June - July 2008

WELCOME BACK!
We’re glad that you’re…On the Vine!

In our last issue water was very much the topic of the day - droughts, floods, and plenty of wet weather were timely tie-ins to our May 13 Conversations Program "Let's talk About Water: An Economist's Views on Policies and Politics" with Dr. Otto Doering (audio and video now available HERE).

This issue, questions about fuel are on many people's minds, and once again the Danforth Center is one step ahead of the headlines. Senator Bond recently hosted an energy roundtable at the Danforth Center where a key point of interest was how plant science is moving us along the path to sustainable energy. The dialogue continues at our August 28 Conversations Program "Let's Talk about the Future of Plant-Based Biofuels: Food, Feed, Fiber, and Fuel." You can register now or by clicking on the link in the "Upcoming Events" section. Read on for more recent Danforth Center highlights!

In the news

	Senator Christopher S. "Kit" Bond Hosts Energy Roundtable at Danforth Center
Senator Christopher S. "Kit" Bond hosted an energy roundtable at the Danforth Center as part of his six-city series of meetings to discuss energy policy around the state. For more information about the event, click HERE.
	Danforth Center President Interviewed for Discovery Channel Web Site
	Dr. Roger Beachy was recently interviewed for the Discovery Channel Web site's “Tech 10” feature. To view the article, click HERE.
	Danforth Center Highlighted in Local Publications
	St. Louis Magazine Features Danforth Center
	St. Louis Magazine featured an article on the Danforth Center in its June 2008 issue. To read the profile, click HERE.
	St. Louis Commerce Magazine Profiles New Research Park and Center President
	St. Louis Commerce Magazine featured the Danforth Center in two recent articles. To learn more about Wexford Science + Technology, the developer of the new Bio-Research and Development Growth (BRDG) Park at the Danforth Center, click HERE. To read a special feature profiling Danforth Center President Dr. Roger N. Beachy, click HERE.

Center Spotlight

	Danforth Center Announces Two New Hires
	Dr. Paul Anderson Named Executive Director of International Programs
	The Danforth Center announced the appointment of Dr. Paul Anderson as the Center's new Executive Director of International Programs. To learn more about Dr. Anderson, click HERE.
	Dr. Sona Pandey Joins Center as Principal Investigator
	Dr. Sona Pandey is the Danforth Center's newest Principal Investigator. To learn more about Dr. Pandey and her research, click HERE.
	Cassava Updates!
	Japan Tobacco, Inc. Donates Critical Technology to Danforth Center for Cassava Research
	The Danforth Center recently announced that Japan Tobacco, Inc. signed a humanitarian agreement to donate a pioneering technology it developed to the Danforth Center for use in cassava research. To learn more, click HERE.
	Danforth Scientists Attend Global Cassava Partnership International Meeting
	Drs. Claude Fauquet, Ed Cahoon, Nigel Taylor and eight scientists from their research labs attended the Global Cassava Partnership in Ghent, Belgium. To learn more about the work and members of the partnership, click HERE.
	BioCassava Plus Project Involving Danforth Center Scientists Featured in Video News Clip
	The BioCassava Plus research project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's "Grand Challenges" grant program involves collaborations between researchers from the Danforth Center and a variety of other institutions. The project's research to improve the yield and nutritional value of cassava was recently featured in a video news clip. The Danforth Center is not named in the clip, but click HERE to view coverage of this important research.

Upcoming Events

For more information, email development@danforthcenter.org

	Thursday, August 28, 2008 - Conversations Program "Let's Talk About...Biofuels: Food, Feed, Fiber, and Fuel" with Andy Taylor and Dr. Richard Sayre
Join Andy Taylor, CEO and Chairman of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Dr. Richard Sayre, a professor at Ohio State University who studies the use of algae to produce commercially viable biofuels, for a discussion about the future of biofuels and our new biofuels institute. Dr. Sayre will join the Danforth Center as the first director of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels this fall. To register for the event, click HERE.
	Sunday, September 28, 2008 - Danforth Center 10th Birthday Party!
We’re opening the Danforth Center to the community – all are welcome! – for a day of celebration and learning. Join us for a celebration of science in the region and the Danforth Center’s decade of service to plant science, the St. Louis Region, and the world! Learn about our founding and mission, tour the facilities, and participate in science activities presented by Center scientists and numerous community partners. The day concludes with a performance by an ensemble from the St. Louis Symphony.
	Saturday, October 4, 2008 - PLANTASIA
Danforth Society Members, mark your calendar for this yearly gala celebrating the Center's success and those who make it possible! You won't want to miss this very special evening celebrating ten years of Danforth Center science and honoring our Chairman Dr. William H. Danforth with the Global Stewardship Award. To learn more about becoming a member of the Donald Danforth Society, click HERE.

Plant Facts

	DID YOU KNOW?
The Danforth Center's new Executive Director of International Programs, Dr. Paul Anderson, is the Principal Investigator for a grant to improve sorghum that is part of the "Grand Challenges" program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. To learn more about sorghum and the "Grand Challenges" research, click HERE.