The Retort, Vol. 51, No. 1

Volume 51, No. 1, Winter/Spring 2015

57th Annual Meeting and Symposium Idaho Academy of Science and Engineering Boise State University, March 19-20, 2015 The Academy will meet jointly with the 13th Annual IEEE Workshop on ­Microelectronics and Electron Devices.

Tentative IASE Conference Schedule Thursday, March 19, 2015 4:00-6:00 pm Registration: "Doing business as" logo, proposed. Boise State Student Union Building (SUB), Outside Hatch See Editorial, page 11. Ballroom. 6:00 pm Panel, “Addressing Global Concerns” (open to Public), SUB. 7:30 pm Reception: The Stonehouse, off campus at 709 E. Park Blvd., Boise.

Friday, March 20, 2015 7:30 am -1:00 pm Registration, SUB. 8:30 am Opening Address/Keynote, SUB. 9:45 am to 4:30 pm Mini-Symposia, (in SUB rooms) Including: Addressing Human Disease at the Cellular Level. BSU Student Union Building New Therapeutics and Progress in Infectious Disease. Global Challenges to Hydrosystems. Global Challenges to Ecosystems. Materials for Energy and Sustainability. Physical/Chemical – Materials for Nanobiotechnology. STEM Education – For all Disciplines. Student Oral Presentation Sessions. 4:30-6:00 pm Poster Session, SUB. 6:30 pm Banquet: The Conference Banquet will be held at the new Zion Bank building in downtown Boise (8th and Main Street).

Saturday, March 21, 2015 Zion Bank Building 9:30 am-10:30 am Executive Committee Meeting, SUB. 10:30 am-12:00 pm Annual Business Meeting, SUB. The Retort, Vol. 51, No. 1

Higher Education News

“I am excited about this new po- exceptional background and academic sition,” Van der Schyf said. “This is a credentials for this new position, and I logical ‘marriage’ of the research and look forward to working with him in graduate school components of the this new capacity.” University. Graduate students and their Van der Schyf joined ISU in May mentors are, per definition, intimately in- 2013 as dean of the Graduate School volved with research. This is a model that New ISU Vice President and professor of biomedical and phar- has worked well at other universities.” and Dean maceutical sciences. Idaho State University News Release He will begin in this new position Prior to joining, ISU he was asso- on March 1. Cornelis J. (Neels) Van der Schyf, ciate dean for research and graduate current dean of the Idaho State Univer- studies, founding chair and professor of sity Graduate School, has been named pharmaceutical sciences in the College ISU Vice President for Research and of Pharmacy, and professor of neu- Dean of the Graduate School, pending robiology in the College of Medicine approval from the Idaho State Board of at Northeast Ohio Medical University Education. (NEOMED). At NEOMED he played a piv- otal role in the establishment of the College of Pharmacy and was the primary author and architect in cre- The Academy The Idaho Academy of Science (IAS) ating and establishing NEOMED’s is the only statewide organization that graduate program (MS and Ph.D.) in embraces all scientific disciplines. It Integrated Pharmaceutical Medicine strives to improve all levels of technical Van der Schyf’s position has been and in the creation of the College of understanding: among students, teachers Graduate Studies at that institution. and researchers, and the general public. The redefined; he will hold the dual titles, re- Academy is an affiliate of the­ ­American porting directly to ISU President Arthur He was also intimately involved with ­Association for the Advancement of Vailas as vice president for research, and the planning and design of the new Science and the National ­Association to ISU Vice President for Academic Af- NEOMED Research and Graduate Ed- of Academies of Science. For more ucation Building, a $42 million campus ­information contact: fairs and Provost Laura Woodworth-Ney as dean of the Graduate School. expansion focused on graduate research R. Eugene Stuffle, Ph.D., P.E and education. Executive Director Van der Schyf replaces Howard Idaho Academy of Science Grimes, Vice President for Research and 586 University Drive Economic Development, who recently Pocatello, ID 83201-3468 accepted a job with the Idaho National [email protected] Laboratory and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies. The Retort Under Van der Schyf, the Office Editor: Martin F. Huebner for Research will continue to manage 1995 McKinzie Avenue intellectual property and patents for the NEOMED Research & Graduate Idaho Falls, ID 83404-6203 Education Building e-mail: [email protected] University, and will also be involved in broader economic development Co-Editor: Evan E. Filby As of February 2015, he has pub- activities, working with the newly es- 2184 Channing Way #437 lished 116 peer-reviewed research and Idaho Falls, ID 83404 tablished Center for Entrepreneurship review articles, 205 abstracts and pre- e-mail: [email protected] and Economic Development housed in sentations – many of these as invited ISU’s College of Business. The Retort is published several times a keynote speaker; 10 book chapters, year. Subscriptions are provided as a service “These two units, the Office for several reports to industry, and numerous for all Academy members. News items ob- Research and the Graduate School, have journal editorials. He holds 14 patents. tained from other sources are given relevant been aligned to improve the effective- He is the editor-in-chief of the Journal attribution; such articles may be edited to ness between research and graduate of Biophysical Chemistry and is or has meet space or editorial requirements. education,” Vailas said. “Neels has an been a member of the editorial advisory

