Vol. 8. Number 2 - January 2008
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| Geneticists Donald S. Robertson and Peter A. Peterson |
Maize Research Leaps Ahead with Early Jumping Gene Discoveries
Two premier researchers serving on the faculty at Iowa State
University for 50 years are pioneering contributors to the field of
maize cytogenetics. Research discoveries through the course of
their careers in the area of transposon biology by Peter A.
Peterson, professor in the Department of Agronomy and Donald S.
Robertson, emeritus professor in the Department of Genetics,
Development and Cellular Biology have helped to usher in the
genomics era to plant biology.
Morphing Mendel's Markers
Linking genomics to plant breeding is akin to building a bridge
connecting new DNA marker technology to traditional phenotypic
trait analysis.
"Times they are A-changin"
Climate change predictions do not sound particularly dire for Iowa;
milder winters with fewer frosty days; cooler summers—though more
of those extremely hot days, best suited for cooling off at the
pool.
Plants and Climate Change
Climate change is one of the most challenging issues of our times.
We were awakened to that fact by this year's Nobel Peace Prize
awarded to the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC). Iowa State is fortunate to have three representatives on
the IPCC, Gene Takle, Bill Gutowski and Ray Arrit, who shared in
the Noble Peace Prize. We've given the spotlight to Gene Takle in
a feature story in this issue.
