day there were nine Biology Without Borders volunteers. They worked in clinics, helped build a patients being tested for HIV. In one case, a woman was being tested. The house, worked on a diabetes-awareness project and went on safari. Here's nurse called her husband in to give the result. To see him get the negative what they had to say about the experience. result and be so happy was an amazing experience. We also saw a young woman being told she tested positive, another experience we definitely would BIO: What motivated you to make the trip? not have in America. Jenna: I come from a really small town where everybody is the same and Jenna: Tanzania is very good with HIV counseling. All pregnant women are now I wanted to experience something different. I'm glad I went; it was a great tested two or three times before they have their babies. experience. BIO: You decided to work on a volunteer project related to diabetes awareness. Anh: I wanted to experience a different health care system, to learn about dif- Talk about what you did in that regard. ferent cultures and to throw myself into something new and learn how to adapt to different situations. Anh: We thought that it would be cool to go to another country to help, but it's also important to us to address issues in our own backyard. Diabetes is a huge BIO: Were there adjustments you had to make once you arrived in Bukoba? problem in the United States and we can tackle it, we can work with the people Karen: Half the time our water was black. We had to wait for all the dirt to in Bukoba and, at the same time, address the issue here at home. I think it settle in the bottom of the tank, and then we could use the water on top, but makes our project more sustainable and more worthwhile. even then we had to filter it and boil it. You learn to appreciate the things that we have at home and that you can actually live without a lot of stuff. Karen: The group that we worked with is called the Bukoba Disabled Assistance BIO: One of the reasons you went on this trip was to gain hands-on clinical Project. They made key chains out of goatskin. A blue circle—a symbol for experience. What kind of work did you do as volunteers? diabetes—is painted on one side. On the other side it has a Tanzanian flag. The project will help provide a source of income for them. Karen: We shadowed doctors and nurses in the HIV ward at the Kikari Regional Hospital. Visit www.tc.umn.edu/~bwb for more information about Biology Without Borders.

BIO ❚ FALL 08 9 Photos courtesy of the University of Minnesota Archives

10 college of biological sciences Tracy Anderson Tracy

here’s a big difference between studying a jar of lake water in a laboratory on an urban campus and studying the same water while it’s still in “T The University of Minnesota has approved the lake,” says Robin Wright, College of Biological Sciences associate dean a $25 million master plan to rebuild, renovate and for faculty and academic affairs. “Field biology allows students to see rela- expand the field station, which will celebrate its centennial in 2009. At its tionships among organisms and the physical environment.” June meeting, the Board of Regents approved a request for $13 million for The University established a summer training program for forestry students phase one of construction. That amount is now included in the capital plan on the shore of Lake Itasca in 1909. Botany and zoology faculty soon dis- and slated as part of the 2010 legislative request. The College of Biological covered that Itasca was a Shangri-La for biology education. In addition to its Sciences will have to raise one third of the total amount from private donors location at the headwaters of the Mississippi, Itasca boasts springs, bogs, or other sources. [Read about Itasca giving opportunities on page 18 or go and a broad diversity of flora and fauna, including orchids, fungi, lichens, to www.cbs.umn.edu/itasca]. freshwater sponges, insectivorous plants, waterfowl, dozens of bird spe- of “The plan reflects the field station’s historic role in biology education and envi- cies, aquatic invertebrates, and moose, black bears, wolves, otters, mink station. ronmental research and its potential for growth,” says Robert Elde, dean and shrews. the College of Biological Sciences. The college operates the Itasca field “In the upper Midwest, it’s as close to a tropical rain forest as we “As we plan to celebrate Itasca’s first 100 years, we also envision its future.” get in terms of biodiversity,” says David Biesboer, professor of plant biology and director of the Itasca station. Looking back Native Americans hunt- A human habitat in need of help ed and lived in the At first glance there’s a rustic charm to the aging buildings at the Itasca Itasca region for at Biological Station and Laboratories that seems suited to their setting least 8,000 years among the pines. But a closer look reveals foundation cracks, dry rot, before explorer aging plumbing and other signs of decay that are anything but charming. Henry Schoolcraft Most buildings were constructed for seasonal use just after World War arrived in 1832. II. They are outdated and fully depreciated. Labs and classrooms must An Ojibway be replaced, according to an engineering and architectural firm that con- guide named ducted a site analysis in 2006. If not, many programs, including Nature Ozawindib led of Life, a highly successful immersion program for freshmen, will be him to the source of suspended. Unlike the surrounding animal habitats, these human habitats the Mississippi River aren’t continuously renewed by nature. They need a little help. B IO ❚ FALL 08 11 at Lake Itasca. Schoolcraft and a missionary created the name Itasca, from the Latin words for “truth” and “head,” by combining verITAS and CAput, meaning “true head.” Jacob Brower, a historian, anthropologist and land sur- veyor, recognized Itasca’s unique natural beauty and per- suaded the Minnesota Legislature to protect the area from logging. It 1891, by a margin of one vote, the Legislature designated Itasca as the first state park in Minnesota.

Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories got its start in 1909. University of Minnesota students started coming to the station for field biology classes in the 1930s.

When students arrived, they were greeted by facilities that were primitive, even for the period. The log buildings, constructed between 1909 and 1914, included a bunkhouse, mess hall, cabins for faculty and a barn that served as a laboratory. In 1934, a few cabins for women were added. At first glance there’s a certain Lakeside Laboratory was built in 1942 by the National rustic charm to the aging buildings at Itasca Biological Station Youth Administration, one of President Roosevelt’s New and Laboratories. But a closer Deal programs. [The Minnesota Legislature provided look reveals foundation cracks, $195,000 to restore the exterior of this building, which dry rot, worn out plumbing, and other signs of decay that are is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The anything but charming. work got under way in summer 2008.]

(Photos by Tracy Anderson) The station did not operate from 1943-45 because of World War II. After the war, many of the original log buildings were razed and most of the 70 buildings now standing were constructed over a 10-year period.

In 2006, CBS initiated planning to renovate the campus with Habitat for Biologists, a fundraising campaign. John Tester, former Itasca director, led the effort to restore the director’s cabin, the only log building that remains. For decades, the director’s cabin—built in 1911 from local tamarack logs—was the hub of Itasca’s social life. The cabin will be taken apart this fall and replaced by a replica.

The Itasca biology program was launched in the summer of 1935. Raymond Lindeman, an undergraduate at the

time, attended the program for the first two summers. In 1942, Lindeman revolutionized ecology with the posthumous publication of his Ph.D. research, “Trophic Dynamic Aspect of Ecology,” which explained how energy moves through the food chain in an ecosystem. He died from a rare liver disease earlier that year. Lindeman also left his mark on Itasca with a poem extolling its beauty and diversity.

12 college of biological sciences Habitat for Biologists also raised funds to rebuild a women's cabin that had been condemned and demolished. Volunteers met at Itasca on a weekend in September 2006 to raise the walls. Among them was President Robert Bruininks, who committed $70,000 from University funds to begin preliminary design for the new master plan.

A living laboratory Itasca is ideal for ecology research because it reveals what Minnesota was like before European settlers arrived and development for agriculture and housing changed the state’s land- scape. Over the past 100 years, researchers have visited the field station to study everything from forestry management and animal behavior to limnology and the dynamics within aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. And they have published a total of 925 scientific papers reporting their findings.