2 The Retort, Vol. 51, No. 1 boards for an additional 11 international Geologists Study Alamo Crater research journals and an invited guest Idaho State University News Release editor for one. The impact of his research Idaho State University’s Leif Tapa- is reflected by his work receiving more Researchers estimate the comet hit nila has spent more than a dozen years than 2,374 peer citations in the literature. close to the ocean shore in water 30 to studying a “whopper of a hole” in Neva- 100 yards deep. Van der Schyf earned his Bachelor da, discovering more about the impact of Piecing the crater together has also of Pharmacy, Master of Science, Doctor a comet about 380 million years ago that been a difficult task because the tectonic of Science (Ph.D.) and DTE degrees left the Alamo crater, which is about 60 plates and other geological processes from North-West University (NWU, miles wide and two miles deep. formerly Potchefstroom University) have pushed apart the crater over time. in South Africa, and spent 1986-7 as a “You just don’t fly over and see postdoctoral fellow in the Department of a giant hole in the ground,” Tapanila Medicinal Chemistry at the University of said. “This is one of the first projects Connecticut and at the National Magnet to piece together an ancient impact site Lab at MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts. that has been pulled and twisted apart “It is one of the largest comet impact through its history. Through modern craters that has been discovered in the mapping techniques we were able to last while,” said Tapanila, who is the piece it together.” chair and associate professor of the Tapanila is a co-author on a study ISU Department of Geosciences. “Even “Post-impact depositional environments though the area has been twisted up by as a proxy for crater morphology, Late mountain building, it is a great spot to Devonian Alamo impact, Nevada” that look at the environment and see what has been published this month in the it was like before and after the comet journal Geosphere. The co-authors are hit. We get a perfect time slice of that all former ISU graduate students who North-West University, South Africa historic event. We’ve been mapping out have worked with Tapanila. the extent of the crater, basically starting Comet impacts on this magnitude Van der Schyf served as visiting to piece it back together.” professor in Australia, Belgium and rarely occur, only happening every “tens the United States, and currently serves The crater, located about 100 miles of thousands or hundreds of thousands as Emeritus Extraordinary Professor at north of Las Vegas, was made by a years,” but scientists still learn a lot from Northwest University in South Africa, ½-mile- to 3-mile-wide chunk of space studying them. debris that smashed into the Earth with and has extensive international expe- “There are still comets passing close a force of many nuclear blasts. Rocks rience. by the Earth and our planet will get hit the size of buildings were crumpled like by them again,” Tapanila said. “Studying In addition to serving or having soda cans, and the comet penetrated the Alamo crater is ancient history, but served, since 2002, as a chartered and the crust of earth creating a crater, that the ancient record tells us a lot about the ad hoc member on several NIH Study was further enlarged when its edges frequency and severity of impacts and Sections and many other national and collapsed, Tapanila said. international research granting agencies, the net results of when they do happen, he is a member of the Phi Beta Delta The body that hit was likely a comet and that is valuable information. We can Honor Society and Sigma Xi, and has made of “frozen ice, methane and a envision how a collision like this may received several teaching and research little bit of rock mixed in” and referred impact the Earth today.” honors, including “Teacher of the Year” to by geologists informally as a “dirty and “Most Cited Paper” awards, the snowball.” APSSA Upjohn Achievement Award Piecing it back together has been a and South Africa’s highest honor in challenge, because much has changed in drug discovery research, the FARMOVS the landscape over many, many millen- Prize for Pharmacology and Drug De- nia. For one, what is now dry land was velopment. underneath water. Van der Schyf is also the recipient “The comet hit back when ocean of the 2010 Olson/Blair Award for Ad- covered Nevada,” Tapanila said. “This is ministrative Excellence. one of the relatively rare impacts that has been measured of a comet that has struck Leif Tapanila (front, lower left) and Field ocean because it hit close to shore.” Team

3 The Retort, Vol. 51, No. 1

“The new node will take the lead in New ISU Connection with NASA reaching out to potential end-users and Idaho State University News Release participants to expand NASA’s impact in NASA scientists like to say, “We’re may be a lot more interested in the the West and demonstrate the practical doing cool stuff right here on earth,” and program now because they won’t have and innovative applications of Earth a lot more of it will now be taking place to travel as far. It also opens up oppor- observations,” Childs-Gleason said. at Idaho State University, which was tunities for students from other regions Students participating in the program can designated as a new NASA DEVELOP to come here and participate in these stay for a term, two terms or a full year. research node this month. exciting research projects.” “DEVELOP is a very exhilarating This new recognition will expand ISU is now one of only eight NASA opportunity for students and young pro- research opportunities for undergraduate DEVELOP regional nodes in the United fessionals to gain real-world experience and graduate students, not only at ISU States, one of only two in the West, much earlier in their career than they may but for others as well, said Keith Weber, and the only one located in the Pacific have otherwise,” Childs-Gleason said. director of the ISU GIS Training and Northwest and Intermountain West. “The DEVELOP model pairs NASA Research Center and ISU advisor for NASA also has six research centers Earth observations and motivated young the NASA DEVELOP Node. nationally – none of which are located scientists in a unique way that has the in this area of the country. greatest potential to benefit environmen- “The NASA DEVELOP program tal decision making.” at ISU is also important because of the A group of five researchers and ad- research it will enable us to do at ISU ministrators from the NASA DEVELOP with NASA,” Weber said. “This will program headquartered at the NASA strengthen our work with the BLM and Goddard Space Flight Center visited ISU other federal and state land management last fall to evaluate ISU as a potential agencies and allow us to very quickly DEVELOP node. This program works respond to research questions.” to bridge the gap between NASA Earth A DEVELOP node like this operates Science and outside entities to facilitate on a three-term system, with the year research and provide answers to chal- GIS Director Keith Weber divided up in fall, spring and summer lenging research questions. The NASA DEVELOP National terms. Each term a cohort of participants Program fosters an interdisciplinary will work on research projects collabo- research environment where applied ratively with NASA and ISU scientists. science research projects are conducted “If we are working with the BLM, under the guidance of NASA and partner Forest Service or an Idaho agency that science advisors. has a specific research question about “I’m very excited that ISU and BLM rangeland systems, such as wildfire, will be collaborating with DEVELOP we can begin addressing that question to open this new location,” said Lauren almost immediately, or at the start of the next term,” said Weber. ISU and NASA Personnel and Students Childs-Gleason, NASA DEVELOP During Visit to ISU national operations lead. “It expands This rapid turnout is very different ISU has a history of working with DEVELOP’s impact in the West, mean- from traditional grant research, which NASA on research projects, and this ing that a whole new community will may take a year or more to be initiated. newest agreement will facilitate even engage in, and benefit from, NASA’s “If there is a question we can answer more collaboration. Earth science.” using NASA satellites, which is almost “The relationship with NASA con- DEVELOP is unique in that young always the case because of the huge tinues to be a great experience for us at professionals lead research projects that portfolio of data NASA produces, we the GIS Center and a great benefit for focus on utilizing NASA Earth obser- can initiate research quickly and address the region, not only for wildfire research vations to address community concerns that question in a very timely manner,” and management, but also for its ben- and public policy issues. he added. efit to students,” Weber said. “We are “It opens up opportunities for stu- There are many environmental de- excited about all the possibilities this dents to come to ISU and participate cisions taking place in this region that new partnership provides.” in the NASA program,” Weber said. Earth observations can be integrated For more information about NASA’s ­“Students from Idaho, Montana, Wy- into with success, noted Childs-Gleason. DEVELOP program visit http://develop. oming, Washington, Oregon and Utah larc.nasa.gov/about.html.

