F I E L D N O T E S • C S I : M I N N E S O T A • L I F E A F T E R C B S

BiologistsNextTHE

GenerationGraduate students are the bioenergy that fuels faculty research labs and the future leaders of Minnesota’s bioscience

industry. That’s why CBS hopes to double the size of graduate programs. See story on page 9.

OFBiologistsNextTHE

GenerationOF

Things have changed just a little since I came to the University of Minnesota as

a graduate student in 1969. Shopping for a graduate school was a national phe-

nomenon even then. You didn’t just go to the university in your own backyard.

You wanted to join a winning team and work with the best faculty. But it was

much more low key. Graduate students were more laissez faire about the appli-

cation process and graduate programs weren’t as aggressive about recruiting.

But today it’s a different world. Universities use slick Web sites and brochures to sell their pro-

grams and fly students in from all over the country for recruitment weekends. That’s because

they know that the quality and quantity of graduate students can determine the quality of their

research programs and the quantity of their funding. And students are much more discriminat-

ing about their choices. They have access to lots more information about programs and faculty

through the Internet. And they know their decision could make or break their career.

Graduate students are an increasingly important part of the research equation because they deter-

mine the volume of work a lab can do and they can take the time to test new ideas. The other parts

of the equation are faculty and facilities. The University and the State of Minnesota have invested

in those. Thanks to the Molecular and Cellular Biology Initiative, we have 41 new faculty and sev-

eral new and renovated facilities. But investment in graduate programs hasn’t kept pace.

In the past, there was concern about training too many graduate students because there wouldn’t

be jobs for them. The purpose of graduate programs was to replace retiring faculty. But that’s no

longer the case. Increasingly, people with graduate degrees in the sciences are going to work for

industry and for government. In fact, a graduate degree is becoming a prerequisite for a career

just like a bachelor’s degree was the ticket 30 years ago.

When a science becomes engineerable, business applications explode. During the 20th century,

advances in physics created electrical engineering and advances in chemistry produced chemical

engineering. Now it’s biology’s turn. Advances in molecular biology, biochemistry, and genomics

have made it possible to engineer molecules and microbes to create new drugs and renewable

fuel, improve crops, and clean up the environment. The potential business applications are unlim-

ited. Bioscience companies in Minnesota are going to need as many people with Ph.D.s as we can

provide. If we don’t provide the work force, there’s a risk that they may go elsewhere.

There’s also a risk that if we don’t invest in graduate education we could lose our investment in faculty.

Faculty rely on graduate students. And if we don’t provide them, another university will. It’s time for the

University and the State to recognize the value of graduate education for research and industry.

Robert Elde, DeanCollege of Biological Sciences belde@cbs.umn.edu

C O L L E G E O F B I O L O G I C A L S C I E N C E S

Visit our Web site at www.cbs.umn.edu.

For address changes, please contact Jean Marie Lindquist atjmlindqu@cbs.umn.edu or 612-625-7705.

Address other correspondence to: prinard@cbs.umn.edu

Robert Elde, Dean

SPRING 2004 ■ Vol. 3 No. 2

EDITORPeggy Rinard

GRAPHIC DESIGNShawn WelchU of M Printing Services

PHOTOGRAPHYTim Rummelhoff

PRINTINGU of M Printing Services

CBS DEAN’S OFFICERobert EldeDean

Judd SheridanAssociate Dean, Research

Robin WrightAssociate Dean, Faculty and Academic Affairs

DEPARTMENT HEADSDavid BernlohrBiochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics

Claudia NeuhauserEcology, Evolution, and Behavior

Kate VandenBoschPlant Biology

Brian Van NessGenetics, Cell Biology, and Development

Investment in graduate education willpay academic and economic dividends

FROM THE DEAN

IN THIS ISSUE

B I O ❙ S P R I N G 2 0 0 4 1

COVER STORY

FEATURES

IN EVERY ISSUE

9 The Next Generation of BiologistsCBS graduate students are the bioenergy that fuels the academicresearch enterprise and the future leaders of research programsand biotech companies. But funding for graduate education doesn’treflect the value of these students to the University, the state, andthe biotechnology industry. To realize its investments in faculty andfacilities, Minnesota needs to step up its commitment to graduateeducation.

2 AbstractsRenewable energy “Prairie Maze” at the Science Museum…Hydrogen reactor uses renewable fuel…Sustainable lion hunting…Girl chimps learn faster than boys…

4 College NewsUniversity Enterprise Laboratories…Genomics and art…Faculty andstudents win top awards…

17 Alumni NewsCBS-St. Paul Saints Game… Fall Fest 2004: Connecting U…Class Notes…

18 Calendar of Events

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The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation.

Printed on elementally chlorine-free recycled paper containing 20 percent post-consumer waste.

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Alumnus Myha Le, forensic scientist

BIO is published three times a year by theUniversity of Minnesota College of BiologicalSciences for alumni, faculty, staff, and friendsof the College. It is available in alternative for-mats upon request; please call 612-624-0774or fax 612-624-2785.

6 BIOCHEMISTRY — Coaxing enzymes to produce new drugs.

7 PLANT BIOLOGY— Algae provide food for thought.

13 FIELD NOTES — Following a trail of fossilized pollen.

14 ALUMNI PROFILE — CSI: Minnesota—Alumni at the scene of the crime.

16 STUDENT LIFE — Whatever happened to the class of 2003?

Romas Kazlauskas, chemical architect

Jennifer Ross Wolff,graduate student

On the Cover Front row: Erin Marasco, Julie Yang; Second row: Chuck Hernick, Ju-Hoon Lee; Third row,Laura Diaz Martinez, Lauren Merlo, Kevin Watts. Photo by Tim Rummelhoff

You may soonbe able to holdthe hydrogeneconomy in thepalm of yourhand.

Lanny Schmidt,IREE clusterleader, andcolleagueshave inventedthe first reac-tor capable of

efficiently producing hydrogen from arenewable fuel source (ethanol). Whencoupled with a hydrogen fuel cell, thenew device—small enough to hold inyour hand—could generate one kilowattof power, almost enough to supply anaverage home. The technology providesa practical means of producing hydro-gen fuel that moves the hydrogen econ-omy a step closer to reality.

The work, which was featured in theFebruary 13 issue of Science, wassupported in part by the University ofMinnesota’s Initiative on RenewableEnergy and the Environment. Schmidt,who is Regents Professor of ChemicalEngineering in the Institute of Technology,is a co-leader of IREE’s HydrogenResearch Cluster. Working with himwere scientist Gregg Deluga, firstauthor of the Science paper, and grad-uate student James Salge. All threeare in the Institute of Technology’sDepartment of Chemical Engineeringand Materials Science. ■

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IREE leader inventshydrogen reactor thatuses renewable fuel

To find your way through the PrairieMaze at the Science Museum ofMinnesota, you’ll have to learn how

plants can be used as fuel and how ecosys-tems provide clean air and water.

The new exhibit, which will open as part ofthe Science Museum’s new Big Backyardexhibit area this summer, is funded inpart by a $125,000 grant from theUniversity’s Initiative for RenewableEnergy and the Environment.