Research now underway reflects advances in ecology driven by molecular biology, genomics, remote sensing and computational biology. The Minnesota Mississippi Metagenome Project (M3P) is Left: Itasca Director David Biesboer is a co-leader of M3P, one example. which aims to create a DNA database of aquatic microorganisms M3P was proposed by Dean Elde, who was inspired by Craig at the Mississippi headwaters. Venter’s 2004 voyage around the world to sample microbial bio- The data will enable faculty and diversity in global oceans. Venter achieved fame in 2001 when students to study the impact of he won the race to sequence the human genome. Biesboer and agriculture and other activities on microbial diversity at points along Michael Sadowsky, professor in the BioTechnology Institute and the river and the Gulf of Mexico. Department of Soil, Water and Climate, are heading M3P. Above: This remote sensor in The goal is to create a database of DNA from all of the aquatic Lake Itasca is capturing data to be analyzed by ecology and civil microorganisms at the headwaters of the Mississippi. The data will The project will be incorporated into the NOL curriculum. “This engineering graduate students provide a resource for faculty and students to study the impact of will provide lots of new research opportunities for faculty and who are studying relationships agriculture and other human activities on microbial biodiversity at students,” Sadowsky says. between landscapes and ecosys- points along the river, from Lake Itasca to the Washington Avenue tems. The project is supported Environmental microorganisms are important because they con- by a $2.8 million grant from the bridge in Minneapolis to the Gulf of Mexico, where nitrogen fertil- trol nitrogen and carbon cycling, clean up water pollution, play a National Science Foundation. izers have wreaked havoc on the aquatic ecosystem. It will also role in biogeochemistry, and form symbiotic relationships with yield information about the function of the genes, which may have plants and animals, Sadowsky explains. Very few of these organ- uses in medicine, industry and environmental clean-up. isms have been characterized and studied for their potential uses. This summer, students from the Nature of Life (NOL) program col- lected water samples at the headwaters and at the U of M, filtered The Itasca biology program was launched in the summer out microorganisms and extracted Need-to-know basis of 1935. Raymond Lindeman, an undergraduate at the their DNA. To create libraries, the Want to learn about the function of song in Chipping sparrows (Spizella passerina) or the chronology of Elk Lake sediments? Have questions about microstratification of time, attended the program for the first two summers. DNA will be cut into pieces about 40,000 base-pairs long, cloned and phytoplankton in Minnesota lakes? Or nitrogen and nutrient cycling in Iron Springs In 1942, Lindeman revolutionized ecology with the Bog? All of this information and much more is at your fingertips via an online database inserted into E. coli vectors. There posthumous publication of his Ph.D. research, “Trophic of publications based on research at Itasca over the past century. will be seven libraries in all containing Dynamic Aspect of Ecology,” which explained how energy moves through three million genes. The libraries will Student research papers are also stored in a online database. If you wrote a paper the food chain in an ecosystem. He died from a rare liver disease provide a valuable resource for explor- while you were at Itasca, you may be surprised to find it among 2,358 papers archived at www.cbs.umn.edu/itasca/research earlier that year. Lindeman also left his mark on Itasca with a poem ing biodiversity and functionality using high-throughput technology on the U’s extolling its beauty and diversity. Twin Cities campus. BIO ❚ FALL 08 13 TracyAnderson

CBS students cross the headwaters of the Mississippi River and work together in the computer lab during Nature of Life.

Moreover, the M3P project will be supported by the University’s growing strength in bioinformatics. Bioinformatics provides computational and algorithmic meth- ods to manage large databases like the M3P library and helps students develop Elde sees Itasca taking its place among the top field biology stations in the the mathematical skills needed for today’s biology. country. The new facilities will be an important step toward realizing that vision.

Start-up funding of $19,000 was provided by the College of Biological Sciences, “There just aren’t many places like Itasca,” Elde says. “I think of it as part of a but Sadowsky and Biesboer are seeking ongoing funding from the National family of field stations that includes Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory Science Foundation. This is the first large-scale metagenome project using the on Cape Cod, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island, and Friday Harbor Mississippi River. Laboratories on the Puget Sound. They are magnets that draw biologists from all over the world to do science and to wrestle with deep problems across biology. That’s really my vision, is to bring Itasca into that league.” —Peggy Rinard The master plan The funding provided by President Bruininks in 2006 made it possible to develop the master plan for Itasca, which will be carried out in two phases. The first phase includes construction of an administrative center, student center/library, two laboratory/classroom buildings, six faculty housing units, eight student cabins, new roadways and parking lots. Phase two will add three laboratory/ classroom buildings, seven faculty housing units, seven student cabins, and an open-air shelter for classes and community events. Renovations will enable the station to operate year-round and allow more groups from the University and Design for the Student Education and Research Center elsewhere to use the facilities. In recent years, Itasca has been forced to limit its offerings and turn away a growing number of groups. “As we celebrate Itasca’s first 100 years, we eagerly anticipate its Elde envisions the new field station as a hub for visionary research in ecology, future,” says Robert Elde, dean of the College of Biological Sciences. that addresses ecosystem-scale questions using remote sensing and Elde envisions the new field station as a hub for cutting-edge other technologies. Ultimately, he hopes to add a retreat center and cabins research, using remote sensing and other technologies to address for scientists and scholars to use as a quiet, inspiring refuge to work on long- ecosystem-scale questions. term projects.

14 college of biological sciences Class“My recollection ofNotes: Itasca involves going Itascaout early in the morning duringEdition a summer session of ornithology to identify birds with Dr. Oscar Owre who taught in Florida during the regular school year. Ovenbirds, red-eyed vireos, parula warblers, Wood Thrushes ... his enthusiasm for birds was infectious and, although I already loved birds, Dr. Owre made watching birds even more fun!” —Melissa Nagel Shackford (B.S. Biology ’82)

