Vol. 7. Num. 2 - Jan 2007
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| Patrick Schnable and Ramesh Nair |
Lignin and biofuel production
Plant biomass is being touted as the up-and-coming source for biofuels. There's a challange, however –
biomass, such as corn stover, switchgrass and other feedstocks, is tough and not easily converted to
ethanol.
Shedding light on abcission
Lashbrook, an assistant professor of horticulture and an affiliate of the Center for Plant Responses to
Environmental Stresses, studies abscission: the shedding of plant organs.
Moving the science forward
Iowa State is one of few places in the country to house and maintain such a large cluster of plant
databases. Scientists working on them are scattered across campus, but soon a new, 8,000 square-foot
facility will bring Iowa State and USDA-ARS researchers from four of the databases together under one roof.
Miller named CPRES director
W. Allen Miller has been named director of the Center for Plant Responses to Environmental Stresses (CPRES).
Borlaug's medal
Our congratulations to Dr. Norman Borlaug, a member of the Plant Sciences Institute Board, who will be
awarded the nation's highest honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor.