4 The Retort, Vol. 51, No. 1

said. She and her students are now used in more products – from consumer studying the cell signals involved in electronics to children’s toys and jewelry that process, known as "programmed – that will wind up in landfills. cell death." Second, the population of the United Researchers Examine The C of I research team also has States and the rest of the world is aging Bone Health determined that cadmium gets deposit- rapidly. Since osteoporosis affects the College of Idaho News Release ed in the extra-cellular matrix of bone elderly most dramatically, figuring out Talking on a cell phone or listening to rather than calcium, and is looking to how to combat cadmium’s bone-de- a personal music player while exercising answer what replacing calcium does to stroying afflictions would improve the seem as natural to most people as walk- the strength of bone cells. In addition, quality of life for this growing age group. ing or breathing. Yet most of the dozens C of I research students have begun ex- “We hope this research is used to of electronic devices we use contain the amining whether estrogen is connected protect the public, minimize the amount heavy metal cadmium, the culprit in a to the potency of the heavy metal since of cadmium that is getting into the envi- variety of maladies if ingested. women are affected more severely by cadmium toxicity. ronment, and ultimately, to help people live healthier lives,” Heggland said. Shea Wright, a senior chemistry major who joined the research proj- ect as a fellow supported by the NIH Idaho INBRE (IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence) pro- gram, has enjoyed participating in the ground-breaking research.

Predicting Pesticide ­Exposure in Diet Dr. Sara Heggland Kathleen Tuck, BSU Feature Article For the past decade, College of Idaho While health-conscious individuals biology professor Dr. Sara Heggland and understand the benefits of eating fresh more than 40 of her students have studied fruits and veggies, they may not be aware how cadmium affects bone health and of the amount of pesticides they could the onset of osteoporosis. Heggland said be ingesting along with their vitamin C that better understanding how cadmium and fiber. A new study published in the Student Wright in the Lab affects bone at the cellular level is cru- Feb. 5 edition of Environmental Health cial for doctors, scientists and public “It’s exciting to be learning some- Perspectives is among the first to predict officials dealing with the health impacts thing you wouldn’t be able to learn in a a person’s pesticide exposure based on of environmental toxins. regular classroom,” said Wright, who is information about their usual diet. “People use cadmium every single considering a career in either medicine The study was led by Cynthia Curl, day because it’s used in almost every or research. “Being involved in the re- an assistant professor in Boise State electronic product out there,” Heggland search process is teaching me a lot about University’s School of Allied Health said. “Those electronics eventually perseverance and problem-solving.” Sciences. She recently joined Boise end up in landfills, and from there the INBRE Fellow Thao Ha, a junior State from the University of Washington. cadmium can get into drinking water.” biology major, said the research ex- Curl and her colleagues analyzed the Heggland and her students – one of perience is benefiting her plans for a dietary exposure of nearly 4,500 people only a few research teams in the world medical career. from six U.S. cities to organophosphates studying cadmium toxicity and bone “Medical students need to be able (OPs), the most common insecticides health – have already made important to work independently and they need to used on conventionally grown produce discoveries such as demonstrating that learn how to think critically,” Ha said. in the U. S. OP pesticides are linked to cadmium directly affects osteoblasts, the “Those are skills I’ve enhanced working a number of detrimental health effects, body’s bone-forming cells, by causing the on this project.” particularly among agricultural workers cells to intentionally destroy themselves. who are regularly exposed to them. Two trends that show no signs of “In promoting the death of bone-­ reversing make the research by Wright, Results showed that among individ- forming cells, it therefore ­promotes the Ha and the rest of the C of I team partic- uals eating similar amounts of fruits and development of osteoporosis,” ­Heggland ularly valuable. First, cadmium is being vegetables, those who reported eating

5 The Retort, Vol. 51, No. 1

“If we can predict pesticide expo- Cheatgrass is Changing sure using dietary questionnaire data, the Landscape then we may be able to understand the Kathleen Tuck, Boise State University potential health effects of dietary ex- Feature Article posure to pesticides without having to America is the home of countless collect biological samples from people,” species of plants introduced from the far Curl said. “That will allow research on corners of the globe over the past cen- organic produce had significantly lower organic food to be both less expensive tury or more. While many have served OP pesticide exposures than those con- and less invasive.” to beautify and enhance our lives, one suming conventionally grown produce. “The next step is to use these exposure particular species – Bromus tectorum, In addition, consuming those conven- predictions to examine the relationship more commonly known as cheatgrass – tionally grown foods typically treated between dietary exposure to pesticides has found itself unwelcome, crowding with more of these pesticides during and health outcomes, including neuro- out native plants from coast to coast in production, including apples, nectar- logical and cognitive endpoints. We’ll be a relatively short period of time. ines and peaches, was associated with able to do that in this same population of significantly higher levels of exposure. Research by Boise State biology nearly 4,500 people,” she said. professor Steve Novak and colleagues “For most Americans, diet is the pri- One way people can reduce their has traced the spread of this invasive mary source of OP pesticide exposure,” pesticide exposure, said Curl, is to eat annual grass across the United States said Curl “The study suggests that by organic versions of those foods that are and Canada, including the year it was eating organically grown versions of listed on the Environmental Working first noted and where it originated. those foods highest in pesticide residues, Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list, which Results show that the invasion was we can make a measurable difference in ranks fruits and vegetables according “rapid, multi-directional and genetically the levels of pesticides in our bodies.” to pesticide residue level. diverse.” This study included dietary data Co-authors of the published study, collected from participants in the “Estimating Pesticide Exposure from Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a Dietary Intake and Organic Food large, multi-institutional project funded Choices in the Multi-Ethnic Study of by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Atherosclerosis (MESA),” are Shirley Institute that is investigating factors that Beresford, Richard Fenske, Annette influence the onset of cardiovascular Fitzpatrick and Joel Kaufman (Uni- disease. versity of Washington), Chensheng The researchers were able to predict Lu (Harvard University) and Jennifer each participant’s exposure to OP pesti- Nettleton (University of Texas). Professor Novak in the Field cides based on the amount and type of Results of the study were published produce each participant typically ate in the January issue of Biological Inva- and the U.S. Department of Agricul- sions. “Invasion of Bromus tectorum into ture’s measurements of pesticide residue California and the American Southwest: levels on those foods. The researchers rapid, multi-directional and genetical- then compared these predictions to ly diverse” was authored by Angela pesticide metabolite levels measured Pawlak, a Washington State University in urine samples from a subset of 720 graduate student who gathered her data of these people. in Novak’s lab. Coauthors on the paper While Curl’s study is not the first to include Novak, Jeremiah Busch and Professor Curl link organic produce with reduced pesti- Richard Mack. cide exposure, the method she used may This research was supported by the Their research looks at the plant’s have significant implications for future Environmental Protection Agency’s range introduction and expansion in research. By combining self-reported Science to Achieve Results (STAR) North America. information on typical food consumption Fellowship Program, the National “In terms of controlling cheatgrass, with USDA measurements, researchers Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the we need to better understand the pathway will be able to conduct research on the National Institute of Environmental relationship between dietary pesticide Health Sciences and the Department of of introduction and spread so we can try exposure and health outcomes in bigger Environmental and Occupational Health to do things that will curtail that spread,” populations, without needing to measure Sciences in the University of Washington Novak said. urinary metabolites. School of Public Health.