“I attended summer biology session at Itasca in 1980. It was a great time. partner and I paddled across the lake several times during the course of a single day to collect insects along transects. My field research original intent was to characterizeWe gathered the samples 76 samples, as completely some including as we could hundreds down ofto insects.the species level. After a good start we were distracted by volleyball, canoeing, etc. Our “By the time we got back to our samples, they were and treehoppers were still distinguishable, so we counted them. I stayed up all night and wrote mostly bags of mush. However, the odonates the report. … Recently I contacted Jon Ross, Itasca’s resident biologist, to request a copy of my paper. His assistant found it in the library where it has been archived for 28 years.” —Lee Pederson (B.S. Biology ’81)

“I took my final classes at the Itasca field station in 1990. It was a great way to pull together all that I had learned at CBS. We spent most of the time trapping and putting radio col- lars on raccoons followed by dark nights tracking them. I learned that baby raccoons are very mean and adults are friendly. The experience sparked a life-long interest in urban ecology.” —Tony Erickson (B.S. Biology ’90)

“My time at the Itasca Biology Station was during spring quarter of 1978. Professors Don Gilbertson and Jim Underhill ran a program that included five weeks of classroom work in the Twin Cities followed by five weeks in the field at Itasca. About 28 biology students took part. It was the most valuable experience of my college career. Not only did I get to collect the specimens with which I worked, I got to live and socialize with a small group of students and two professors. Never before or since have I spent as much time with faculty members. I learned a lot and made some great friends. I hope that all future biology students have the opportunity to spend time at the Itasca Biological Station.” —Dave Kinnear (B.S. Biology ’79) “I spent two summers at Itasca—in 1960 and 1966. I have many fond and vivid memories of the time there. One time, the custodial staff shot a bear that was raiding the disposal site. staff served the bear meat to us at the dining hall. It tasted good! It was like beef, except a darker color. Then there The kitchen layer. We occasionally fellwere through those theof usfloating guys who bog stored mats tryingdrinks to retrieve the bottles. I could in the peat bogs under the moss almost write a book about it all, but that is for another time!”

—Gordon Houk (Ph.D. ’66)

BIO ❚ FALL 08 15 alumni profile harles C harles Hernick. Charles Hernick offers clients a complete picture of the value ecosystems provide. Photos Photos courtesy of

The Translator CBS alumnus turns basic science into policy recommendations

harles Hernick loves research. While an undergraduate in the Department Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers. He mixes the latest basic C of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, he worked with David Stephens on research with a healthy portion of economics to come up with policy recommen- bluebird research. After graduating, he worked with Fumiaki Katagiri in the plant dations and best practices guidelines. Says Hernick: “I look at what academics biology department. His most memorable course was led by David Tilman, one are talking about and figure out how to make it happen.” of the world's leading ecosystem science researchers. Making it happen often hinges on getting the cost-benefit ratio right. That’s where But Hernick isn’t a researcher. He’s a translator. He connects the dots between economics comes into play. “Economics is the study of how to allocate scarce basic research, ecology and economics, and turns it into policy recommenda- resources,” says Hernick. “Often, the choice that could create the most environmental tions that can be adapted and put into practice by government agencies, cities good is not so much more expensive when you take into account all the variables.” and non-governmental organizations working on environmental issues. The fusion of economics, policy and ecology falls under the umbrella of eco- After graduating from the College of Biological Sciences in 2003, Hernick went system services, a concept pioneered by the University of Minnesota’s Stephen on to earn a master's degree in International Relations and Environmental Policy Polasky, Tilman and others. at Boston University, a program that draws together threads of diverse but inter- Ecosystem services provide a way for decision-makers to account for all those connected disciplines including economics, public policy and ecology. He and his variables and assess the bigger ecological picture by looking at what ecosystems wife, Michelle, a fellow U of M alum, stayed on in Boston and Hernick went to functioning on their own provide to humans and local communities such as car- work for the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management before moving bon sequstration and water purification. Hernick cites New York City's efforts to to the environmental consulting firm The Cadmus Group. improve water quality through better land use practices and by purchasing land to Hernick’s impulse to put knowledge into action reaches back to childhood. On a protect the watershed as a prime example. trip to Ecuador as a teenager, he witnessed firsthand the impact of human activ- Taking a broader view of the value of ecosystems and the natural resources ity on ecosystems in a way he hadn’t back home in Eagan, Minnesota. “I saw the they provide reveals the potential for change and feeds Hernick’s optimism in lasting effects of deforestation on water in Ecuador," says Hernick. "In an area the face of seemingly overwhelming environmental problems. “The great thing once covered by a dry tropical forest, I saw lands threatened by desertification.” that continues to motivate me are the success stories out there,” says Hernick. Now, Hernick spends his days answering questions about the best way to take “Small changes that people or communities have made that really make a on dauntingly complex environmental issues for the likes of the Environmental difference.” —Stephanie Xenos

16 college of biological sciences alumni profile R umm e lhoff T im

Victoria Ranua is helping restore native prairie grasses to be used as a source of energy.

