April - May 2008
WELCOME BACK! If April showers really do
bring May flowers, it seems that we are in store for a lovely month!
With all of the rain we have had lately in the St. Louis region, it may
be hard to imagine the scenarios of drought and water scarcity that are
playing out elsewhere in the country and the world. Still, we hope that
you enjoyed our recent Conversations Program "Let's Talk
About...Water: An Economist's View of Policies and Politics." The
program will soon be available as an audio/video file on the Danforth
Center Web site.
We’re glad that you’re…On the Vine!
In the news
Danforth Center Scientists Secure $1.2 million
National Biodiesel Board Grant
Danforth Center Principal Investigators Dr. Ed Cahoon,
Dr. Jan Jaworski, Dr. Joe Jez, and Dr. Sam Wang will
conduct collaborative research focused on increasing the oil produced in
soybean seeds by altering specific biochemical pathways that are
embedded within the soybean plant. To read the press release, click
HERE.
Danforth Center's Collaborative Grapevine
Research Receives Multiple Mentions
The collaborative research project involving Danforth Center Principal
Investigators Dr. Daniel Schachtman and Dr. Oliver Yu and their
colleague Dr. Laszlo Kovacs of
Missouri State University (funded by a Missouri Life Sciences Trust Fund
grant as previously reported here) was profiled in Wines and Vines
Magazine, a publication for winemakers and growers across the
country, as well as Springfield, Missouri's News-Leader. The
Danforth Center recently issued a press release on research progress,
which is available
HERE.
To read the Wines and Vines article, click
HERE.
To read the News-Leader article, click
HERE.
Danforth Center Partners With the Jewish Community Relations Council to
Celebrate Science & Technology
Dr. Roger Beachy gave the keynote address at the opening of a special
exhibit celebrating the connections between science and technology in
St. Louis and Israel. The week-long exhibit (which runs through
Thursday, May 8) is part of a larger celebration
honoring the 60th Anniversary of the State of Israel. For coverage of
the event in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, click
HERE.
Center Spotlight
Danforth Center President Represents Center Science in Multiple Forums
Dr. Roger Beachy recently served as a panelist at the Governor's St.
Louis Regional Business and Education Summit. To read the press release
issued by Governor Matt Blunt's office, click
HERE.
One of the world's premiere scientific journals, Nature,
recently featured Danforth Center President Dr. Roger Beachy in the
article "Water: More Crop per Drop." To read the article, click
HERE.
Danforth Center Principal Investigator Featured on Science Web site
Danforth Center Principal Investigator Dr. Mark Running was recently
highlighted on the website of The Science Advisory Board. To read the
interview with Dr. Running from the SAB site, click
HERE.
Danforth Center Young Trainee Wins Prestigious
Research Fellowship
Matthew Juergens, a Webster University Undergraduate conducting research
in the lab of Danforth Principal Investigator Dr. Joe Jez received an
American Society of Plant Biologists' Undergraduate Research Fellowship
for this summer. To read the news release issued by the ASPB, click
HERE.
Upcoming Events
For more information, email
development@danforthcenter.org
Thursday, August 28, 2008 - Conversations Program "Let's Talk About
Biofuels" with Andy Taylor
Join keynote panelist Andy Taylor, CEO of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and a
distinguished panel of speakers for a discussion about the future of
biofuels and our new biofuels institute. For more information about Andy
Taylor, click
HERE.
Sunday, September 28, 2008 - Danforth
Center 10th Birthday Party!
Join the Danforth Center for this community open house celebrating ten years of
service to plant science, the St. Louis Region, and the world! Learn about our
founding and mission, tour the facilities, participate in science activities,
tour Monsanto's
Mobile Technology Unit - and more!
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.
Plant Facts
GOING GREEN!
With the establishment of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Center for Renewable
Fuels last year, the Danforth Center is well-positioned to become a
regional and world leader in research to improve the oil-production
profiles of various plants as well as to adapt appropriate non-food
crops for the economically sound, environmentally friendly production of
safe and desirable biofuels. Learn more about the state of discussion
surrounding plant-based biofuels by checking out the following links.
President Bush Addresses Renewable Energy Conference
President Bush recently attended the
Washington International Renewable Energy Conference 2008. He spoke to
attendees about his commitments to renewable fuel sources and
outlined his administration's strategy for the future. For a transcript
of his comments, click
HERE.
Op-Ed Piece Adds Balance to News Coverage of Biofuels
Biofuels have received some bad press lately, but that coverage has
not always done a good job of distinguishing between different kinds of
biofuels or exploring their impacts very fairly. A recent
editorial, "Bring on the Right Biofuels," contributed a voice of sanity
to the matter. To read it, click
HERE.
Questions? Comments?
Thoughts? Ideas?
email us:
onthevine@danforthcenter.org