6 The Retort, Vol. 51, No. 1

B. tectorum was first noted in the populated by sagebrush, bunchgrass United States in Pennsylvania’s Lan- and other native plants. Today, cheat- caster County in 1790. Genetically, it grass has filled in areas where livestock matched a variety still found in Europe. overgrazed and firestorms wiped the That first plant variety was joined by landscape clean. others as newcomers poured into the Another problem with the pervasive land of opportunity. As the population plant is that it is palatable to livestock moved west, cheatgrass stowed away in Dr. Simmons and the MBE System only in the early growing season when a variety of ways ranging from wagon it’s green. Once it starts to reproduce it Simmonds, a Cambridge graduate, wheels to contaminated seed stashes. creates awns (bristly appendages), which came to Boise State in October from can puncture the mouths (and sometimes University of California, Los Angeles, even the stomachs) of cows. where he managed the Integrated Nano- Materials Lab. Before that, he spent time And a single plant can produces as a post doc at Yale. He now is an assis- hundreds of seeds. Add to that its ability tant professor in both the Department of to self-fertilize and self-pollinate and it’s Physics and the Department of Materials easy to see how it has spread so quickly. Science and Engineering. While Novak believes it may be too In the late 19th century, new varieties A key negotiation during the inter- late to totally eradicate the species in entered the country through Western view process was his ability to purchase North America, he does hold out hope seaports like San Francisco and Seattle, an MBE system for his Boise State lab. that determining its origins can help to and dispersed eastward. Cheatgrass was While he didn’t get a brand spanking new control it. first noted in California in 1899 and model, which costs more than a million varieties of the plant are now found in “If we understand its genotype and dollars, he did find one that had been used every state except Florida. can trace it to its native range, we can by the Air Force and affiliates and he So what’s the big deal? It has to do discover how the plant is controlled has been refurbishing and customizing with how cheatgrass grows. It germi- classically,” he said. “Then we can look it in his lab. at the possibility of using that method nates early in the season, well before While there still is a lot of work to be to control the plant here.” most other plants. It spreads easily, done to get it fully up and running, it will crowding out native vegetation, such Novak currently is working on a book be a valuable new resource available to as bunchgrass and sagebrush, and the chapter combining the results of several Boise State faculty and students, and to roots grow down deep, depleting mois- studies of cheatgrass. Patterns described industry members who want to collab- ture from the soil. It then dries up in in the chapter are based on the analysis orate with Simmonds in their research. mid-summer and becomes incredible of 10,150 individuals from 312 North “MBE enables us to control the fodder for wildfires. American populations of cheatgrass. properties of new crystals with exqui- Large stands of cheatgrass provide site precision, right down to the atomic fuel for intense range fires. The problem Molecular Beam Epitaxy level,” Simmonds said. “We can grow is so pervasive that it has altered the fire Kathleen Tuck, BSU Feature Article nanomaterials with features just a few cycle, leading to almost total eradication billionths of a meter across, and even of some native plants in affected areas. Paul Simmonds looks at his molecu- lar beam epitaxy (MBE) system the way control how many electrons they have Where a normal fire cycle could be every inside them.” 60-100 years, scientists now are seeing other guys do a candy apple red Porsche. cycles as tight as 3-5 years. And fingers The sci-fi looking machine used to design In a nutshell, here’s how it works. and create new materials at the atomic of fire pushing through the sagebrush, The machine is a bit like an atom- level lights his eyes with pure joy. allowing some plants to survive, have ic spray painter. Various “arms” are been replaced by a wall of fire decimat- MBE is a cutting-edge technique loaded with elements like germanium ing the landscape. that allows for the design and creation or aluminum, which are then beamed “If we can knock back the density of completely new materials that don’t as atoms onto a substrate surface in a of cheatgrass, we can perhaps control exist in nature. By creating extreme vacuum chamber. The atoms on the the intensity of the fire,” Novak said, vacuum and temperature conditions, surface eventually sort themselves into noting that, “we still need to replace it the instrument forces atoms to combine a pattern, and continue to do so until a with native species.” into unique nanoscale crystal layers. By solid surface is formed. A new layer is adding additional layers of designer then started and the process repeats itself Novak said that monocultures of crystals, new materials can be created until, sometimes many hours later, the cheatgrass often stand in areas once with specific or unusual properties. final product is achieved.