Return of the Native Plant Biology alumna helps bring back the prairie and create a source of power

sk Victoria Ranua to name all of the native Minnesota plants she knows forest back.” So far, 100 acres of native prairie have been reestablished along A and you had better have some time to spare. Ranua knows Minnesota with 200 acres of buffalo hay, which will be used as a sustainable source of flora like the back of her hand. “I used to be a runner and I would run through biofuel. By next year, the tribe hopes to have 500 of its 2,000 acres planted in the woods and see these beautiful white flowers, tons of them,” says Ranua. “I prairie grasses. wanted to know what they were.” The prairie grasses will feed the tribe’s new biofuel energy plant, Koda Energy. That fateful encounter with a flower proved a catalyst. Ranua studied plant biol- “The tribe is trying to find a sustainable and culturally relevant way to address ogy as a College of Biological Sciences undergraduate, then as a graduate stu- energy needs,” says Ranua. “We’ve done a lot of prescribed burns of prairie dent. She graduated with a master’s degree in plant biology in August. While she grass, and you can just see the energy stored in those systems.” Prescribed may be a walking encyclopedia of plant facts, her interest is far from passive. burns are used to replicate the role of fire in prairie ecosystems.

“Nobody focuses on identifying the plants of Minnesota,” says Ranua. “That’s The Shakopee Mdewakanton settled on prairie grass as an ideal source of a passion for me, knowing the plants of Minnesota and their role.” Identifying energy because it is a self-sustaining perennial that lasts thousands of years. them—and reintroducing them. “They wanted to have a low-input system from which to gather fuel while also

For the past three years she has worked with the Shakopee Mdewakanton creating habitat, preventing soil erosion and improving water quality.” Sioux Community in the southwest metro surveying flora on the reservation The project draws on the findings of world-renowned researcher David Tilman, and working on a program to restore native prairie. Regents Professor of Ecology in the College of Biological Sciences, who has Ranua spends her days cataloging the plants present on the reservation. While shown that using mixed prairie grasses as a source of biomass for biofuel pro- many of the plants that turn up in her flora survey are non-native, some are duction trumps mono-crops such as corn and switchgrass. Says Ranua: “This more surprising than others. She recently discovered the Hydrocotyle ranucu- is the first project we know of that’s bringing research to a production scale.” loides (Buttercup Pennywort), a plant endangered in Illinois and never before Restoring the habitat has had a ripple effect in other ways, too. “When my spotted in Minnesota. coworkers started their faunal survey after prairies had been reestablished Her other primary role is to help restore native prairie to a large section of the they saw the return of Bobolink, Grasshopper Sparrow, Dicksissel and Eastern reservation. “Most of our prairie restorations are where Sugar Maple forest Meadow Lark,” says Ranua. “Those small, unexpected gains are important.” used to be,” says Ranua. “It’s easier to put a prairie back than it is to put a —Stephanie Xenos

