EBIO Recent Grants & AwardsGrants & AwardsOur faculty and students have been making headlines!NSF award for Rebecca Safran
CU Honors Professor Russ Monson
 Dave Armstrong Awarded the Excellence in Service Award for 2004-2005 Dr. Tom Ranker awarded G. P. Wilder Chair in Botany - Fall 2005 Tom will be teaching two graduate seminars over the course of the year. One will be on the Biology and Evolution of Lycophytes and Ferns. Tom will also be continuing work on his NSF-funded research on the Origin of the Hawaiian Pteridophyte Flora, and will be initiating several other research projects in the Hawaiian Islands.
Good News from the Monson Lab - Fall 2005 The total funding package is $750,000 for three years. Russ is the PI, with Co-PI Rick Han in Computer Science. The research also includes strong collaborations with Steve Oncley and Steve Semmer at NCAR. Here is a summary of the proposed research: "We will develop and deploy wireless networks of sensors to measure the CO 2 and H2O budgets of the subalpine forest ecosystem at Niwot Ridge. The networks will be miniature, intelligent (i.e., capable of self-adjustments depending on sensor output), and robust (i.e., capable of remote programming and rebooting, and capable of low power consumption rates). The networks are intended to resolve nighttime, downslope CO 2 fluxes in a mountainous ecosystem; these are the same fluxes that confound current efforts to resolve CO 2 budgets at the regional and global scales. Overall, the proposed studies will provide new insight and strategies toward the design and deployment of large, multi-modal, multi-scale sensor networks, and they will provide unprecedented measurement capabilities with regard to the flows of energy and elements through an important forest ecosystem."
Dr. Carol Kearns recieves NSF Grant - Fall 2005
Rob Guralnick has just received two awards! - Fall 2005 Here is the executive summary: We propose to address these issues by building a rich, layered database that integrates genomic transformations among pathogens as reconstructed in phylogenetic trees, pathogen phenotypes such as hosts and tissues that can be infected, satellite images on environmental disruption, and the geographic distribution of pathogens, human populations, animal hosts, vectors, and reservoirs. We will mine these data to develop retrospective and predictive hypotheses of the emergence of infections disease. Rob has also received word from the Arizona Heritage grant program that he will receive funding to study the conservation genetics of threatened and endangered species of the talus-snail Sonorella. This $60,000 award is shared with Phil Hedrick at ASU.
Marc Bekoff Awarded Bank One Community Service Award - Fall 2005 The Bank One Faculty Community Service Award is made possible by a generous endowment from the Bank One Colorado Corporation through the CU Foundation. The purpose of the endowment is to provide a single award of $10,000 annually to a full-time faculty member at one of the campuses of the University of Colorado who has rendered exceptional educational, humanitarian, civic, or other service in his or her community, external to the faculty member's primary university responsibilities and for no additional remuneration.
New Encyclopedia just published by Marc Bekoff - Fall 2005 Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior. 3 vols. Greenwood. 1274p. ed. by Marc Bekoff. ISBN 0-313-32745-9. $349.95. This endlessly fascinating set is a seminal work in its field and one of the first complete resources on animal behavior. Bekoff (biology, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder) and his posse of 290 experts tell us what makes animals tick using techniques that range from molecular approaches to analysis of species. The 300 entries, some stretching to 7000 words, discuss topics as diverse as concept learning in pigeons and stress in dolphins.
A cluster of faculty have just received very good news - Fall 2005 The funds will be used to purchase a Proton- Transfer Mass Spectrometer (PTR-MS) and a Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectometer (GC-MS) for use by five faculty members and students in EBIO (Monson, Bowers, Linhart, Breed, Diggle) and two faculty members from other units [Ray Fall (CHEM)and Detlev Helmig (INSTAAR)]. These two instruments will provide the opportunity for state-of-the-art analyses of the chemical composition and chemical emission of a broad spectrum of organic compounds from biological systems and support research into the role of these compounds in various ecological and evolutionary contexts, including plant interactions with atmospheric pollutants, plant-herbivore-pollinator interactions, the evolution of plant and animal signalling systems, and the chemical phylogeny of plants and animals. Jeff Mitton receives Butcher Foundation Grant - Fall 2005 The proposed research focuses on two genes (haptoglobin {HPTa} and angiotensin- converting enzyme {ACE}) each with demonstrated impacts on endurance performance. This research focuses on the actions of these genes, on their interactions with each other, and their interactions with other genes. Athletes and controls will be genotyped for both of these loci, and microarrays will be used to screen a vast number of other genes to determine whether the regulation of those genes varies among the genotypes at the two target loci. In addition, VO2Max, lactate threshold, and ventilatory threshold will be measured on each subject.