7 The Retort, Vol. 51, No. 1

LCSC–CWI Transfer Simmonds with Student ­Agreement LCSC and CWI Presidents Shake News Release, College of Western Hands on the Agreement “The strength of this is that it’s so Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College in recent years as 52 percent of those versatile,” Simmonds said. “You can On Tuesday February 3, College of students have transferred in just the past make all kinds of materials – metals, Western Idaho (CWI) and Lewis-Clark three semesters. oxide materials, semiconductors …” State College (LCSC) signed an agree- “At College of Western Idaho, we The process also controls for the ment to expand a transfer partnership are proud to be a gateway to postsec- purity of the material. There are faster between the two institutions. The ondary education for southwest Idaho methods, but they cannot compete with partnership is aimed at providing op- and encourage our students to continue the material, quality, resolution and portunities for CWI students transferring their education beyond their success control offered by MBE. to LCSC with Associate of Art (AA), at CWI,” states CWI President Bert Associate of Science (AS), or Associate Simmonds plans to build on pre- Glandon. “We are thrilled to formalize of Applied Science (AAS) degrees. vious research he did on a family of an enhanced commitment with our semiconductor nanostructures called The articulation agreement des- partners at Lewis-Clark State College. III-V quantum dots. Quantum dots are ignates that upon completion of an Additional opportunities to access such a useful for turning light into electricity, AA or AS from CWI a student will be fine institution will be a great advantage or electricity into light. His first project recognized by LCSC as core certified. for our students.” will use this technology to create a new Meanwhile, students completing an kind of device to harvest waste heat and AAS at CWI are eligible to transfer turn it into useful electricity. An example into a Bachelor of Applied Science or of waste heat would be a power station Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied that loses a percentage of its heat energy Technology degree program at LCSC generated by gas, coal or nuclear power. with junior standing. Grant for NMR Spectrometer “If we can capture this heat that is As part of the new agreement LCSC University of IdahoNews Release otherwise lost and turn it into electric- has designated a pair of scholarships University of Idaho researchers will ity using our devices, then the overall specifically for CWI graduates, in ad- soon have a new tool for understanding efficiency of the power station goes up dition to transfer scholarships available the world at the molecular level, thanks significantly,” he said. He is currently to any transfer student who meets the to a grant from the MJ Murdock Char- seeking grants to fund this line of re- criteria and applies by the March 1 itable Trust and a major gift from a search. deadline. LCSC will also continue to private donor. provide on-campus support for CWI Simmonds said MBE systems are The trust awarded UI chemistry students with admission, registration, used in labs all over the world to push professor Richard V. Williams and his financial aid, advising, and credit transfer back the boundaries of physics, materials co-investigators $360,000 to purchase a questions. science, electrical engineering, chemis- nuclear magnetic resonance, or NMR, try and more. “Idaho is one state and we have one spectrometer, which uses a powerful “The number of things they can do publicly supported education system,” super-conducting magnet to determine is huge,” he said, “and they are highly says LCSC President J. Anthony Fernán- molecular properties. The NMR is ex- interdisciplinary.” dez. “This agreement between LCSC and pected to be installed on campus in April. CWI is another fine example of this fact. Vandal alumnus John S. Townsend of The molecular beam epitaxy system We look forward to expanding the higher Moses Lake, Washington, also donated is expected to be fully functional later education opportunities for Idahoans so $100,000 toward the NMR. Townsend, this semester. To explore collaborating ably served by CWI.” on a project using the MBE system, who studied chemistry at UI, is the for- contact Simmonds at paulsimmonds@ Since 2010, 63 students have trans- mer owner of Western Polymer, which boisestate.edu or 426-3787. ferred to LCSC from CWI. The growing produces starch for the food and paper collaboration has been most apparent industries.

8 The Retort, Vol. 51, No. 1

The NMR fills a vital need for “The generosity of the Murdock researchers in the UI Department of Charitable Trust, Mr. Townsend and Chemistry and other departments across other donors has enabled the university the university, including geological to make this important investment for our sciences; plant, soil and entomological present and future research,” said Jack sciences; forest, rangeland and fire sci- McIver, UI vice president for research ences; and chemical engineering. and economic development. “This new equipment allows researchers across “It is the preeminent instrument used Collaboration defines Eigenbrode’s campus, working both in their fields and in chemistry for structure determination, approach to teaching and scholarship. in interdisciplinary teams, to explore which is important in every branch of Eigenbrode and UI entomologist Mark the molecular structure of materials at science,” Williams said. Schwarzlaender study chemical signals a more detailed level than ever before that ensure insect biological control The NMR will serve research proj- at the University of Idaho.” agents target invasive weeds. They also ects by characterizing compounds that About the Murdock Charitable Trust seek the chemicals brassica [mustard may be useful to create drugs to fight can- The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust family] crops use to repel insect pests. cer and other diseases, understand soil was created by the will of the late Melvin structure to find out how it effects plant J. (Jack) Murdock, who was a co-founder growth, and study useful materials made of Tektronix, Inc. of Beaverton, Oregon. from waste such as potato peels. It also Since its establishment in 1975 with a will support research into fundamental bequest of about $90 million, the Trust scientific questions, such as Williams’ has focused its grant making efforts work in controlling molecular properties. primarily in five states of the Pacific Northwest: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. The Trust’s current assets are valued at about $800 million and it has distributed more than $658 million through grants. Jack was an idealist as well as a realist and a lifelong seeker of new insights. He believed in science as a main source In addition, Murdock awarded UI of knowledge, and knowledge as a key $38,000 to seed new research projects to resolving issues and addressing the Professor Eigenbrode and give new users access to the NMR. needs of the world. Researchers can use these funds to pur- He and UI molecular biologist Joe chase supplies needed to take advantage Kuhl explore how viral mutations can of the instrument’s power. Insects, Agriculture, and affect their interactions with plants. He and researchers at Germany’s prestigious The chemistry department already Discovery Bill Loftus, Here We Have Idaho, Max Planck Institute for Materials Re- owns two NMRs – one teaching-level University of Idaho. search investigate how insects attach to instrument and an aging research-grade plant surfaces. spectrometer, which is nearly 20 years An entomologist, University of old and can no longer be updated. The Idaho faculty member Sanford Eigen- “There is nothing as exciting as old machine will be reconfigured to ana- brode focuses on interactions between discovering new horizons in the nexus lyze solid samples, while the new NMR common insect pests and major crops between different areas of knowledge will allow researchers to obtain detailed on the Palouse that surrounds Moscow and expertise,” Eigenbrode said, and information about materials in solution. and throughout the state. His work that credited the University of Idaho for reveals how plants use waxy coatings fostering an academic culture that helps The new NMR also will increase UI’s on leaves and stems as defenses against facilitate these kinds of cross-disci- capability to serve outside partners who insect earned him international recogni- plinary explorations. contract with the university to provide tion as an expert. NMR data and help defray the operating With project leader Bosque-Pérez, costs of the facility. Partners include the More recently, with fellow UI he was part of the team that landed two University of Montana, the Smithsonian entomologist Nilsa Bosque-Pérez, he prestigious National Science Foundation Tropical Research Institute, Argonne deciphered how plant viruses manipulate Integrative Graduate Education and Re- National Laboratory, and U.S. Depart- both their host plants and the aphids that search Traineeship (IGERT) grants, the ment of Agriculture sites in Dubois and transport viruses from plant to plant. first in 2001 and a renewal in 2009. The Kimberly, Idaho. program, which aims to prepare future