David Tilman, Regents Professor of Ecology,Steve Polasky, ecology, evolution, and behav-ior, and Don Wyse, agronomy and plantgenetics, are working with Patrick Hamiltonat the Science Museum to develop thedemonstration project. The Prairie Maze willbe a working, interactive exhibit that will edu-cate museum visitors about renewable ener-gy and the importance of managing ecosys-tems. Biomass from the Prairie Maze will beused by an adjacent heat and power plant.The exhibit is scheduled to open in June. ■

U and Science Museum partner onrenewable energy ‘Prairie Maze’

IREE has awarded more than $1 millionto faculty who have submitted researchproposals for projects ranging from pro-duction of biohydrogen to public educa-tion on renewable energy and the envi-ronment. Following is a breakdown byaward category and research cluster.

• $325,000 for support services for theResearch Demonstration and OutreachCenter at Morris [In addition to $2.5million committed for the center itself.]

• $75,000 for three seed grants in theHydrogen Cluster

• $281,585 for 10 seed grants in theBioenergy and Bioproducts Cluster

• $117,928 for three seed grants in theConservation and Efficient EnergySystems Cluster

• $88,500 for three seed grants in thePolicy, Economics, and EcosystemsCluster

• $150,000 for two special opportunitiesgrants

• $100,000 for one matching-fund grant

Three additional matching-fund grantstotaling $2,175,000 have been approvedby the IREE executive committee, pendingreceipt of matching funds from outsideagencies.

To view details of funded proposals, or forinformation about how to submit a pro-posal, go to www1.umn.edu/iree/fund-ed_projects.html. ■

IREE awards more than $1 million in research grants

Lanny Schmidt

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Girl chimps learn faster than boy chimpsElizabeth Lonsdorf, former graduate stu-dent in the Department of Ecology,Evolution, and Behavior, is first author of“Sex Differences in Chimpanzee Learning,”published in the April 15 issueof Nature. The studyshows that femaleand male chimpsboth learn fromtheir mothers howto insert sticks intotermite mounds andpull out tasty termitesnacks, but that femaleslearn earlier. Gender differences inlearning this skill compare to differences inhuman girls and boys acquiring fine motorskills, such as writing.

Nature article on sustainable lion hunting Karyl Whitman, graduate student in ecology,evolution, and behavior (EEB), is first authoron “Sustainable Trophy Hunting of AfricanLions,” which was published in the March 11issue of Nature. Craig Packer and TonyStarfield, professors in EEB are co-authors.Henley Quadling, Peyton West, MegganCraft, and Bernard Kissui also contributedto the study. The group presents a novelapproach for managing hunted lion popula-tions that improves conservation of lions.

Second edition of genetics textbook

The second edition of“Genetics: Analysisand Principles,” writ-ten by Rob Brooker,professor of genetics,cell biology, and devel-opment, was releasedin January. Publisheris McGraw-Hill.

RESEARCH GRANTS & AWARDS

Sadowsky awarded $1 million for research on nitrogen-fixing bacteriumMichael Sadowsky, professor of soil, water, and climate, andmember of the Biotechnology Institute, is co-principal investi-gator on a three-year, $1,028,514 grant from the U.S.Department of Agriculture to construct and evaluate genome-wide microarrays to examine environmentally regulated gene expression in the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Bradyrhizobium japonicum (Brj). This bacterium forms asymbiotic association with soybean plants. David Emerich and Gary Stacey from theUniversity of Missouri-Columbia are co-PIs.

NIH awards Kahlert lab $440,000 for X-ray diffraction equipmentThe Kahlert Structural Biology Laboratory, which houses the U’s macromolecular X-ray diffraction facility, has been awarded $440,000 by the National Institutes ofHealth to upgrade the X-ray equipment, with $150,000 in matching funds from CBS,the Medical School, and the Office of the VP for Research. The new equipment willmake it possible to collect high quality X-ray data more quickly using smaller crystalsof biological molecules. Principal investigator is Carrie Wilmot, assistant professor ofbiochemistry, molecular biology, and biophysics, director of the lab. The Kahlert lab islocated in the Basic Science and Biomedical Engineering Building on the Minneapoliscampus. The new equipment is expected to be operational by fall 2004.

Robert Sterner received a $337,076 grantfrom the National Science Foundation to con-duct a study on “Element Linkage andGrowth-Competition Tradeoffs in FreshwaterZooplankton.”

Robert Sterner and Jacques Finlay received a$375,931 National Science Foundation awardto study “The Nitrifying of Lake Superior andIts Intersections with the P and Fe Cycles.”Sterner is professor of ecology, evolution, andbehavior; Finlay is assistant professor.

Reuben Harris, assistant professor of biochemistry, molecular biology, and biophysics,has been has been named a 2004-2006 Searle Scholar. The national award programrecognizes excellence in biomedical research and selects 15 assistant professors forthis honor each year. Harris studies enzymes involved in nucleotide metabolism,specifically the class of proteins that deaminate RNA and DNA, which are involved in a variety of biological processes from RNA editing to immunity.

The Neuroscience Graduate Program is among nine neuroscience programs nation-wide selected for the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate, a five-year action andresearch project aimed at improving doctoral education at American universities. Theinitiative is supported by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.For more information, go to http://www.carnegiefoundation.org

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Chromosome of the Brj bacterium.

Ecology Professor Robert Sterner hasreceived two NSF grants for researchinvolving Lake Superior.

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onstruction on UniversityEnterprise Laboratories (UEL),Inc. a nonprofit incubator for

biotech start-up companies, is sched-uled to begin this summer. The build-ing, purchased by the City of St. Paul, issituated on an 11-acre site within theSt. Paul Bioscience Zone and adjacentto the transitway that connects theUniversity’s St. Paul and Minneapoliscampuses.

UEL is a nonprofit entity separate fromthe University created to provide labspace for early stage bioscience com-panies and opportunities for faculty and

students. Robert Elde, Dean of theCollege of Biological Sciences, is chair-man of the board of directors.

The UEL building has 125,000 squarefeet of existing office and warehousespace. It will be renovated to create acollaborative research center with50,000 square feet of lab-based incuba-tor space and 75,000 square feet ofoffice/lab space for bioscience andrelated companies. Founding partnersinclude the University of MinnesotaFoundation, the City of St. Paul, XcelEnergy, 3M, Medtronic, Surmodics,Dorsey, Ecolab, and Guidant. ■

Several CBSfaculty mem-bers con-tributed to“Gene(sis):ContemporaryArt ExploresHumanGenomics,” an exhibit featured at the WeismanArt Museum from January 31 through May 23.Rick Peifer, General Biology Program, providedinstruction on genetics for Weisman staff andvolunteers. Mark Decker, also in the GeneralBiology Program, developed a kiosk computerprogram to introduce museum visitors to basicbiology behind the art. Philip Regal, professor ofecology, evolution, and behavior, led a series ofdiscussions related to the exhibit titled “Art,Genes, and the Future: The Artistic Challenge inthe Age of Biology.”

Gene(sis) is organized into four sections repre-senting the following themes:

Sequence: Language and structure of genomicand genetic research.

Specimen: Key issues of DNA ownership, per-sonal privacy, and ethics.

Boundary: Investigations of the newly perme-able boundaries between species and the waysin which transgenics has long haunted bothWestern and Eastern cultural imaginings,including Eduardo Kac's transgenic GFP Bunnyaka "Alba," and large-scale, digitally alteredphotographs by Seattle artist Jaq Chartier.

