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

We hope that you enjoyed the inaugural issue of "On the Vine" last month. Since then the Danforth Center has welcomed Howard Buffett, hosted our yearly scientific symposium (as well as a conference on green building), celebrated the year's accomplishments with Center supporters at our annual gala, and our first Principal Investigator has been knighted! We're pleased to have such great stories to report, but let us know what you think. We'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas as our vine grows!

In the news

	Photographer, Philanthropist Howard Buffett Visits Center
Noted photographer and writer Howard G. Buffett shared photos and stories from his travels through some of the poorest corners of the globe. To read the press release, click HERE.
	Danforth Investigator Knighted, Receives Highest French Civil Award for Scientific Education and Research
Danforth Principal Investigator Dr. Claude Fauquet was made a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Academiques. This designation as a Knight of the Order of Academic Palms is the French equivalent of a knighthood and is one of the highest honors given by the French government. To read the press release, click HERE.
	Danforth Scientific Advisory Board Member Luis Herrera-Estrella Receives Trieste Science Prize
Dr. Luis Rafael Herrera-Estrella, a member of the Danforth Center's Scientific Advisory Board, professor of plant genetic engineering at the Center for Research and Advanced Studies in Irapuato, Mexico, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator was recently awarded the prestigious Trieste Science Prize. To visit the Web site for the Trieste Science Prize, click HERE. For more coverage of Dr. Herrera-Estrella's acceptance of the award, click HERE.
	Danforth Center Hosts Conference on Green Building Sponsored by Missouri Congressman Russ Carnahan
Nearly one hundred people gathered at the Danforth Center on October 8 to discuss "green building." To hear KWMU's coverage of the event, click HERE.
	Danforth Center Scientists Receive Nearly $1 Million For Root Research
The St. Louis Business Journal recently highlighted a National Science Foundation grant awarded to Danforth Principal Investigators Dr. Brad Barbazuk and Dr. Daniel Schachtman. To view the article, click HERE. To visit Dr. Barbazuk's Webpage, click HERE. To visit Dr. Schachtman's Webpage, click HERE.

Center Spotlight

	Evening in PLANTASIA Celebrates Danforth Center  Supporters and Honorees
While fairies frolicked in the gardens, members of the Donald Danforth Society and their guests enjoyed cocktails around the Kemper Reflecting Pool in an evening honoring Center supporters and the 2007 Danforth Center Science and Service Award recipients - Dr. Robb Fraley and Mr. Oliver Langenberg, respectively. To view selected photos of the event, click HERE.
	Danforth Center International Fall Symposium Explores New Frontiers in Transgenesis
Recognizing that we live in a transgenic age, Danforth scientist Dr. Claude Fauquet and his collaborators organized a visionary conference that brought together nearly 300 top minds from institutions and organizations around the globe to the Danforth Center from September 26-28. To visit the conference website, click HERE.
	Danforth Center Work on Renewable Fuels Highlighted by American Oil Chemists' Society
The Danforth Center's new initiatives in finding plant-based sources of alternative fuels were profiled in the August 2007 issue of Inform magazine, the journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society and a source of international news on fats, oils, and related materials. To read the profile, click HERE.

Danforth Center President Dr. Roger Beachy Featured in New Plant Science Video

The Monsanto Company, a Danforth Center Alliance partner, recently added a video of Danforth Center President Dr. Roger Beachy speaking on current and future benefits of genetically engineered plants as part of its "Conversations about plant biotechnology" Web series. To read Monsanto's media release, click HERE. To view the video, click HERE.

Upcoming Events

For more information, email development@danforthcenter.org

	Thursday, November 1 - Conversations “Close Up” with Richard and Susan Kiphart (Note new date and time!)
Join us as Richard and Susan Kiphart tell their personal story of commitment to the people of Africa, reflected through their own efforts and Mr. Kiphart’s leadership role of DATA (Debt AIDS Trade Africa) alongside Bono and others. Originally scheduled for November 5, this special event will now begin at 3:30 pm on November 1.
	Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - Drs. Beachy and Danforth, along with Danforth Center Chief Operating Officer, Sam Fiorello, present "State of the Center" Address
Join Danforth Center leaders for a recap of the previous year's accomplishments and a look ahead to new and continuing initiatives.
	Thursday, February 21, 2008 - Conversations Event with Dr. William H. Danforth!
You won't want to miss this special evening with Danforth Center Chairman Dr. William H. Danforth as he speaks about the founding, growth, and future of the Danforth Center.
	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

	DID YOU KNOW?
One of the Keynote Speakers at the 2007 Danforth International Fall Symposium was Dr. Jay D. Keasling. Dr. Keasling is a professor of chemical engineering and bioengineering at the University of California–Berkeley and serves as Director of the Physical Biosciences Division of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He is one of the founders and leading experts in the area of "synthetic biology." To learn more about Dr. Keasling's work and the significance of this emerging field, click HERE.
	GOING GREEN…
The Danforth Center hosted a conference on green building this month - and the Danforth Center itself has been featured as a "green building." Interested in building green - or what that means? Click HERE for more information.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

National Public Radio, in partnership with National Geographic, is running a series called "Climate Connections," exploring how we are shaping the climate and how the climate is shaping us. For links to previously aired reports, click HERE.