9 The Retort, Vol. 51, No. 1

While some farm residents helped to leaves and other plant surfaces. Later, interdisciplinary scientists, recruited found Ithaca’s Moosewood Restaurant, he and collaborators showed how one more than 40 doctoral students to work of “Moosewood Cookbook” fame, Ei- change affected the whole community in teams in Idaho and Costa Rica. genbrode worked as a custodian and shop of insects, pests and predators alike. The exploration of cross-disciplinary teacher at Ithaca’s Alternative Commu- “Eventually, during my years on research that was central to the IGERT nity School. There, founder and principal the UI faculty, I returned to the broader projects led Eigenbrode to partner with Dave Lehman and his staff employed the systems-level thinking and a desire to then-UI philosopher Michael O’Ro- philosophy of A. S. Neill, the Scottish contribute to agricultural sustainability urke. They worked together to create a educator of Summerhill fame. Students that got me into science in the first place,” workshop-style approach based on the chose topics to explore and formed a he said. The shift could have occurred philosophical “toolbox” to help research democratic educational community. because he had satisfied the desire to teams understand members’ vocabular- “It was all new and exciting,” Ei- know as much as possible about that ies, approaches and assumptions within genbrode said. “In addition to regular one thing. “Or maybe it’s because that’s their collaborations. classes, students would work in groups what I was hearing from producers, and Their inquiry resulted in another to spend a week or more studying one they were more integrative.” National Science Foundation grant that topic deeply.” His school duties included That landscape-level perspective leading weeklong bicycle trips with was consistent with the UI IGERT grant’s students, teaching banjo and guitar, and approach. Students formed tight-knit teaching special topics in biology. interdisciplinary teams to pursue their That experience sparked a career and graduate educations and to better under- lifelong interest in research and educa- stand community- and landscape-level tion. An entomologist at Cornell, David topics from Palouse prairie remnants Pimentel, influenced Eigenbrode’s path. near Moscow to coffee production in Pimentel continues to focus on organic Costa Rica. and other non-conventional approaches The work on insects, plant defenses to agriculture and societal issues that and ecological communities led to a range from pesticides, tillage, energy, number of collaborations, including the sustainability and immigration. Professor O'Rourke ongoing and fruitful one with fellow funded an international symposium, “I was fortunate to return to Cornell entomologist Bosque-Pérez. just as people there were helping to shape some 130 workshops based on the That work led to a new understand- the emerging field of agroecology,” Ei- toolbox, and an edited volume on the ing of how plants and insects are part genbrode said. Pimentel sought a holistic challenges of communication in inter- of complex interactions involving the view of agriculture and to apply the disciplinary research. major wheat threat, Barley yellow dwarf scientific method to organic agriculture. virus; potato pathogen, Potato leafroll vi- “Sanford is one of those rare faculty “He looked at the whole community, the rus; and two viruses that affect legumes. members who thinks beyond the confines whole production system.” of his discipline,” said Jack McIver, UI In short, aphids seek out plants His time at Cornell led Eigenbrode vice president for research and economic infected with virus because the virus to a doctorate in entomology in 1990. development. infection causes the plants to send out From there, he followed the post-doc attractive chemical signals. Once they “While his focus is on the future, path to the University of California, Riv- have acquired the virus, however, the he is respectful of all points of view. erside, then to the University of Arizona aphids seek out healthy plants, rapidly He has recognized the necessity for at Tucson. He joined the University of spreading the virus and the disease it interdisciplinary training for students Idaho faculty in 1995. and approaches to the complex problems causes. facing the state and the region.” Eigenbrode’s work as a scientist has evolved, from looking at problems Evolution of a Scientist in an integrated way at the community When Eigenbrode graduated from level during his master’s degree training Cornell University in 1970, the world training, to focusing on specific topics was in flux. Equipped with a degree for his doctoral work related to leaf in neurobiology and behavior, he and waxes and insects. several classmates paid $13,000 for a 125-acre farm near Cornell, and Ithaca, He worked with plant breeders and New York. They shared chores on the found that changing one gene controlled farm, but pursued different interests, too. the amount and type of wax present on