Subject: Re-imaginings of notions of individualsubjectivity, family, and human "nature" in thewake of recent genomic developments. ■

Reporters’ Guide to CBS biology expertsA guide to faculty with expertise intopics of interest to the media is nowposted on the UM News Service Website at http://www1.umn.edu/urelate/newsservice/expertsbio.html as wellas on the CBS Web site underResources for the Media.

The Reporters' Guide covers hot top-ics in biology, ranging from renew-able energy and materials to bioter-rorism. There's also a listing ofexperts for each department. ■

University Enterprise Laboratories

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Construction on UEL, which will provide lab space for biotech start-up companies, is expected tobegin this summer.

Weisman exhibitexplores genomicsand art

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CCllaauuddiiaa NNeeuuhhaauusseerr is among sixUniversity faculty who received the 2004Horace T. Morse—University ofMinnesota Alumni Award for OutstandingContributions to UndergraduateEducation. Neuhauser is professor andhead of ecology, evolution, and behavior.

LLeesslliiee SScchhiiffff,, director of undergradu-ate studies for microbiology, will receivethe Carski Award at the general meetingof the American Society for Microbiologyin New Orleans on May 24. The Carskiaward is the highest honor given forteaching microbiology to undergraduatestudents.

WWiillllaarrdd KKoouukkkkaarrii,, professor of plantbiology retired in January. During almostfour decades of service to the University,Will devoted himself to helping undergrad-uates find the key to knowledge withinthemselves, artfully encouraging them asthey learn, not just facts, but also how tolearn and perhaps even more important,how to enjoy learning so that it becomes alifelong pursuit. Will is also known for hisresearch in the field of chronobiology, orbiological rhythms.

BBaarrbbaarraa TThheennoo joined CBS as Directorof Human Resources in March. Thenocomes to the University from Great RiverEnergy in Elk River, where she workedfor nine years and helped arrange a suc-cessful merger. She brings a great dealof professional experience in organiza-tional development, performance man-agement, conflict resolution, contractnegotiation, legal compliance, and policydevelopment.

JJeenn WWhhiittee,, EEB graduate student, wasawarded a Torske Klubben Fellowship for2004-05. The Torske Klubben, founded in1933, awards fellowships to Minnesotaresident graduate students who areinterested in connections with Norwayand its culture.

PEOPLE2004 Distinguished McKnight University Professors MMiicchhaaeell SSaaddoowwsskkyy and NNeevviinn YYoouunnggare among five faculty named DistinguishedMcKnight University Professors for 2004.Sadowsky, professor of soil, water, and cli-mate and Biotechnology Institute member,was chosen for research achievements inenvironmental microbiology, includinggenomics of microbial degradation of envi-ronmental pollutants, and for contributionsto research on nitrogen fixation, microbialecology of bacteria in soils and water, and understanding how global change influencesmicrobial processes in soil. Young, professor of plant pathology and plant biology, wasselected for his achievements in legume genomics and bioinformatics. His research ongene discovery and genome mapping provides useful applications in agriculture by defin-ing genes that affect plant disease resistance, seed quality, and responses to environ-mental stresses. He is leading the international effort to sequence the first legumegenome. Recipients hold the title for as long as they remain at the University ofMinnesota and receive $100,000 over five years. Past CBS recipients include DavidBernlohr, Larry Wackett, David Tilman, Craig Packer, and Ann Pusey.

CBS students win top national scholarships MMaayyaa BBaabbuu,, a CBS junior majoring in neuroscience, isone of two University of Minnesota students whoreceived a 2004 Truman Scholarship. An honors student,Maya coordinates the University Promise Alliance, a stu-dent-driven organization that aims to mobilize studentsto work on the needs of children and youth who live nearcampus. She is involved with many other groups thatwork with youth and volunteerism, and she plans to pur-sue medical and law degrees to prepare for a career inmental health policy. Maya will receive $26,000 for hersenior year and for her graduate education.

Maralyssa Bann is one of three University of Minnesota students to receive theprestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. A graduate of Eden Prairie High School,Maralyssa is pursuing a bachelor of science degree in neuroscience and is a sopho-more in the CBS honors program. She plans to become a practicing neurologist, com-bining laboratory and clinical research to develop treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.Goldwater Scholars receive up to $7,500 per year for two years.

Joseph Foley is one of eight students in the United States to receive a SummerUndergraduate Research Fellowship from the American Society of Plant Biologists. Joe isa graduate of Mounds View High School and, as a freshman in the CBS Honors Program,is carrying out a research project in Carolyn Silflow’s laboratory in the Department ofPlant Biology. The fellowship provides a stipend of $3,000 plus supplies and a travel grant that allows participants to present their research at the annual ASPB meeting.

Nevin Young and Michael Sadowsky

Maya Babu

Believe it or not, a youngman once got turned onto an exciting career by

watching paint dry.

As a student at Cleveland Statein the mid-70s, RomasKazlauskas worked for a compa-ny that made the lead com-pounds that catalyzed the dryingprocess, speeding it up. Theexperience sparked a lifelonginterest in catalysts and how theycan be harnessed for new jobs.Now an associate professor ofbiochemistry, molecular biology,and biophysics, Kazlauskas is achemical architect, building bothnew drugs and new drug-synthe-sizing enzymes. His goal is moreefficient and greener (less pol-luting) routes to the next genera-tion of drugs.

“We’re trying to evolve enzymesto synthesize new drugs, and

we’re also evolvingsmall moleculesand screening themfor their potentialas drug precur-sors,” Kazlauskassays.

Raised in Clevelandby Lithuanian immi-grant parents,Kazlauskas left hishome town forgraduate school atMIT in Cambridge,Mass. After receiv-ing his Ph.D. in1982, he moved astone’s throw upthe Charles River toHarvard for a

three-year postdoctoral position.

“It was an exciting place to be,”he recalls. “You could feel theenergy everywhere.”

Some of that energy came fromseries of developments in chem-istry. Kazlauskas and his con-temporaries discovered how totap the powers of naturalenzymes for everything fromcleaning fabrics to making newdrugs. He took that knowledge toa job at General Electric inSchenectady, N.Y., where hestudied the biodegradation ofPCBs. After three years at G.E.,he joined the faculty of McGillUniversity in Montreal, where hespent the next 15 years.

A big hurdle in the manufactureof drugs is getting around thefact that many drugs are likegloves—they come in left- and

right-handed forms. Usually, onlyone form is useful. The trick is tomake sure that in each chain ofchemical reactions leading tosynthesis of a drug, only chemi-cals of the correct “handedness”are formed.

To that end, Kazlauskas ismutating genes for enzymes thatcatalyze such reactions, aimingto produce new enzymes that willlead to new drugs without pro-ducing byproducts of the wronghandedness. He also uses tradi-tional chemical means to gener-ate novel molecules, which hethen tests for drug-like activity.In short, he is advancing thesearch for new drugs by evolvingboth new enzymes and new mol-ecules with potential as drugs.Also, some of his new enzymesmay find uses in industry asreplacements for chemicalprocesses that produce environ-mental pollutants.

A globetrotter, Kazlauskas col-laborates with scientists inMontreal and Sweden. Four yearsago, he visited his ancestralcountry for the first time whenhe attended a conference inVilnius, Lithuania. As a fluentspeaker of Lithuanian, he gotaround just fine.