BIO ❚ FALL 08 17 alumni news

giving back Class Notes | Class Notes | Class Notes

At age 88, says John Bieri (Ph.D. 100 years and counting Biochemistry ’49): “Just being able to Zach Lechner he University of Minnesota began its century-long get out of bed and get moving in the morning is enough!” Bieri plays golf four relationship with Itasca, an ecological gem at the T times a week. He and his wife Shirley headwaters of the Mississippi, when a summer training enjoy traveling and spending time with program for forestry students was launched in 1909. Field their two great-grandchildren. biology courses were first offered in 1935. Ever since, biology students have headed to Itasca every summer After a number of years in retail sales, to take part in hands-on courses in ecology, ornithology, Matthew Brown (B.S. Biology ’94) tran- mammalogy, aquatic biology, plant biology, genetics, entomology, photogra- sitioned to a career that draws on his phy and other topics. training in the biological sciences. He teaches biology and anatomy at Richfield Over the years, a visit to Itasca has provided a defining academic experience for High School. He also coaches the girls’ many students. Since 2003, Itasca has also been the first experience for College swimming and diving team. Matthew of Biological Sciences students. Incoming freshmen spend three days at Itasca and his wife, Patricia, have three chil- in the Nature of Life program, getting acquainted with one another, college dren: Emma, Ian and Quinlan. from UW-M Medical School in 2006 faculty and the breadth and depth of biology. Nature of Life is the only program after spending two years in the Peace After completing his degree last year, Luke of its kind in the United States. In 2007, when students from the first Nature of Corps in Honduras. Bryant (B.S. Biochemistry ’07) decided to Life class graduated, four-year graduation rates jumped by 12 percent. launch his own eco-friendly home Eleven years of research in The Itasca station is also used by groups within the University of Minnesota, services business, Bryant Window clinical ophthalmology at other colleges and universities, the Minnesota Department of Natural Cleaning. His Minneapolis-based the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Resources, and a variety of outside organizations. company uses all biodegradable inspired Cherie Nau (B.S. cleaners and fuel-efficient vehicles. Biology ’96) to return to One hundred years takes a toll. The field station’s rustic structures have school. She currently outlived their usefulness and its laboratories have become obsolete. The Elizabeth Chrans (B.S. Genetics, attends the Illinois College University of Minnesota recently approved a $25 million plan to renovate the Cell Biology and Development of Optometry in Chicago entire campus. The renovation will make it possible to continue offering qual- ’06) manages the lab at the University where she is working toward a doctor of ity biology education, expand environmental research, and open the station to of Minnesota’s Beckman Center for optometry degree. When back home in more University and outside groups. Transposon Research. She and her Rochester, Cherie gardens, makes home fiancé recently bought a house in improvements and performs and teaches Itasca is a place that leaves a mark on anyone who visits—especially students. New Brighton with plans to wed this Middle Eastern dance. It’s a legacy worth preserving. But we cannot do it without the help of CBS December. alumni and friends of the college. CBS must raise millions toward the renova- A research scientist with the Minnesota tion to make it happen. And it’s worth every penny. Pollution Control Agency, Judy Crane To learn about giving opportunities, go to www.cbs.umn.edu/itasca. (B.S. Ecology, Evolution and Behavior ’84) completed a Ph.D. in water chem- —Laurie Hennen, Director of Development istry from the University of Wisconsin- [email protected] Madison in 1990. Last year, she spent a month in New Zealand snorkeling, backpacking, sea kayaking, looking for Kiwi birds and sledding down giant sand Planning to escape the cold this Help fund our future dunes. The trip marked her one-year winter and head to Florida? Soak up some fascinating facts while you Did you know that tuition at the University of Minnesota has nearly anniversary as a breast cancer survivor. soak up the sun. doubled in less than 10 years? Only a handful of students receive schol- Zachary Lechner (B.S. Biology ’06) is arships from the College of Biological Sciences each year. Together we The College of Biological Sciences a second-year dental student at the is participating in the University of can change that. Every contribution makes a difference. We’re asking University of Minnesota School of Minnesota Minne-College on January you to support students by contributing to the the Biological Sciences Dentistry. He recently became engaged 24, 2009 in Naples, Florida! Alumni Society (BSAS) scholarship fund. to a kinesiology graduate and former U Hear from distinguished faculty Our goal: 500 contributions by December 31. of M women's basketball player. from CBS and four other colleges To learn more about some of the students who benefit from scholar- Now a resident in family medicine at the within the U. Meet Dean Robert Elde along with fellow CBS alumni. ships, go to: www.cbs.umn.edu/bsas University of Wisconsin-Madison, Leila Visit www.alumni.umn.edu for details. Midelfort (B.S. Biology ’99) graduated

18 college of biological sciences cbs donor honor roll

Making a Difference The College of Biological Sciences gratefully acknowledges the following donors, who have generously provided support for student scholarships and fellowships, research, and a variety of special initiatives during fiscal year 2007-08. Every gift makes a difference.

$5,000 + $500 - $999

If your name is missing or listed incorrectly, please call 612-625-7705 or e-mail [email protected].

BOLD Names - Membership in University of Minnesota President’s Club | M - Membership in the University of Minnesota Alumni Association/Biological Sciences Alumni Society | * - Deceased

BIO ❚ FALL 08 19 cbs donor honor roll

BOLD Names - Membership in University of Minnesota President’s Club | M - Membership in the University of Minnesota Alumni Association/Biological Sciences Alumni Society | * - Deceased

20 college of biological sciences cbs donor honor roll

BOLD Names - Membership in University of Minnesota President’s Club | M - Membership in the University of Minnesota Alumni Association/Biological Sciences Alumni Society | * - Deceased

BIO ❚ FALL 08 21