Good News from the Seastedt Lab - Fall 2005 Good News from the Demmig-Adams / Adams Lab - Fall 2005 Anatomical and photosynthetic acclimation to the light environment in species with differing mechanisms of phloem loading (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 10.1073/pnas.0503784102) Summary: Plants load sugars from photosynthesizing leaves into the phloem of exporting veins either "apoplastically" (by using H+/sucrose symporters) or "symplastically" (through plasmodesmata). The ability to regulate photosynthesis in response to the light environment was compared among apoplastic loaders (pea and spinach) and symplastic loaders (pumpkin and Verbascum phoeniceum). Plants were grown under low light (LL) or high light (HL) or transferred from LL to HL. Upon transfer, pea and spinach up-regulated photosynthesis to the level found in HL-acclimated plants, whereas up-regulation in pumpkin and V. phoeniceum was limited. The vein density of pea and spinach was the same in HL and LL. Although spinach did not exhibit anatomical or ultrastructural acclimation to the light environment, in pea, wall invaginations in minor vein companion (transfer) cells were more extensive in HL. Furthermore, upon transfer from LL to HL, these invaginations increased in mature pea leaves. Foliar starch levels in mature leaves of plants transferred from LL to HL were not greater than in HL-acclimated leaves of either apoplastically loading species. In the symplastic loaders, plasmodesmatal frequency per loading cell did not vary with treatment, but vein density and thus total plasmodesmatal frequency were higher in HL. Upon transfer of symplastic loaders, however, vein density remained low, and starch levels were higher than in HL; the incomplete acclimation of photosynthesis upon transfer is thus consistent with a carbon export capacity physically limited by an inability to increase vein and plasmodesmatal density in a mature leaf. A full version of the paper can be obtained at: http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0503784102v1
Another NSF Grant for the Townsend Lab - Fall 2005
Schmidt, Martin, Guralnick, and Neff received Good News - Fall 2005 Here is a short summary: Results from our Alpine Microbial Observatory (AMO) have thus far demonstrated a wide diversity of previously unknown microbial life exists in alpine soils. Also surprising was our discovery that microbial biomass reaches year-round peak levels under the late- winter snow pack. These results, combined with our previous findings of high biogeochemical activity under the snow, indicate that we have only scratched the surface in terms of understanding microbial life and activity in alpine ecosystems. In this proposal we present a plan to study the spatial and temporal distribution of novel microbial groups across an ecological gradient extending from subalpine forests to un-vegetated soils well above tree line. We will coordinate these studies with ongoing and newly proposed biogeochemical analyses at our sites. In addition, we will develop and implement new bioinformatics techniques to build a web-based framework to integrate phylogenetic and biogeochemical information in a format that allows spatial and temporal cross comparison and correlation. The overarching goal of our proposed work is to continue discovering novel microbes and to link the diversity and distribution of novel microbes with environmental gradients in-situ. These approaches will allow identification of important microbial groups in alpine soil systems that will be targeted for enrichment and cultivation strategies, as well as genomic analyses. Broader Impacts The proposed research advances interdisciplinary research, involving researchers with expertise in microbiology, microbial biogeochemistry, evolutionary biology, and bioinformatics. Such a collaborative effort advances the perspectives of everyone involved and creates a dynamic educational environment for students. The planned development of web-based public access to the data and geospatial analytical tools greatly expands the educational and out- reach value of the proposed research. In addition, the proposed collaboration with another MO site (SIMO) will yield a model web database for other MO sites with shared goals. Our proposed study also will promote training and learning through its support of two undergraduate students, two graduate students and a post-doctoral fellow. Their focus on the links between phylogenetics, microbial biogeochemistry and bioinformatics will prepare them for the interdisciplinary research arena of the future.