Back home, Kazlauskas keepsphysically active by running thethree miles from Gortner Lab tohis home, which he shares withhis wife and three children.

—Deane Morrison

Romas Kazlauskas, new faculty member in the Department ofBiochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, induces theevolution of enzymes to find new medicines.

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Biochemist coaxes enzymesto make new biological drugs

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The experience

sparked a lifelong

interest in cata-

lysts and how they

can be harnessed

for new jobs.

In a pond, one-celled algaeknown as Chlamydomonasprovide food for fish, water-

bugs, and other creatures. InCarolyn Silflow’s lab, the micro-scopic green creatures are pro-viding food for thought as Silflowworks to understand a type ofsubcellular structure that notonly helps Chlamydomonasmove, but also plays a part in aspectrum of biological functions,from reproduction in primitiveplants to hearing in humans.

A professor of plant biology,Silflow studies Chlamydomonas’flagella, two whiplike appendagesthat beat in a breast-stroke pat-tern to propel it through itswatery world. In particular, she’sgot her eye on the root of thematter—subcellular structurescalled basal bodies from whichflagella arise. By learning therole various genes play in theconstruction and function ofbasal bodies, Silflow hopes toshed light on how flagella andtheir close relatives, cilia, work—and why they don’t when theydon’t.

To learn about basal bodies,Silflow is using a process calledgene discovery. First, she createsmutations that affect the number,position, and movement of flagella.She then looks at the geneticmaterial of the mutants to findout which gene has been altered.Once she knows the gene, shecan identify the correspondingprotein. Finally, she can figureout the protein’s function basedon what she knows about what’s

awry with the mutant. So farshe's made seven kinds ofmutants and has identified thegenes and proteins associatedwith four of them.

The biochemical pathways Silflowis exploring as she works to learnhow flagella work are fascinatingfor their own sake. But herresearch is drawing attention forother reasons, too. It turns out anamazing array of structures inpeople and other animals—tailsof sperm, the ciliated cells thatclear airways, light-sensingstructures in eyes, sound-sens-ing cells in inner ears, cells thatusher eggs from ovary to fallopi-an tube, kidney cells that helpcleanse blood—all contain struc-tures remarkably similar to fla-gella. As a result, information onhow Chlamydomonas flagellawork is providing valuableinsights into a spectrum ofhuman ailments, including someforms of infertility, vision prob-lems, and kidney disorders.

“My motivation is not working ona particular disease; I get a lot ofsatisfaction just from the verybasic work of trying to under-stand the molecular mecha-nisms,” Silflow says. “Butbecause these are highly con-served organelles I know thatwhat I learn is important in thebigger picture.”

In addition to looking at specificmutations, Silflow has beenworking with Paul Lefebvre,another professor of plant biologywho is using gene discovery to

explore flagellar mutations, tocreate a molecular map of theChlamydomonas genome. Themap will improve researchers’ability to use gene discovery toidentify and characterize genesthat control various aspects ofChlamydomonas structure andfunction.

“It allows you to go from a phe-notype to then clone the genethat is mutated to give you thatphenotype,” Silflow says. “So ifyou map the mutation geneticallyyou can go into that region of thegenome and clone the gene.”

—Mary K. Hoff

One-celled algae providefood for fish and food for thought

Carolyn Silflow and Paul Lefebvre conduct genetic research on Chlamydomonas,a one-celled algae, that is providing insights into a variety of human ailments.

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Erin MarascoErin Marasco (left), a graduate student in the labof Claudia Schmidt-Dannert (right), uses directedevolution and metabolic pathway engineering tocreate new biological compounds. She puts in 50to 60 hours a week and receives a stipend of$22,000 a year. Marasco considers herself luckybecause funding for her position is secure.

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omething smells good in ClaudiaSchmidt-Dannert’s lab. Mmmm.It looks good, too. And it probably

even tastes good, says grad studentErin Marasco. But it’s not ready for ataste test just yet. Most experimentsgraduate students perform are bynature exploratory. And results are atleast as likely to end up down the drainas featured in a scientific journal or asbiology’s latest product. That’s one ofthe many reasons graduate studentsare valuable. They can try out lots ofcreative ideas to find the ones thatmerit development.

Marasco helps Schmidt-Dannert shufflegenes for carotenoids (pigments foundin carrots, and other fruits and vegeta-bles) to create metabolic pathways thatare inserted into bacteria to make newbiological compounds. The compoundshave a variety of applications, from nat-ural colors, flavors, and aromas infoods to anticancer drugs.

Microbial biotechnology is a form ofgreen chemistry, Marasco explains.Biological compounds are healthier

than chemical compounds and don’tgenerate as much waste. The techniquecan produce more complex compounds.And it’s actually more efficient thanchemical synthesis.

Marasco is one of about 270 graduatestudents who work in faculty researchlabs throughout the College ofBiological Sciences. They are the bioen-ergy that fuels the academic researchenterprise and the glue that holds ittogether. Faculty rely on them to carryout research and test new ideas.Departments rely on them to teachintroductory courses and labs. Andundergraduates look up to them.

No stable funding for graduate educationYet for all the work they do and respectthey earn, CBS graduate students occu-py a precarious position because fund-ing is increasingly patched togetherfrom a variety of sources that can shiftor disappear at any time.

Graduate students are paid a stipend tocover living expenses. At CBS, that

ranges from $14,000 to $22,000 peryear depending on the department andlength of the term. They also receivetuition and fringe benefits, which canadd more than $10,000 per student.

During the first year most students takecourses and rotate through researchlabs before committing to one, wherethey work for the next two to four years.During their last year, they focus oncompleting their research and disser-tation. Faculty use their research grantsto pay the stipend, tuition, and benefitswhile students work in their labs. Manystudents also receive part of their sup-port as teaching assistants.

First and last-year support is morechallenging. First-year students don’thave time to work because of classesand lab rotations. Fifth-year students insome programs require separate fundswhile they devote full-time to their dis-sertation. The Graduate School providesonly 110 first-year and dissertation fel-lowships University-wide each year. Thecoveted awards are divvied up amongprograms. Federal agencies, such as

CBS graduate students are the bioenergy that fuels the academic research enterprise and thefuture leaders of bioscience education programs, government agencies, and biotech companies. But funding for graduate education doesn’t reflect the value of these students to the University, the state, and the biotechnology industry. To realize investments in faculty and facilities, Minnesotaneeds to step up its commitment to graduate education.

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the National Institutes of Health, NationalScience Foundation, and U.S. Departmentof Agriculture, provide some fellowshipsupport. The 3M Graduate FellowshipFund, the University’s 21st CenturyFellowship Fund, and individual fellow-ships also support a number of CBS grad-uate students.

But the combined resources fall short ofthe $8.1 million it takes to support the 270CBS graduate students each year. The bur-den for the remainder falls on depart-

ments, which rely on soft money fromunfilled faculty positions and othersources. And recent budget cuts havemade soft money harder to come by. Somedepartments are actually going into thered to cover the costs. Ironically, depart-ments don’t always benefit directly. Manystudents now work with faculty membersoutside of their program’s home depart-ment because of the multi-departmentaland even multi-college composition of theprogram’s graduate faculty. Program lead-ers are forced to “Go hat in hand from

place to place asking for money,” saysMeg Titus, Director of Graduate Studies forthe Department of Genetics, Cell Biology,and Development.