10 The Retort, Vol. 51, No. 1

A Broad REACCH Eigenbrode’s grand collaboration so far is the REACCH project, or Regional Idaho National Approaches to Climate Change in Pacific Northwest Agriculture The U.S. De- Laboratory partment of Agriculture-funded climate change project includes researchers from three land-grant institutions, UI, Oregon State University and Washington State University, and the USDA Agricultural 2010, the number of workshops has Research Service. Summer Institute ­Registration expanded from two to six, and hundreds Announced in 2011 as a coordinated INL Feature Article of educators and administrators have agricultural project by the USDA Na- participated. tional Institute of Food and Agriculture, Idaho educators have an opportuni- “The i-STEM program helps ed- REACCH tackles how climate change ty to take summer courses in science, ucators enhance their STEM content may affect wheat production. Worth technology, engineering and math-based knowledge through context,” said Anne some $2 billion annually to the three topics with information on how to use the Seifert, executive director of i-STEM states, wheat is big business. It is also information in their classrooms during and INL’s K-12 education coordinator. complicated. six low-cost workshops held around the state in June. “We are proud to support a wonderful Entering its fourth year, the five-year team from across the state that is help- project coordinates efforts by scores of Nearly 700 educators are expected ing sponsor and support this important scientists with disciplines that range to attend this year’s i-STEM Teacher professional development opportunity.” from climate science to agricultural Institutes, which will be held: education. Project researchers study how During the workshops, participants June 15-18 at North Idaho College in choose a specific topic to study such projected climate changes may affect Coeur d’Alene wheat production in the interior North- as energy, aerospace, space, sustain- west’s several agroecological zones. June 15-18 at Lewis-Clark State ability, food safety, computer science, Others examine how farming practices ­College in Lewiston manufacturing, robotics, environment, may influence climate change, how to June 16-19 at Eastern Idaho Technical agriculture, gold mining or health care. help the region’s farmers incorporate College in Idaho Falls They attend sessions taught by STEM climate-friendly farming practices, and June 22-25 at Idaho State University experts. Educators also participate in how high school teachers throughout the in Pocatello general sessions to learn how to inte- region can incorporate climate science grate STEM, 21st century skills, career June 22-25 at the College of Southern and agriculture into their classes. awareness, and the practices of the Idaho Idaho in Twin Falls Core Standards into all the subjects they In his role as REACCH project June 23-26 at the College of Western teach. Participants receive continuing director, Eigenbrode welcomed Na- Idaho in Nampa education credits and resource kits. tional Institute of Food and Agriculture The workshops are organized by (NIFA) Director Sonny Ramaswamy The i-STEM institutes are funded to the UI campus in July for meetings the Idaho STEM (science, technology, and supported by a state of Idaho Math with researchers, students and others. engineering, mathematics) initiative, or and Science Partnership Grant; Idaho’s Ramaswamy, as agriculture dean at Or- i-STEM – a partnership of educators, state-run universities, community col- egon State in 2010, had helped support government agencies, organizations and leges and technical schools; Northwest the REACCH partnership along with private companies working to improve Council for Computer Education; DEQ; then Deans John Hammel at UI and Dan STEM education in the state. i-STEM and industry partners like Micron, Hewl- Bernardo at WSU. As NIFA director, members include Idaho National Lab- ett-Packard, Idaho Power, Intermountain Ramaswamy now oversees a $1.3 billion oratory, universities and community Gas, Simplot, Battelle Energy Alliance budget that is a major federal funding colleges, Idaho State Department of and others. source for agricultural research. Education, Idaho State Board of Edu- cation, Hewlett Packard, Intermountain Eigenbrode took that opportunity Gas, Micron and Idaho Power. More to suggest that REACCH’s expected information is available at www.sde. conclusion in 2016 should be seen as idaho.gov/site/istem. the beginning of long-term integrative, landscape-level research, education This is the sixth year i-STEM has and extension to support Northwest sponsored the K-12 teacher professional agriculture. development summer institutes. Since

11 The Retort, Vol. 51, No. 1

“Nearly all physics in nuclear power New INL Supercomputer applications are interdependent,” said Other Idaho INL News Release Dr. Richard Martineau, director of INL Idaho National Laboratory is en- Nuclear Science and Technology Mod- ­Organizations abling researchers to leverage their work eling and Simulation. “Thus, modeling with a newly acquired supercomputer. and simulation efforts of INL’s Nuclear The 16,416-processor Silicon Graphics Science & Technology Directorate are International Corporation (SGI) super- primarily focused upon efforts to resolve computer known as “Falcon” will allow coupled phenomena.” INL researchers to build more complete scientific models and better predict outcomes for a variety of nuclear and energy-related issues. Sage Grouse Initiative Contributed by Tate Walters. Published in the Society for Range Management, Idaho Section Newsletter The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) launched The Sage Supercomputer Simulations Allow Grouse Initiative (SGI) in 2010, using Visualization of Complex Processes Farm Bill funding to target lands where Reliable and capable high-perfor- sage grouse habitat is intact and sage mance computing (HPC) resources are grouse numbers are stable. required when solving nuclear fuels Private lands are the primary focus SGI Multi-Processor Supercomputer performance, radiation transport and of the initiative because up to 40 percent nuclear physics, and thermal fluids phe- of sage grouse dwell on private lands. “We’re excited about the acquisition nomena associated with INL programs, Many of the critical wet meadows and of Falcon,” said Jeff Staffon, director he said. The SGI Falcon supercomputer riparian areas that sage grouse broods of Scientific Computing at INL. “Part- will bring a new level of capability in depend upon are privately owned. nering with Intel® through its ‘Early meeting these INL missions. In 2010, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Adopters Program’ allowed us to get this “This computer acquisition positions Service found the sage grouse merited highly anticipated architecture early in the laboratory for continued leadership listing under the Endangered Species the release cycle to meet an important in modeling and simulation which is Act, but other declining species ranked milestone. Our expectations are high that tightly coupled to both national sci- higher in priority. The Service will de- this addition to INL’s high-performance entific user facilities and nationally cide whether to list the species in 2015. computing capabilities will further recognized experimental expertise,” said enhance modeling and simulation of A listing decision will have drastic Eric Whiting, director of INL Applied impacts on our way of life on western complex systems and processes." Computing and Visualization. “Falcon rangelands affecting ranching, energy INL awarded a contract to Comn- and other INL compute resources enable production, mining, recreation and other etCo, Inc. for the new supercomputer, laboratory science and engineering staff services provided by these lands. which is more than five times faster than to innovate highly creative modeling and The Sage Grouse Initiative is taking its predecessor, Fission, which came simulation capabilities which produce a proactive approach to achieve con- online in 2011. relevant results.” servation in the right places to avoid Initial Falcon benchmarks, a SGI Denise Stephens, INL chief the need for listing the bird. NRCS and ICE-X™ supercomputer based on Intel information officer, believes that partners are committed to long-term Haswell™ processors, has demonstrated high-performance computing to support conservation of sage grouse as well as the other wildlife species that inhabit a floating-point performance in excess INL’s modeling and simulation capabil- of 500 teraflops, which means it can ity and core research mission is vital to perform over 500 trillion floating-point supporting INL’s vision. calculations per second. Its Top500.org “A modern, high-performance com- ranking of the 97th fastest supercomput- puting capability is a resource that must er in the world was announced at this be available to today’s researcher,” Ste- year’s Supercomputing Conference, phens said. “With the rate of technology SC14, in New Orleans. change, a continued and strategic invest- ment in high-performance computing is imperative to support INL’s missions.”