Good News from the Monson Lab - Summer 2005 The total funding package is $750,000 for three years. Russ is the PI, with Co-PI Rick Han in Computer Science. The research also includes strong collaborations with Steve Oncley and Steve Semmer at NCAR. Here is a summary of the proposed research: "We will develop and deploy wireless networks of sensors to measure the CO 2 and H2O budgets of the subalpine forest ecosystem at Niwot Ridge. The networks will be miniature, intelligent (i.e., capable of self-adjustments depending on sensor output), and robust (i.e., capable of remote programming and rebooting, and capable of low power consumption rates). The networks are intended to resolve nighttime, downslope CO 2 fluxes in a mountainous ecosystem; these are the same fluxes that confound current efforts to resolve CO 2 budgets at the regional and global scales. Overall, the proposed studies will provide new insight and strategies toward the design and deployment of large, multi-modal, multi-scale sensor networks, and they will provide unprecedented measurement capabilities with regard to the flows of energy and elements through an important forest ecosystem."
Dr. Carol Kearns recieves NSF Grant - Summer 2005
Rob Guralnick has just received two awards - Summer 2005 Here is the executive summary: We propose to address these issues by building a rich, layered database that integrates genomic transformations among pathogens as reconstructed in phylogenetic trees, pathogen phenotypes such as hosts and tissues that can be infected, satellite images on environmental disruption, and the geographic distribution of pathogens, human populations, animal hosts, vectors, and reservoirs. We will mine these data to develop retrospective and predictive hypotheses of the emergence of infections disease. Rob has also received word from the Arizona Heritage grant program that he will receive funding to study the conservation genetics of threatened and endangered species of the talus-snail Sonorella. This $60,000 award is shared with Phil Hedrick at ASU.
Dr. Tom Ranker awarded G. P. Wilder Chair in Botany - Spring 2005 Tom will be teaching two graduate seminars over the course of the year. One will be on the Biology and Evolution of Lycophytes and Ferns. Tom will also be continuing work on his NSF-funded research on the Origin of the Hawaiian Pteridophyte Flora, and will be initiating several other research projects in the Hawaiian Islands.
Another Grant Funded for the Friedman Lab - Spring 2005 “Developmental Evolution of Fertilization Biology in Ancient Angiosperm Lineages” will be recommended for funding to begin in early 2005. This proposal, for which Ned is the sole Principal Investigator (PI), will be funded at 100% of the requested budget, which is $500,000 for a period of three years. During the last 24 months, Ned has obtained new commitments for extramural funding from the NSF for a total of $1,075,000; all in the form of sole-PI grants. In addition, during this period, He has been co-PI or co-I on a total of $6,305,000 of newly awarded grants from the NSF and NASA. With this recommendation, he will extend the period of continuous funding for his research program, through sole-PI grants, to 20 years. Brief abstract of proposed research: Recent advances in angiosperm phylogeny reconstruction, paleobotany, and comparative organismic biology have provided the impetus for a major reevaluation of the early evolution of flowering plants. After a long period of empirical and intellectual stagnation, many of the century-old paradigms about the initial phases of the diversification of angiosperms are in the midst of being rewritten. It is now evident that within the first ten to fifteen million years of flowering plant history, a remarkable diversification of vegetative and floral characteristics occurred and that the earliest phases of angiosperm evolution were characterized by a very high degree of developmental experimentation and structural lability. In contrast to concerted efforts to study the evolution of floral morphology, vegetative anatomy and ecophysiology among ancient angiosperm lineages, little attention has been paid to reconstructing the early diversification of embryological features among flowering plants. Therefore, it is the explicit goal of the proposed research to study the basic and highly interrelated processes of female gametophyte development, double fertilization, and endosperm formation from an evolutionary developmental perspective. This comparative analysis of reproductive features will address important issues of character distribution and lead to a deeper understanding of evolutionary history associated with the initial radiation of flowering plants. Beyond establishing general developmental principles that can explain the diversification of female gametophyte structure and endosperm genetic structure and ploidy, the planned research will make a significant contribution to understanding more general aspects of the tempo and mode of character evolution during the earliest phases of the evolutionary diversification of flowering plants. More Good News from the Stock Lab - Spring 2005 "The Role of Dlx Genes in the Development and Evolution of the Teleost Fish Dentition" This project will employ transgenic approaches to study the developmental genetic mechanism of evolutionary tooth loss in cypriniform fishes. It is anticipated that an understanding of these mechanisms will allow insight into whether macroevolutionary patterns of dentition evolution are primarily the result of selective forces or developmental constraints. Good News for Professor Deane Bowers - Spring 2005 Stock Lab Receives NIH Grant - Spring 2005 "Fgf Signaling in Zebrafish Tooth Development". The proposed research uses the zebrafish as a model for understanding both the genetic control of normal tooth development and genetic dental abnormalities in humans. Expression of ligands and receptors in the Fibroblast growth factor signal transduction pathway will be inhibited by injection of antisense oligonucleotides into zebrafish embryos. It is expected that multiple aspects of tooth development will be altered, allowing a dissection of the roles of specific genes in the pathway.
2004 Pelton Award given to Professor Ned Friedman - Spring 2005 Collinge and Martin Labs receive good news – Spring 2005 Modeling disease dynamics in fragmented landscapes The award of $37,714 is for research beginning in June, to extend for a period of one year. A brief synopsis of the research being done is included below: We will develop models for predicting the initiation and subsequent spread of plague among prairie dog colonies. One hypothesis is that the probability of plague initiation within a colony depends on local primary productivity, while subsequent spread of the plague pathogen among colonies depends on prairie dog movements. We will use historical data on patterns of plague spread, genetic estimates of prairie dog movement, and indices of local primary productivity to develop and test this and other models.
Jeff Mitton receives Butcher Foundation Grant - Spring 2005 The proposed research focuses on two genes (haptoglobin {HPTa} and angiotensin- converting enzyme {ACE}) each with demonstrated impacts on endurance performance. This research focuses on the actions of these genes, on their interactions with each other, and their interactions with other genes. Athletes and controls will be genotyped for both of these loci, and microarrays will be used to screen a vast number of other genes to determine whether the regulation of those genes varies among the genotypes at the two target loci. In addition, VO2Max, lactate threshold, and ventilatory threshold will be measured on each subject.
Marc Bekoff Awarded Bank One Community Service Award - Spring 2005 The Bank One Faculty Community Service Award is made possible by a generous endowment from the Bank One Colorado Corporation through the CU Foundation. The purpose of the endowment is to provide a single award of $10,000 annually to a full-time faculty member at one of the campuses of the University of Colorado who has rendered exceptional educational, humanitarian, civic, or other service in his or her community, external to the faculty member's primary university responsibilities and for no additional remuneration.
A Cluster of Faculty Have Received Very Good News - Spring 2005 The funds will be used to purchase a Proton- Transfer Mass Spectrometer (PTR-MS) and a Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectometer (GC-MS) for use by five faculty members and students in EBIO (Monson, Bowers, Linhart, Breed, Diggle) and two faculty members from other units [Ray Fall (CHEM)and Detlev Helmig (INSTAAR)]. These two instruments will provide the opportunity for state-of-the-art analyses of the chemical composition and chemical emission of a broad spectrum of organic compounds from biological systems and support research into the role of these compounds in various ecological and evolutionary contexts, including plant interactions with atmospheric pollutants, plant-herbivore-pollinator interactions, the evolution of plant and animal signalling systems, and the chemical phylogeny of plants and animals. New Encyclopedia just published by Marc Bekoff - Spring 2005 Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior. 3 vols. Greenwood. 1274p. ed. by Marc Bekoff. ISBN 0-313-32745-9. $349.95. This endlessly fascinating set is a seminal work in its field and one of the first complete resources on animal behavior. Bekoff (biology, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder) and his posse of 290 experts tell us what makes animals tick using techniques that range from molecular approaches to analysis of species. The 300 entries, some stretching to 7000 words, discuss topics as diverse as concept learning in pigeons and stress in dolphins.
Dr. Tom Ranker awarded G. P. Wilder Chair in Botany - Spring 2005 Tom will be teaching two graduate seminars over the course of the year. One will be on the Biology and Evolution of Lycophytes and Ferns. Tom will also be continuing work on his NSF-funded research on the Origin of the Hawaiian Pteridophyte Flora, and will be initiating several other research projects in the Hawaiian Islands.
Good News from the Collinge Lab - Spring 2005 Brief Description: Good News for Professor Deane Bowers - Spring 2005 "Curation and Databasing of the Gordon Alexander Othoptera Collection at the University of Colorado" The project funded by the above-named proposal will allow them to curate, georeference and database the Gordon Alexander Orthoptera Collection. This collection is composed of over 19,000 grasshoppers from the Rocky Mountain and plains regions of Colorado. The project will ensure the conservation and databasing of this important voucher collection and will, for the first time, make the Alexander Orthoptera Collection available to researchers both physically and over the internet. In addition, the databasing and georeferencing portion of the project will allow researchers access to the detailed ecological data associated with the collection. Stock Lab Receives NIH Grant - Spring 2005 "Fgf Signaling in Zebrafish Tooth Development". The proposed research uses the zebrafish as a model for understanding both the genetic control of normal tooth development and genetic dental abnormalities in humans. Expression of ligands and receptors in the Fibroblast growth factor signal transduction pathway will be inhibited by injection of antisense oligonucleotides into zebrafish embryos. It is expected that multiple aspects of tooth development will be altered, allowing a dissection of the roles of specific genes in the pathway. More Good News from the Stock Lab - Spring 2005 "The Role of Dlx Genes in the Development and Evolution of the Teleost Fish Dentition" This project will employ transgenic approaches to study the developmental genetic mechanism of evolutionary tooth loss in cypriniform fishes. It is anticipated that an understanding of these mechanisms will allow insight into whether macroevolutionary patterns of dentition evolution are primarily the result of selective forces or developmental constraints. Good News from the Guralnick Lab - Spring 2005 Collaborative Research: Biogeomancer will begin January of 2005, continuing through August 2006.
Another Grant Funded for the Friedman Lab - Spring 2005 “Developmental Evolution of Fertilization Biology in Ancient Angiosperm Lineages” will be recommended for funding to begin in early 2005. This proposal, for which Ned is the sole Principal Investigator (PI), will be funded at 100% of the requested budget, which is $500,000 for a period of three years. During the last 24 months, Ned has obtained new commitments for extramural funding from the NSF for a total of $1,075,000; all in the form of sole-PI grants. In addition, during this period, He has been Co-PI or Co-I on a total of $6,305,000 of newly awarded grants from the NSF and NASA. With this recommendation, he will extend the period of continuous funding for his research program, through sole-PI grants, to 20 years. Brief abstract of proposed research: Recent advances in angiosperm phylogeny reconstruction, paleobotany, and comparative organismic biology have provided the impetus for a major reevaluation of the early evolution of flowering plants. After a long period of empirical and intellectual stagnation, many of the century-old paradigms about the initial phases of the diversification of angiosperms are in the midst of being rewritten. It is now evident that within the first ten to fifteen million years of flowering plant history, a remarkable diversification of vegetative and floral characteristics occurred and that the earliest phases of angiosperm evolution were characterized by a very high degree of developmental experimentation and structural lability. In contrast to concerted efforts to study the evolution of floral morphology, vegetative anatomy and ecophysiology among ancient angiosperm lineages, little attention has been paid to reconstructing the early diversification of embryological features among flowering plants. Therefore, it is the explicit goal of the proposed research to study the basic and highly interrelated processes of female gametophyte development, double fertilization, and endosperm formation from an evolutionary developmental perspective. This comparative analysis of reproductive features will address important issues of character distribution and lead to a deeper understanding of evolutionary history associated with the initial radiation of flowering plants. Beyond establishing general developmental principles that can explain the diversification of female gametophyte structure and endosperm genetic structure and ploidy, the planned research will make a significant contribution to understanding more general aspects of the tempo and mode of character evolution during the earliest phases of the evolutionary diversification of flowering plants.
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