“We are supporting graduate students on ahope and a prayer,” adds David Bernlohr,Head of the Department of Biochemistry,Molecular Biology, and Biophysics.

“We need twice as many students to supportfaculty research and to be competitive withother universities. At this point the formulafor that is two times a hope and a prayer.”

A wake-up call from externalreview committee To complicate matters further, demand forgraduate students has never been greater.Departments are scrambling to providestudents for 41 faculty hired through theMolecular and Cellular Biology Initiative,which did not provide funds for graduatestudents.

A recent external review observed that thegraduate programs in the Department ofBiochemistry, Molecular Biology, andBiophysics and the Department ofGenetics, Cell Biology, and Developmentare not nearly large enough to support fac-ulty research. They noted that the ratio ofgrad students to faculty is 3:1 at competi-tor institutions while it’s only 1:1 on aver-age in these programs, a ratio that’s com-parable to other CBS programs.

Reviewers state that “Graduate studentproductivity is the engine that drivesresearch progress, award of grant dollars,and resulting indirect costs to theUniversity. It is in the University’s bestinterests to facilitate the accommodationof as many qualified students as can beattracted the program.” However, thereviewers also note that “Costs are a disin-centive for faculty to take more students,even if more were available,” mainlybecause of the high fringe rate at theUniversity of Minnesota. On the plus side,reviewers were very positive aboutimprovements made in faculty and facili-ties through the Molecular and CellularBiology Initiative. They commented on the

T H E N E X T G E

Joe Fargione Joe Fargione (left), born and raised in Minneapolis, earned his bachelor’s degree from HampshireCollege in Massachusetts, but returned to Minnesota to work with David Tilman, Regents Professor ofEcology (right). His research focuses on the consequences of biodiversity loss in prairies, which resultsfrom runoff of nitrogen fertilizers. After he graduates in June, Joe will go to the University of New Mexicofor a postdoctoral fellowship. His career goal is to study how plant communities, and the ecosystem serv-ices they provide to humans, are affected by changes in global ecosystems. While at the University ofMinnesota, he has been supported by fellowships and teaching. And he has authored or co-authored ninejournal articles. “I have been very fortunate,” Joe says. “But I worry that younger colleagues who don’tget as much support can’t be as productive.”

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B I O ❙ S P R I N G 2 0 0 4 11

number of talented young faculty and theamount and quality of research space. Butthey said graduate programs are as impor-tant as faculty and facilities, and warnedthat the University is in jeopardy of losingits investment if it doesn’t make a similarinvestment to grow graduate programs.

The need to pay higher fringe costs makes itdifficult for other programs to offer competi-tive stipends, which affects the University’sability to recruit top students. ClaudiaNeuhauser, head of the Department ofEcology, Evolution, and Behavior andDirector of Graduate Studies reports that theUniversity of Michigan and NorthwesternUniversity offer ecology graduate students$20,000 over 12 months, while she can offeronly $14,000 for nine months. While her pro-gram’s reputation continues to attract topstudents, this is increasingly difficultbecause of funding. She is also deeply concerned that she can not guarantee students funding for five years, which isstandard among many competitors.

“We can say that they will probably have thefinancial support they need to complete theprogram, but we can’t promise,” Neuhausersays. Her department encourages studentsto pursue independent research rather thanexclusively support faculty research, so fac-ulty research grants don’t cover as much ofthe costs. She relies more heavily onTeaching Assistantships, funding from theGraduate School, and fellowships providedby federal agencies and individuals. But asthe number of graduate students in theprogram has grown, the number of teach-ing assistantships and fellowships has notkept pace.

“We know there aren’t any pots of moneylying around,” Neuhauser says. “It’s a mat-ter of the state and the University settingpriorities.”

Carolyn Silflow, Associate Director ofGraduate Studies for the Plant BiologicalSciences Graduate Program, says she isconcerned about stipends keeping pace

N E R A T I O N O F B I O L O G I S T S

Jennifer Ross WolffAfter earning a B.S. in biology from Millikin University in Illinois and an M.S. in cell biology from Vanderbilt University,Jennifer Ross Wolff came to the University of Minnesota to work in David Zarkower’s lab while her husband earneda master’s degree in music composition, and later entered the Ph.D. program. She shares Zarkower’s interest inusing the model organism C.elegans to understand what genes determine gender. Jennifer is supported by a fel-lowship from the National Institutes of Mental Health to study how the male nervous system differs from the femaleand what genes regulate those differences. She has authored several journal articles. When she graduates in abouta year, Jennifer hopes to teach in a small liberal arts college in Minnesota or elsewhere in the Midwest.

The value of graduateeducation for MinnesotaCarol Pletcher, Ph.D. in biochem-istry, Vice President, Cargill, Inc.Carol Pletcher knows something about thevalue of graduate education. After earning aPh.D. in biochemistry at the College ofBiological Sciences in the late 1970s, she washired as a staff scientist in product developmentand has worked her way up to Vice President.Pletcher received a fellowship from theAmerican Association of University Women thatenabled her to complete her doctoral degree.She and her husband, Wayne, recently estab-lished a fellowship fund of their own to providethe same kind of support for other youngwomen. Cargill matched the gift and Wayne’semployer, 3M, did the same. The amount wasalso matched by the University of Minnesota21st Century Graduate Fellowship Fund.

Here are some other examples offormer graduate students who aremaking a difference in Minnesota.

BBrriiaann BBrraazzeeaauu,, Ph.D. in biochemistry,Biotechnology TDC, Cargill, Inc.

KKaarrll CCllaarrkk,, Ph.D. in genetics, scientist atDiscovery Genomics in Minneapolis.

MMeerrvvyynn DDeeSSoouussaa,, Ph.D. in microbial engineer-ing, principal scientist in the BiotechnologyDevelopment Center, Cargill, Inc.

BBoo HHeeddlluunndd,, Ph.D. in biochemistry, Presidentand CEO of Biomedical Frontiers, Inc.

JJuulliiee KKiirriihhaarraa,, Ph.D., in biochemistry, founder and president of ATG Laboratories,past-president of MNBIO.

GGoorrddoonn MMaaccFFaarrllaannee,, Ph.D. in biochemistry,Director of Research and Development atDiasorin, Inc.

FFrraannkkllyynn PPrreennddeerrggaasstt,, Ph.D. in biochemistry,Director of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center.

RRuutthh SShhuummaann,, Ph.D. in genetics, founder andpresident of Gentra Systems, Inc.

PPaauull SSaavveerreeiiddee,, Ph.D. in genetics and J.D.,intellectual property attorney for Cargill, Inc.

JJooeell TTaallllaakksseenn,, Ph.D in plant biology, EMSLAnalytical, an environmental consulting firm.

KKiipplliinngg TThhaacckkeerr,, Ph.D. in microbiology, co-founder and Director of New Business andDevelopment for Lifecore, Inc.

MMaarrkk TToommaaii,, Ph.D. in microbiology, 3MPharmaceuticals.

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C O L L E G E O F B I O L O G I C A L S C I E N C E S12

with the cost of living, particularly hous-ing, in the Twin Cities. Meanwhile stipendsat other Universities are climbing as pro-grams get more competitive.

“The University of Texas offers students asigning bonus and a computer,” she says.“We just can’t compete with that.”

Graduate program rankingsreflect research quality The National Research Council (NRC)ranks graduate programs about onceevery 10 years. Faculty, students, andeven funding agencies tend to use therankings to judge overall quality of aresearch program. Consequently, rank-

ings influence a program’s ability toattract top faculty, students, and funds.

“For the most part, the rankings are high-ly correlated with program size,” saysJudd Sheridan, CBS Associate Dean forResearch. Sheridan says that bigger pro-grams are better known and attract morenational attention, largely because facultylabs with more graduate students aremore productive and bring in more federalgrants. Moreover, more students graduateand move on to postdoctoral positions,further enhancing the reputation of theprogram.

In the last NRC survey of biological sci-ence graduate programs, which wasreleased in 1995, most of the University'sprograms ranked between 34th and 39th.(The exception, Ecology, was ranked 15th)That’s one reason the University decidedto reorganize and consolidate basic sci-ences programs in CBS, the MedicalSchool, and the College of Agriculture,Food, and Environmental Sciences severalyears ago. The new departments are larg-er and stronger. The Molecular andCellular Biology Initiative, launched in1997, gave biology another boost withfunds to hire 41 new faculty and to con-struct or renovate research facilities.

The NRC has not released rankings since1995, but the external group that reviewedthe joint MCDGB program said that it was“probably not in the top 20, but definitelyin the top 40. In 2002, U.S. News & WorldReport ranked University of Minnesotabiological sciences graduate programs29th among about 140 institutions.

Erin Marasco says the student perceptionis that Minnesota is “middle of the pack”while the University of Wisconsin,Madison, the University of Michigan,Washington University in St. Louis, andthe University of Washington, Seattle arein the top 10.

“Most people come here because of geog-raphy,” says Marasco, who chose the Ubecause of the microbial biochemistrygroup’s reputation and because her hus-band got a job as an engineer for GeneralMills. She says students are generally sat-isfied, but some worry about getting the

financial support they need to completetheir Ph.D. and how the University’snational reputation will affect their jobsearch after graduation.

Graduate programs supportthe growth of biotechnologyIncreasing the size of graduate programsis also good for Minnesota’s economy.About half of the people who earn Ph.D.sin the Department of Biochemistry,Molecular Biology, and Biophysics go intoindustry rather than academia. And theexternal review noted that graduates areremaining in Minnesota.

They join the state’s “creative class,” saysDean Robert Elde. “These are the peoplewho come up with the ideas for new tech-nologies, start companies, and create jobsin biotechnology.”

Sheridan says that other states havefound ways to support graduate educationbecause they recognize its importance. InMinnesota, as elsewhere, the solution willneed to come from everyone who benefitsfrom graduate education.

“Faculty are willing to step up and writemore grants. The University needs to rec-ognize that the quality and quantity of stu-dents determines our national reputationas a research institution and influencesour ability to recruit faculty and receivefederal grants. The state needs to helpbecause biotechnology industry won’trelocate or grow here unless the work-force is here. Companies who hire gradu-ates will benefit from investing in gradu-ate fellowships. “

There’s a growing awareness within theUniversity that this is an important issue,Elde says. He is hopeful it will be broughtto the Legislature’s attention during the2005 session.

“This is really finishing the work MarkYudof started several years ago with thereorganization of the biological sciencesand the Molecular and Cellular BiologyInitiative,” Elde says. “It’s also very com-patible with the Governor Pawlenty’s goalsand interests.”

—Peggy Rinard

Adam HuangAdam Huang is a second-year student whoworks with plant biologist Sue Gibson. Gibson’slab, located in the Cargill Building for Microbialand Plant Genomics, explores the role of sugarin regulating plant gene expression and devel-opment. In plants, sugars are similar to hor-mones because they affect flowering, earlyseedling development, and other processes. Inaddition to addressing scientific questions, along-term goal of the research is to engineermore productive plants by altering the way thatplants respond to sugar. Huang earned a B.S.in biotechnology and M.S. in plant biology inChina before coming to the University ofMinnesota.

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When Shinya Sugitaneeds to unwind, hegoes to his laboratory,

flips on a microscope, positions aslide on the viewing stage, andstarts to tally what he sees.Basswood . . . American elm . . .another elm . . . red maple. . .

“I love counting pollen,” saysSugita, assistant professor in theDepartment of Ecology, Evolution,and Behavior. “It’s very relaxing.”

Sugita is a palynologist—a scien-tist who studies ancient pollengrains and other microfossilsfound in sediment beneath lakesand bogs. Based on their obser-vations, palynologists can paint aportrait of the vegetation at vari-ous times and places of our plan-et’s past. They can then correlatethose changes with knownchanges in other variables suchas climate and the presence ofhumans to create a clearer pic-ture of how external forces shapeecosystems.

Sugita got into this field in thelate 1970s as a way to combinetwo big interests of his—historyand ecology. At the time itseemed to be basic science at itsbest—knowledge for the sake ofknowledge. But as global climatechange began to attract atten-tion, so did palynology. Becausethe fossil pollen record showshow vegetation changes as cli-mate changes, it’s useful for test-ing models attempting to predicthow future climate might affectfuture vegetation. “Over the last10 to 15 years paleorecords havebecome more important as peo-

ple try to understand change inthe environment,” Sugita says.

Results from palynological stud-ies are also drawing interestfrom the emerging field of con-servation biology, which seeks topreserve or recreate aspects ofnature in their natural state.“Paleodata help tell us what toconserve,” Sugita says. “InEurope, Japan, this country, peo-ple are interested in what werethe natural conditions before.”

As interest in their field hasgrown, palynologists have faceda bit of a challenge. Traditionallythey have been a qualitativebunch, observing but not apply-ing a whole lot of mechanisticthinking to their observations.Consequently, the discipline wasshort on the quantitative rigorpublic policymakers need toextrapolate from a picture ofwhat was to predict what mightbe.

Fortunately, Sugita was a bit of arenegade in this regard. As apostdoctoral student workingwith now-professor emeritusMargaret Davis in the 1990s, hedeveloped an elaborate computermodel that takes the many vari-ables involved in pollen distribu-tion, from pollen weight andshape to prevailing winds andtopography, and creates fromthem a corrective lens that trans-forms historical pollen data into acomparatively clear picture of thepast.

In 1997 Sugita took his model toSweden to evaluate, “the history

and impact of human activities onvegetation over the last 5,000 to7,000 years.” As part of thateffort he and his European col-leagues obtained funding fromthe Nordic Research Council inNorway to enhance the user-friendliness of his computer pro-gram and train Ph.D. studentsfrom 10 European countries touse it.

—Mary K. Hoff

Shinya Sugita uses fossil records of pollen to study the history of vegetation andclimate.

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B I O ❙ S P R I N G 2 0 0 4 13

Ancient pollen shed light on currentenvironmental issues

Week in and week out,sometimes up to fourtimes a week, TV view-

ers are entertained—if not daz-zled—by the science-citing sleuthsof “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”and its several spinoffs.

A Johnny-come-lately to the phe-nomenon sat down recently for aninaugural viewing of CSI: Miami.First, our smooth-talking (andincredibly intuitive) prime-timeforensic scientists targeted a manwho manufactured fiberglasssurfboards when traces of fiber-glass resin were found on acrime-scene ski mask. Later, thekiller was fingered because thevise he used to make a piece of

jewelry for the victim’s wife leftthe exact same microscopicimprint on the shotgun hesawed off to commit the murder.

As investigative work goes,that’s sexy stuff. Kinda makesyou want to find a job in forensicscience. A number of CBS gradshave done just that, and areworking at places like theMinnesota Bureau of CriminalApprehension (BCA) and theArmed Forces’ DNA identifica-tion lab near Washington, D.C.

Kathryn Hanna, faculty adviserfor the CBS Forensics Club, haswitnessed an explosion of stu-dents interested in forensic sci-

ence following the popularity ofthe CSI shows. In the spring of2002, the club had about a dozeninterested students. Now, twoyears later, there are more than200 names on the club’s e-maillist.

There is no formal degree pro-gram in forensic science in theUpper Midwest, but that does notand should not curtail CBS stu-dents’ interest in the field. Anytraining in the basic sciences isgood background.

Jennifer Zimdars’ (’99, geneticsand cell biology) decided to pursue an advanced degree, and attended graduate school atGeorge Washington University inWashington, D.C., for forensic science. After an internship, she

CSI: MINNESOTA

CBS alumni who are nowforensic scientists at theS t . P a u l B u r e a u o fCriminal Apprehension(BCA). From front to backare Myha Le, B .S . inBiochemistry, 2000; AmyTierney, B.S. in Genetics,‘97; Staci Bennett, B.S. inBiology, ‘91; Jim Liberty,B.S. in Microbiology, ‘87;Drake Holter, B . S . i nB i o l o g y , ‘ 9 4 . Not pic-tured are Jay Wenner andDelores Schoenbauer.

Exquisite CorpseTo their left is the “ExquisiteCorpse,” stained glass artcreated for the Bureau’s newbuilding. It represents crosssections of the corpse of aconvicted felon, considered tobe anatomically perfect. Hedonated his body for forensicsresearch and education.

14 C O L L E G E O F B I O L O G I C A L S C I E N C E S

CBS alumni at the scene of the crime

Bloody shoeStaci Bennett and Amy Tierney, who work in thepare to analyze DNA of blood splattered on a shoedence in a homicide case. Tierney specializes insexual assaults, homicides, and other crimes.

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landed a position at the American Registryof Pathology’s DNA identification lab inRockville, Maryland.

Working under the Office of the ArmedForces Medical Examiner, the lab’s pri-mary charge is “to identify all fallen sol-diers” of the U.S. armed forces,Zimdars says. This includes agrowing effort to confirm theidentities of soldiers fromprevious wars, includingVietnam and Korea.

“Over the years, we’veidentified many fallen [sol-dier] remains, including theTomb of the Unknown Soldier,” saysZimdars.

Her office has also handled some extremelyhigh-profile work—most notably the recentDNA analysis of Saddam Hussein as well ashis two sons, Uday and Qusay, who werekilled by coalition forces in Iraq. Sampleswere compared using Y chromosomal STR(short tandem repeat) DNA analysis.

“Uday and Qusay and Saddam all had theexact same profile, and also the bodyguard[who was killed with the sons],” says

Zimdars. “It probablymeans that the body-guard is a close relativesomewhere in thepaternal line.”

Zimdars says there’s nodoubt that the CSIshows have spawned adramatic increase ininterest in forensic sci-ence. Over the past fewyears, Zimdars says,applications to GeorgeWashington “have prob-ably more than quadru-pled.” “We’re gettingthousands of applica-tions for about 200spaces,” she says.

Another CBS alum’s entry into forensicscience predates the debut of CSI by manyyears; in fact, it even precedes the exten-sive use of DNA testing. When JimDougherty (’89, microbiology) was hired bythe Minnesota BCA in 1990, the lab was

still doing serological testing of sam-ples based on proteins in the blood.

“I was hired with a number of otherscientists to start forensic DNA

analysis, and by 1991 I was doingcase work in DNA analysis,” Doughertysays. He continued that work through-

out the ’90s and went on to becomea crime scene team leader, pro-

cessing two of the scenes in the KatiePoirer abduction case. In 2001, Doughertymoved to the BCA’s new office in Bemidji,Minn.—a satellite lab for the St. Paulheadquarters—where he is assistant labdirector.

Dougherty says that the BCA typicallyhires students who have a degree in a sci-ence. “They’re in the program they needto be in if they’re in the College ofBiological Sciences,” he says. “If you wantto work in the field of DNA analysis, youneed to have biochemistry, genetics,molecular biology, and some kind of astatistics class.” There are currently sevenCBS alums working in the BCA’s St. Pauloffice, and an eighth will soon join them.

As for the merits of “CSI: Crime SceneInvestigation,” “CSI: Miami,” and otherhighly rated dramas capturing the fanciesof armchair detectives just about everyweekday evening?

Dougherty says that the shows havechanged the lives of forensic scientists,sometimes for the better and sometimesfor the worse. While there is increasedinterest from students and a lot morerequests for tours of the BCA facilities, hesays there is a definite downside. In somecases, the DNA analysis that some jurorsexpect to occur may not be necessary or,for that matter, even possible. “It makes

juries expect a lot,” he says. “They thinkthey know how we do our jobs because ofwhat they see on TV.”

What does Zimdars think of the shows?

The science can actually be very accurate,she says. “What isn’t realistic is the turn-around time,” she says. “And of course the

drama associated with it. I don’t reallywatch them anymore, because I know thedaily routine, and the amount of gruntwork, are so different.”

—Rick Moore

B I O ❙ S P R I N G 2 0 0 4 15

BCA’s biology section, pre-that was submitted as evi-analyzing DNA samples fromBennett is section supervisor.

Drug bust Myha Le confirms that packets of white powder taken in adrug bust are heroin. The BCA’s chemistry section, whereLe works, primarily identifies drugs. Meth amphetamine isthe most common drug that comes through this lab.

“There’s no doubt that the CSI

shows have spawned a dramatic

increase in interest in forensic

science.”

—Jennifer Zimdars

A BCA mascot

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When Jim Ross wasdeciding where toapply for medical

school, he took to heart someadvice from David Bernlohr, headof the biochemistry department atthe University of Minnesota.Bernlohr, Ross says, told him “todecide on a couple of schools Ireally, really wanted to go to…and apply.”

Since Harvard Medical Schoolwas on that list for Ross, a 2003CBS graduate (B.S., biochem-istry), he gave it a shot. Althoughhe wasn’t certain of his academic

pedigree while being interviewedwith peers from Stanford,Harvard, and Yale, he soon foundout he was more than qualifiedwith his background at CBS.

“I realized how good my under-graduate education was com-pared to the background of otherstudents,” Ross says. “At times Ithought I was actually more pre-pared than some of my class-mates.”

Ross is now keeping up with therigors of medical school atHarvard and the accelerated paceof the Boston area (“Everyoneseems like they’re on the run,” hesays) with a hectic schedule of hisown. He’s in the Big Brothers pro-gram, tutors students in grades9-12 who may be heading intomedicine, and recently startedcoaching Little League baseball.In addition to his academic back-ground at CBS, there’s one otherthing that being from Minnesotaprepared him well for: Ross sayshe’s the “only Minnesota kid”playing hockey for the HarvardMedical School club team.

Ross is one of 273 students whograduated last year from CBSwith majors spanning biol-ogy, biochemistry,ecology, genetics,microbiology, andneuroscience.More than 50graduated withhonors. Theirpaths sincegraduation areas divergent as

their fields of interest, from med-ical school to research in labs oncampus. According to a 2003 exitsurvey of CBS graduates, approxi-mately one-third were preparingto begin graduate or professionalprograms last fall, and 48.6 per-cent planned to enter a graduateor professional program at somepoint in the future. Nearly 26 per-cent were entering the workforceand another 39 percent were stilllooking for jobs.

Imee Cambronero’s path took herto Washington, D.C., as an internfor Minnesota CongresswomanBetty McCollum. While workingon Spring Jam last year, theDecember grad (B.S., biology)researched and wrote about alco-hol policy. Her newfound interestsin policy and health led her totake a public-health class in thefall, and when she heard of aninternship opportunity inMcCollum’s office, she thought,“This really aligns well.”

Cambronero’s future may entailgraduate school—either in publichealth or public policy—but fornow she’s happy in D.C., and wasrecently promoted to staff assis-

tant. “I feel very comfort-able out here,” says

Cambronero. “I’llprobably stay here

on the Hill for awhile, or I might

James Ross says his CBSeducation prepared himwell for Harvard MedicalSchool.

16 C O L L E G E O F B I O L O G I C A L S C I E N C E S

The Class of 2003 reports back on life after CBS

Imee Cambroneroworks in the office ofCongresswomanBetty McCollum inWashington, D.C.

B I O ❙ S P R I N G 2 0 0 4 17

St. Paul Saints GameJoin CBS for the Third Annual CBS Alumni Day at the June 25th St. Paul Saintsgame. Enjoy baseball outside on a warm summer night with fellow CBS alumni.We’ll be grilling and tailgating prior to the game, then joining the other Saintsfans in reserved bleacher seats while we cheer on the hometown team as theytake on the Sioux City Explorers.

Tickets are $16 per person, which includes reserved bleacher seating, grilleditems, chips, potato salad, baked beans, and soda.

Last year we had more than 150 CBS alumni and friends join us, so be sure to getyour tickets early to reserve your space. Visit www.cbs.umn.edu/alumnievents toregister. Family and friends are welcome.

Fall Fest 2004: Connecting UOn Sunday, October 17, the Biological Sciences Alumni Society will host Fall Fest2004: Connecting U. Join CBS alumni, students, parents, faculty, and staff as weexplore CBS research, tour facilities on the St. Paul campus, and learn how CBS,along with the College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences, theCollege of Veterinary Medicine, and the College of Human Ecology are working tosupport President Bruininks’ initiatives for 2004.

You can participate in one of four presidential initiative education tracks.Bioscience and Biotechnology; Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives; Environment andRenewable Energy; and Children, Youth, and Families. Or take a tour of St. Paulcampus facilities including the new Cargill Building for Microbial and PlantGenomics, the Raptor Center, small and large animal hospitals at the College ofVeterinary Medicine, or one of the many greenhouses. In addition to the educa-tion tracks, we’ll also have activities and tours for families and children.

Mark October 17 on your calendar to attend Fall Fest 2004: Connecting U andwatch your mail this summer for more information.

look at the National Institutes of Health orother contract agencies that deal with pub-lic health, or nonprofits. There are definite-ly opportunities out here.”

Cara White (B.S., biology) is continuing herwork of three years in the veterinary patho-biology department at the University. Partlab manager and part technician, she stud-ies the immune system response to SIV(simian immunodeficiency virus). “We usetissues from SIV-infected monkeys as amodel system for HIV to study the immunesystem response,” White says.

This summer, she’ll be joining Teach forAmerica, a program that places recent col-lege graduates in low-income school dis-tricts around the country. Her two-yearassignment will take her to the Rio GrandeValley in Texas. As she works toward teach-ing certification, she’ll be able to gauge herinterest in an education-related career.

“It’s an opportunity to work where the needis the greatest,” White says. “If I’m going tobe teaching, I’d like to be able to make adifference.”

—Rick Moore

JJ..PP.. HHoouucchhiinnss (B.S. in Biochemisty, 1975) is a scientist and manager at R&D Systems inMinneapolis. J.P. is also a member of the CBS Alumni Speakers Bureau.

VViicckkii SScchhuummaann (B.S. in Microbiology, 1979) is the owner of Schuman & Associates, a tech-nical writing agency. Schuman & Associates is located in Plymouth.

TThhoommaass BBllaanncckk (B.S. in Microbiology, 1984) recently started his own business, PackagingSolutions Group. PSG is a package engineering and development firm that helps companiescreate a competitive advantage in the marketplace. PSG is located in Minneapolis.

JJoohhnn RRiicchhaarrddss (B.S. in Biochemistry, 1985) is the owner of Croix Computing Corporation.Established in 2000, Croix helps small businesses take advantage of advances in computertechnology.

AAnnddrreeww SSnnyyddeerr (B.S. in Microbiology, 1993) is director of clinical research for St. PaulHeart Clinic. Andrew also volunteers for CBS through the Mentor Program and the AlumniSpeakers Bureau.

LLuuccaa GGuunntthheerr (B.S. in Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development, 1999) recently joined theCarlson School of Management after working for a commercial lab and doing basicresearch at the U. He hopes to obtain his MBA through CSOM.

Send your news to Emily Johnston, ejohnsto@cbs.umn.edu.

—Emily Johnston

Class Notes

Cara White will head to Texas this summer to teachHispanic students in a low-income school district.

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123 Snyder Hall1475 Gortner AvenueSt. Paul, MN 55108

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PPAAIIDDMpls., MN.

Permit No. 155

CBS CalendarCCoommmmeenncceemmeenntt

May 15, 7 p.m.Northrop Auditorium

SStt.. PPaauull SSaaiinnttss GGaammeeJune 256 p.m. Picnic7 p.m. First pitchMidway Stadium, St. Paul

CCBBSS CCoommmmuunniittyy DDaayyTBD

AAwwaarrddss && RReeccooggnniittiioonn DDiinnnneerrOctober 75:30 - 8:30 p.m.McNamara Alumni Center, Minneapolis

FFaallll FFeesstt 22000044:: CCoonnnneeccttiinngg UUOctober 1711 a.m. - 5 p.m.St. Paul Campus

HHoommeeccoommiinngg TTaaiillggaattiinngg && FFoooottbbaallllOctober 23Time TBD

Contact Emily Johnston atalumni@cbs.umn.edu or (612) 624-4770 for more information about any of the events listed above.

$16,000 a year. That’s the average annual cost of tuition, fees, room andboard for a U of M undergraduate, this year, but costs are expected to rise.And while that $16,000 is a bargain relative to many other colleges and uni-versities, the price is still steep, and many struggle to pay it.

To help students and their families meet the costs of higher education, the Uhas set a priority on increasing the number of scholarships it can offer. And,to encourage new gifts for scholarships, the U recently launched a programthat will double the impact of any gift of $25,000 or more for endowed schol-arships.

Matching gifts from employers can be used to meet the $25,000 minimum, andgifts may be paid over five years, making it even easier to take part in this pro-gram, and still double the impact of your gift. For more information, call the

University of MinnesotaFoundation at 612-

624-3333 and ask totalk to BobBurgett.

A Perfect Match Doubling the impact of endowed scholarships