12 The Retort, Vol. 51, No. 1 the same range, while maintaining the western way of life and securing the Editorial and Other Thoughts nation’s food and energy needs. Editorial Comments Materials production by MBE is not a My personal work with the Sage A word first about the “dual” logos technique we’re particularly familiar Grouse Initiative has been with in on this issue. As you may recall from with, but it looks very interesting. Owyhee County, Idaho where there is the last Retort, the Executive Committee We also have three articles in the the largest expanse of core sage grouse decided to “do business as” the Idaho general environmental area, two of them habitat left in Idaho, along with a good Academy of Science and Engineering. somewhat related. One is a discussion population of birds. This puts our title more in line with of how invasive cheatgrass negatively The most destructive and highest our long-standing interest in all areas of impacts native plants, and other more priority threat to sage grouse is large STEM (science, technology, engineer- desirable flora. What makes that ex- wildfires that remove the existing ing, and math). It also sets up a potential tra interesting is the item about how sagebrush cover that sage grouse rely merger or other affiliation with state invasive species – cheatgrass, western upon for nesting cover and winter feed. engineering organizations. juniper, and others – degrade habitat These sagebrush sites are often prone for the native sage grouse. We hope the However, a formal change to that to invasion by invasive annual weeds “Sage Grouse Initiative” can succeed in (cheatgrass, medusahead, etc.) and can approach has not been presented to, or stabilizing grouse habitat, and therefore take many years to provide good sage- approved by the general membership. numbers, so the species does not have brush cover for sage grouse to utilize. The Retort is one of two official pub- to be listed as endangered. The other main threat to sage lications of the Academy specifically grouse habitat in this part of Idaho is defined in the IAS Constitution. (The The other articles are equally in- the encroachment of western juniper other is, of course, the Journal of the teresting and informative. As we have into core sagebrush habitat. The juniper Idaho Academy of Science.) mentioned to some of you, this is likely to be our last issue as Editors of the Retort. encroachment is a result of aggressive We do not know the legal ins- Thus, we wanted to give you something wildfire control during the last 100 and-outs of the “doing business as” good … and we think we have done that. years. In the past low intensity fires formalism. Hence, we decided to stick were allowed to burn naturally and this with the old official name and logo for kept the juniper tree expansion in check. the time being … but also show the These fires would kill the small trees possible new name and logo. Retort Residue that were encroaching on the site and Why do overlook and oversee mean kept juniper confined to rocky ridges Aside from that, this is a pretty opposite things? and shallow soils where fuel wasn’t “standard” version of the Retort. We How come you don’t ever hear about able to build up and allow fires to burn lead with an overview of the Annual gruntled employees? through very often. Symposium. We hope lots of you are You never really learn to swear until planning to attend. you learn to drive. Other than that, there is no over-rid- Puritanism: The haunting fear that ing “theme” for the issue. Four articles someone, somewhere ... may be relate, loosely, to science education: a happy. new vice president and dean at ISU, a formalized transfer mechanism between Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder. College of Western Idaho and LCSC, and "I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be Juniper Incroachment on Sagebrush registration for a series of summer insti- tutes for teachers sponsored by the INL. that "I do" is the longest sentence? Western juniper is a very competitive For every action there is an equal and plant and once it enters a site it soon The fourth item describes the re- opposite criticism. starts to outcompete the native grasses, search and educational link-up between forbs and shrubs for limited nutrients and ISU and NASA. The program provides You know you’re an Internet junkie if: moisture. Juniper can dewater springs students as well as faculty access to the When filling out your driver's license and meadows that are so important in the vast amounts of data collected by NASA application you give your IP address. early stages of a bird’s life. Research has instruments and missions. "A modest little person, with much to be shown that sage grouse will tend to avoid There are also three articles about modest about." -- Winston Churchill areas where trees are present because it (about Clement Atlee). allows hawks and other predators a spot instrumentation: a new supercomputer to perch and hunt from. at the INL, a grant for a research-grade Did someone eat an extra bowl of stupid NMR at UI, and acquisition of a Molecu- this morning? Check out more about SGI online lar Beam Epitaxy (MBE) system at BSU. at http://www.sagegrouseinitiative.com.

13 The Retort, Vol. 51, No. 1

Contents 57th Annual Meeting and Symposium 1 Higher Education News New ISU Vice President and Dean 2 The IAS Journal Needs Papers Geologists Study Alamo Crater 3 New ISU Connection with NASA 4 The Journal of the Idaho Academy of Science needs you to consider submitting Researchers Examine Bone Health 5 an article to JIAS. We will review submissions in all fields of science or science Predicting Pesticide ­Exposure in Diet 5 education (including psychology and other social sciences) which relate in some Cheatgrass Changing the Landscape 6 manner to the state of Idaho and have not been published elsewhere. Please also Molecular Beam Epitaxy 7 LCSC–CWI Transfer ­Agreement 8 encourage your colleagues to consider submitting an article to JIAS. Articles will Grant for NMR Spectrometer 8 be reviewed by scientists working in the same or a closely related field. Insects, Agriculture, and Discovery 9 If you have any questions about submissions contact: Idaho National Laboratory Dr. Jennifer Chase Summer Institute ­Registration 11 New INL Supercomputer 12 Department of Biology Other Idaho Organizations­ Northwest Nazarene University Sage Grouse Initiative 12 623 S. University Blvd. Editorial and Other Thoughts Nampa, ID 83686 Editorial Comments 13 [email protected] Retort Residue 13

R. Eugene Stuffle, Ph.D., P.E Executive Director 586 University Drive Pocatello, ID 83201-3468

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED