Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station

MSU Revs Up Efforts to Get Biofuels in Gas Tanks Dennis Miller

Research to couple powerful new biofuels with efficient automotive engines has received a jump start from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Two teams of engineers from MSU -- chemical and mechanical -- have been selected to negotiate for $4.7 million in grants to work with industry to create new fuels from renewable resources that are more complex and sophisticated than existing biofuels, as well as engines that can take full advantage of those next-generation fuels.

During negotiations, MSU will match the DOE award with funds from other sources. MSU has been selected to negotiate for $2.4 million from the DOE to partner with Ford Motor Co. for a project to develop advanced, low-temperature combustion designs for diesel engines using biofuel blends optimized for engine performance. MSU is the only university to be selected as a lead in the project in this round of $21.5 million in award opportunities.

MSU engineers also are involved in another project with Visteon Corp. in Van Buren Township, which has been selected for negotiation of an award of $2.3 million to achieve gasoline-like fuel economy when using E-85 by minimizing thermal, dynamic, volumetric and other system efficiency losses. Other partners will be the DOE Argonne National Laboratory and Mahle Powertrain.

Teaming up the chemical and mechanical sides of engineering can avoid some of the current problems with biofuels.

"We're using an integrated approach, which hasn't really been done before," said Dennis Miller, MAES chemical engineering and materials science researcher, who is leading MSU’s partnership with Ford. "These new biofuels will be more sophisticated than ethanol and biodiesel. By designing the engines at the same time, we believe we can optimize efficiency, performance and environmental benefits."

The chemical engineering team is Miller; Kris Berglund, MAES scientist and university distinguished professor of chemical engineering and materials science and forestry; Ramani Narayan, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering; and Carl Lira, MAES chemical engineering and materials science researcher.

Together they'll work on refining fuels from renewable resources such as soybean and other plant oils and woody stems and stalks from trees and other plants. A significant part of the biofuel work builds on earlier biofuel and fermentation work by the four scientists.

Much of the new work will take place at the MSU Biorefinery Training Facility at the Michigan Brewing Co. in Webberville, a state-of-the-art facility for refining a variety of biofuels, biochemicals and other bioproducts.

As the chemical engineering team designs these fuels, mechanical engineers, along with Ford, will be testing the fuels and working to create engines that can maximize the fuel performance, said Harold Schock, professor of mechanical engineering.

Schock describes the biofuels as an automotive revolution and the engine modifications as evolution.

"A lot of the details of how engines perform can have a serious influence on the improvement in efficiency," Schock said. "Designing the engines to accommodate new fuels and new fuel properties can make a tremendous impact. It can make a 20 to 50 percent difference in the way an engine operates."

Schock leads the engineering team, joined by associate professor Farhad Jaberi and assistant professor Tonghun Lee. Schock also is working on the Visteon project.

"If we're successful, then many jobs will be created as the biofuel industry expands and new engine technologies are implemented," Miller said. "Our approach should lead to much broader use of biofuels as we identify superior fuel blends, and as we begin to produce engines that are more compatible with the biofuels."

The DOE will award a total of up to $21.5 million for 11 cost-shared research and development projects that aim to improve the fuel efficiency of light-duty vehicle engines.

This announcement comes on the heels of news about MSU receiving a $50 million DOE grant to partner with the University of Wisconsin-Madison to establish the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center for basic science research aimed at solving some of the most complex problems in converting natural materials to energy.

"This is a wonderful project that underscores MSU's strengths in the whole biofuel system -– from production and formulation to testing and eventual use as transportation fuels," said Steve Pueppke, director of both the MSU Office of Biobased Technologies and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station. "We're especially proud to be conducting the work in partnership with Ford Motor Co., a Michigan corporation."

Swedish-Michigan Bioeconomy Partnership Announced

Chemrec AB, a Swedish company, and the NewPage Corporation, which operates a paper mill in Escanaba, have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore developing a plant to produce fuels from woody biomass at the Escanaba plant.

The Aug. 22 ceremony in Stockholm was presided over by Gov. Granholm, Swedish Ambassador Michael Wood and Maud Olofsson, Swedish deputy prime minister and minister for enterprise and energy.

Kris Berglund and Jennifer Granholm At the beginning of the ceremony, Granholm recognized MAES researcher Kris Berglund, university distinguished professor of forestry and chemical engineering and materials science, as being instrumental to fostering the agreement.

In addition to his MSU appointment, Berglund is also a professor in the Department of Biochemical and Chemical Process Engineering, a department he helped found, at the Luleå University of Technology in Luleå, Sweden. His research collaborations in his family's native land (his grandfather is from a town 9 miles from Lulea) have laid the groundwork for formalized Michigan-Sweden corporate partnerships such as the Chemrec-NewPage agreement.

Berglund's research also has spawned enterprises in Michigan (in Scottville and Webberville), Sweden and France, and raised tantalizing possibilities for diversified biorefineries that crank out bioproducts ranging from fuels to chemicals.

The NewPage-Chemrec plant would use Chemrec's black liquor gasification (BLG) technology. The plant would be closely integrated with the paper mill to provide energy efficiency and optimize pulp production at the mill.

"The idea of the Chemrec technology is to co-locate a black liquor gasification facility with a paper mill," Berglund explained. "The technology is interesting because it completely eliminates the food vs. fuel issue in the bioeconomy. Black liquor is a byproduct of the kraft [brown paper] processing system. Typically it's burned or disposed of in some way, but if it's gasified and formed into synthesis gas, that syngas can be used to make higher value alternative chemicals and fuels, which can raise the profit margins of a paper mill by 30 percent."

It's estimated that the technology could enable the Escanaba mill to produce up to 13 million gallons of liquid biofuel per year. Several U.S. and European studies have shown Chemrec's BLG technology is an efficient and environmentally sound way to convert woody biomass to biofuels. The technology doesn't require high-grade wood or woodchips.

"We're very pleased to cooperate with NewPage and with the state of Michigan through the MEDC to introduce our technology in the United States," said Jonas Rudberg, Chemrec CEO. "We are convinced that the results of the study will be positive, and that Escanaba can be the first site for this technology in North America."

Escanaba is also the site of the Upper Peninsula Tree Improvement Center (UPTIC), one of 14 MAES field research stations located around the state. Ray Miller, UPTIC manager, and Steve Pueppke, MAES director, also were traveling in Sweden with the governor.

The BLG technology is expected to create new on- and off-site job opportunities. New jobs would be created at the NewPage facility for both biofuel production and enhanced pulping capacity. Additional jobs would include logging operations, transportation and maintenance jobs, and construction jobs during the development of the plant.

To learn more about the trip to Sweden by MSU scientists, the governor and others to explore the possibilities for growing Michigan's bioeconomy, read the Special Report.

Climate Change and Permafrost Thaw Alter Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Northern Wetlands

Permafrost – the perpetually frozen foundation of North America – isn’t so permanent anymore, and scientists are scrambling to understand the pros and cons when terra firma goes soft.

Permafrost serves as a platform underneath vast expanses of northern forests and wetlands that are rooted, literally, in melting permafrost in many northern ecosystems. But rising atmospheric temperatures are accelerating rates of permafrost thaw in northern regions, says MAES researcher Merritt Turetsky.

In the report “The Disappearance of Relict Permafrost in Boreal North America: Effects on Peatland Carbon Storage and Fluxes” in the Aug. 8 online edition of Global Change Biology, Turetsky and others explore whether melting permafrost can lead to a feedback of carbon exchange that actually fuels future climate change.

"The loss of permafrost usually means the loss of terra firma in an otherwise often boggy landscape," Turetsky said. "Roads, buildings and whole communities will have to cope with this aspect of climate change. What this means for ecosystems and humans residing in the North remains one of the most pressing issues in the climate change arena."

Working closely with researchers from Southern Illinois University, Villanova University and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Turetsky, assistant professor of crop and soil sciences and fisheries and wildlife, found that permafrost degradation has complex impacts on greenhouse gas fluxes from northern wetlands.

Their study focused on peatlands, a common type of wetland in boreal regions that slowly accumulates peat, which is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation. Today, peatlands represent a massive reservoir of stockpiled carbon that accumulated from the atmosphere over many thousands of years. Peat blankets the permafrost and protects it like a thick layer of insulation.

"We find permafrost in peatlands farther south than in other boreal ecosystems because of the insulating qualities of peat. So we have argued that these ecosystems serve as a very sensitive indicator of climate change," Turetsky said. "What will happen to peatlands when climate change disrupts these frozen layers, or, perhaps more importantly, what will happen to all of that stored carbon in peat has remained a big question for us."

Their results were surprising. Turetsky and her colleagues studied areas affected by permafrost degradation across a large region of Canada. They initially expected to find that the melting ice would trigger a release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere as previously frozen plant and animal remains became susceptible to decay.

"This could serve as a positive feedback to climate change, where typically warming causes changes that release more greenhouse gases, which in turn causes more warming, and more emissions, and so on," she said.

But what the researchers actually found is not such a clear-cut climate story.

Permafrost collapse in peatlands tends to result in the slumping of the soil surface and flooding, followed by a complete change in vegetation, soil structure and many other important aspects of these ecosystems, Turetsky said. The study showed that vegetation responds to the flooding with a boost in productivity. More vegetation sequesters more carbon away from the atmosphere in plant biomass.

"This is actually good news from a greenhouse gas perspective," Turetsky said.

However, the report also cautions that this flooding associated with collapsing permafrost also increases methane emissions. Methane is an important greenhouse gas, one that is more powerful than carbon dioxide in its ability to trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere.

Turetsky said it seems the permafrost degradation initially causes increased soil carbon sequestration, rather than the large releases of carbon to the atmosphere originally predicted. But over time, high methane emissions will balance -- or outweigh -- the reduction of carbon in the atmosphere.

"Not all ecosystems underlain by permafrost will respond the same way," Turetsky cautioned. "It will depend on the history of the permafrost and the nature of both vegetation and soils."

What is clear, she said, is that not even northern ecosystems can escape the wide reach of climate change.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Canadian NSERC, and the Society of Wetland Scientists. Turetsky’s work also is supported by the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station.

Tropical Insects ‘Go the Distance’ to Inform Rain Forest Conservation Anthony Cognato

The long-held belief that plant-eating insects in tropical forests are picky eaters that stay close to home, dining only on locale-specific vegetation, is being challenged by new research findings that suggest these insects feast on a broader menu of foliage and can be consistently found across hundreds of miles of tropical forestland.

These findings have significant implications related to the sustainability and conservation of these globally important areas.

MAES scientist Anthony Cognato and graduate student Jiri Hulcr were part of an international team that conducted this groundbreaking research, the results of which are described in the Aug. 9 online issue of the journal Nature. The group included scientists from Australia, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, New Guinea and the United States.

"Tropical rain forests are home to a rich diversity of plants, birds, insects and other animals," said Hulcr, an entomology doctoral student working with Cognato and co-author of the report. "They also play an important role in our global climate and provide aesthetic, recreational and medicinal benefits. For these reasons and others, it is critical that we understand how these forests generate and sustain their diversity and what we can do to help conserve them."

The study included approximately 500 species of caterpillars, beetles and fruit flies from common plant-eating families, and 175 species from four diverse plant groups across 28,950 square miles of contiguous lowland rain forest in Papua, New Guinea.

Cognato and Hulcr were key collaborators on the project because of their expertise related to the biology and ecology of the bark and ambrosia beetle family, a model group of insects composed of 6,000 species worldwide and common to tropical rain forests.

"What we found was that the composition of the community of beetles does not change with distance as long as the environment is stable,” Cognato said. “Even communities hundreds of miles apart are the same. And if there are differences, they seem to be random and not caused by any environmental change."

Study findings were similar for the butterfly and fruit fly species examined in the study.

"Such knowledge is critical to understanding the roles of ecological processes in maintaining tropical diversity, predicting species extinction and designing the systems of protected natural areas," Hulcr said. "Because diversity doesn’t necessarily increase with distance but animals in small reserves tend to go extinct, you should plan for one large area instead of having a lot of small and distant areas to manage and conserve."

Cognato and Hulcr expect similar patterns in other tropical lowland rain forests, which, like the study area in New Guinea, are typically situated in the extensive low basins of major rivers. They are currently conducting research in other areas of the tropics -- Borneo, Ecuador, Guyana, Ghana and Thailand -- to confirm the New Guinea findings.

"If we want the stability of these forests, especially given how much they are threatened now, we need to understand how to best set up conservation areas," Cognato said. "And it’s not just about the flashy species; it’s about the whole thing."

Hulcr agreed.

"This and additional research will allow conservation managers and policy-makers to base decisions on data rather than on theory so that we can preserve as much diversity as possible," Hulcr said. "We are excited to be part of the ongoing, international effort to add to the extensive data necessary for the understanding, analysis and conservation of complex tropical forest ecosystems."

Cognato and Hulcr’s work was funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Geographic Society and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station.

Plant Transformation Center Changes Name and Director

With a new focus and a broader scope, the Plant Transformation Center at Michigan State University has become the Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center.

In addition, Jim Hancock, MAES plant breeder and geneticist, has taken the reins as director of the center from Ken Sink, who retired in June. Hancock said the center will be expanding its services and resources.

"We have a solid plant transformation facility here at MSU that has been concentrating on genetically engineering specialty crops for Michigan and the rest of the country," he said. "Our vision now includes collaborations in such areas as biobased technologies. We also want to take the facility to an international level."

The new Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center will have four key areas of endeavor:

Research, including the transformation protocols for recalcitrant, specialty or orphan crops. Recalcitrant crops are those that are difficult to genetically engineer, and orphan crops are those no company is interested in because of the lack of research funding. Sweet potato, a staple in many African countries, is an orphan crop. Research will continue on specialty crops (blueberry, celery, etc.) and the development of novel marker technologies. Molecular marker technology allows researchers to access, transfer and combine genes precisely and quickly.
Contract services, which will involve transformation of crop species. If a scientist wants to insert a gene into a crop, the center is the place to get that done. • Molecular fingerprinting of plant varieties and segregating breeding populations. This can involve testing for varietal purity or for specific genes within plant varieties used for breeding purposes.
Outreach and communication. Safe use and production of genetically engineered crops dictate that users of the technology must know how it works and how to use it.

"We'll be conducting daylong workshops on the environmental safety of genetically engineered crops for MSU Extension staff members,"Hancock said. "In addition, we are teaching weeklong international short courses on the environmental safety of genetically engineered crops and on marker-assisted breeding and transformation technology. This is a collaborative effort with the Institute of International Agriculture's outreach efforts to work with other countries to elevate their biotechnological capacity. Developing countries could see a real benefit by adopting genetically engineered crops, and we want to be the place where they come to learn about the possibilities.

"A Web resource is being developed on the species relationships and evolutionary biology of specialty crops for regulators of genetically engineered crops," he added.

Funds from Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs) support Guo Qing Song to manage the center’s transformation work, while Cholani Weebadde works on the outreach component in conjunction with the Institute of International Agriculture. Technician Rebecca Baughan assists Song.

"We see the center as not only a place to develop useful genetically engineered crops but as a key player in making sure those crops are safely deployed wherever they are grown," Hancock said. "It can work if we can pull all the pieces together."

For more information, visit the Plant Biotechnology Resource and Outreach Center Web site.

New Air Quality Research Facility to Hold Open House during Homecoming

A new research lab dedicated to measuring air quality as well as information about the new comprehensive nutrient management plan for the south campus farms at Michigan State University are two highlights of an Oct. 13 open house to be held in conjunction with Homecoming 2007 at MSU.

"Throwing open the doors and inviting farmers in enables them to see firsthand some of the interesting projects going on here on the farms," said Ben Darling, assistant director of the MSU Land Management Office.

High on Darling’s list of accomplishments is the comprehensive nutrient management plan (CNMP) that he helped develop for the MSU south campus farms. He will be on hand during the open house to show people how the monumental task was accomplished.

"Completing the CNMP was a challenge because, unlike other farms, we have nine livestock species farms in one," Darling explained. "It was a worthwhile learning experience and we want to share the process with farmers."

In addition to the farm tour, open house visitors can see the new MSU Animal Air Quality Research Facility, a state-of-the-art lab that will house numerous projects designed to determine the effects of animal agriculture on air quality.

Wendy Powers, MAES scientist who serves as director of environmental stewardship in animal agriculture at MSU, heads the facility.

"Livestock manure odor can cause tension between farmers and their non-farm neighbors," Powers said. "This lab will help us measure air emissions and determine how we can modify animal diets to reduce those emissions and manure nutrients. We’re eager to show producers the types of valuable information we’ll be generating."

At the MSU Dairy Cattle Research and Teaching Center, visitors also can learn about storm water runoff control using intensive management and an innovative method of biological and physical treatment strategies for milking parlor washwater. Graduate students will showcase more than a dozen research projects focusing on environmental quality and the dairy industry.

"It’s a great opportunity to see what’s going on at the farms and the new lab," Powers said.

New MAES Faculty Members

The MAES is pleased to welcome the following faculty members with new MAES appointments.

Cornelius Barry, assistant professor of horticulture, became affiliated with the MAES in August. His research focuses on using genetic and genomic-based approaches to understand the molecular mechanisms controlling fruit development and ripening that contribute to the quality and nutrition of fruit crops. Using the tomato as a model system, he has identified several genes that affect the ripening process, including a novel gene that disrupts the fruit’s ability to respond to the ripening hormone ethylene.

Before coming to MSU, Barry was a research associate at Texas A&M University and the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research in Ithaca, N.Y. He also was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Nottingham, in the U.K. from 1995 to 1999. Barry received his doctorate in plant biology at the University of Nottingham in 1995 and his bachelor’s degree in plant physiology from the University College of Wales in 1991.

Daniel Brainard, assistant professor of sustainable vegetable production systems, became affiliated with the MAES in August. A central goal of his program is to improve the profitability of vegetable production while enhancing environmental and human health. Toward that end, his research interests include development of crop rotation, cover crop and tillage strategies to reduce dependence on fossil fuels while building soil health and pest resilience. Brainard’s work also examines the interactive effects of climate and cultural practices on important pests of vegetable crops, with particular emphasis on factors influencing weed seed production and fate.

Before coming to MSU, Brainard had been a senior research associate in horticulture at Cornell University since 2004. He received his doctorate in horticulture from Cornell University, his master’s degree in economics from Stanford University and his bachelor's degree in economics and third world studies from Oberlin College.

Yoonhyeung Choi, assistant professor of advertising, public relations and retailing, became affiliated with the MAES in August. Her research focuses on the role of emotion in risk message processing. She is particularly interested in how different message frames (emotion vs. logic) influence the general public’s risk perceptions and how distinct emotion-eliciting messages (e.g., worry, anxiety, fear) will influence risk message processing.

Before coming to MSU, Choi worked as a public relations consultant at Burson-Marsteller in Seoul, Korea, and Hill & Knowlton in Chicago. She received her doctorate in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2005, her master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University in 2000 and her bachelor’s degree in political science from Sookmyung University in Seoul in 1997.

Stuart Grandy, assistant professor of crop and soil sciences, became affiliated with the MAES in August. His research focuses on the soil biological processes that control organic matter dynamics and agricultural sustainability. Grandy is currently investigating how differences in soil microbial communities scale up to influence enzyme production and the molecular chemistry and turnover of soil organic matter. He is also beginning a project to explore the links between soil organic matter dynamics, biological diversity and plant disease. Grandy will be working with land managers throughout the state to develop strategies that use biological and ecological principles to improve sustainability.

Before coming to MSU, Grandy spent almost 2 years as a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Research Initiative postdoctoral fellow at the University of Colorado. He received his doctorate in crop and soil sciences and ecology, evolutionary biology and behavior from MSU in 2005; his master’s degree in plant, soil and environmental science from the University of Maine in 1998; and his bachelor's degree in environmental science from Evergreen State College in 1995.

Dana Infante, assistant professor of fisheries and wildlife, became affiliated with the MAES in January. Her research focuses on studying effects of the landscape on habitat, chemistry and the biology of river systems. Infante is currently working on a project to assess the status of fish habitat in rivers throughout the nation to identify protection and restoration opportunities to improve fisheries. She is also beginning research that will attempt to quantify specific ways that human land uses affect river fish assemblages, including encouraging the spread of tolerant fish and reducing numbers of endemic species.

Before joining MSU, Infante worked as a research associate for the Institute for Fisheries Research in Ann Arbor from 2005 to 2006. She received her doctoral and master’s degrees in resource ecology and management in 2005 and 2001, respectively, and her bachelor's degree in scientific writing in 1994, all from the University of Michigan.

Songqing Jin, assistant professor of agricultural economics, became affiliated with the MAES in August. His main area of research interest is international development, with a focus on rural land tenure, land reform, and the emergence and functioning of rural land markets; the evaluation of agricultural technology and agricultural research and development; and the emergence and evolution of the rural non-farm economy and rural labor migration. Jin has conducted fieldwork and other research activities in eastern and southern Asia and Africa during the past several years.

Prior to joining MSU, Jin worked as a consultant and research economist in the rural development research unit of the World Bank. Jin received his doctorate in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California at Davis in 2004, his first master’s degree and his bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Zhejiang University (China) in 1991 and 1988, respectively, and his second master’s in agricultural economics and marketing from Rutgers in 1997.

Jason Knott, assistant professor of animal science, became affiliated with the MAES in August. His research focuses on epigenetic control of gene expression during early mammalian development and in disease. To this end, he is working toward understanding the underlying epigenetic mechanism(s) responsible for regulating normal and abnormal development in various cellular contexts.

Before coming to MSU, Knott served as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2005 and completed a year of postdoctoral training at Serono Research Institute in Boston in 2006. He received his doctorate in reproductive biology and his bachelor’s degree in animal science at the University of Massachusetts in 2002 and 1998, respectively.

Maria Knight Lapinski, associate professor of communication and faculty member in the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, became affiliated with the MAES in August. Lapinski’s research focuses on the impact of messages and social-psychological factors on health and environmental risk perceptions and behaviors, with a particular interest in culturally based differences and similarities. To this end, she has collaborated with other researchers on projects in Asia, the Pacific Rim, Central America and Africa. Lapinski’s most recent international research project looked at perceptions of environmental and health risks among youth on the Mexico-U.S. border (Ambos Nogales). Her work has been presented at national and international communications and public health conferences, and published in public health and communications journals. It is currently funded by the National Science Foundation.

Before coming to MSU in 2005, Lapinski was an assistant professor of communications at Western Michigan University. She received her doctorate in philosophy from MSU in 2000, her master’s degree from the University of Hawaii in 1995 and her bachelor’s degree in communications from MSU in 1992.

Paolo Sabbatini, assistant professor of horticulture, became affiliated with the MAES in August. His research focuses on identifying environmental, physiological and cultural factors that limit vine growth and development, fruit maturity and quality of wine and juice grapes in Michigan. His current research interests include studying photosynthetic carbon assimilation and partitioning, the effect of biotic and abiotic stress on vine yield and fruit quality, canopy management, and evaluation of wine grape varieties and clones for Michigan’s cool-climate growing areas.

Sabbatini joined MSU in 2004, working as a postdoctoral research fellow studying natural carbon isotope discrimination during photosynthesis. He received his doctoral and master’s degrees in horticulture from the University of Ancona, Italy, in 2002 and 1997, respectively.

Kami Silk, assistant professor of communication, became affiliated with the MAES in August. She conducts research in the areas of health, risk and organizational communication. Silk’s research focuses on how to influence individuals to engage in healthy behavior and prevention practices. She currently is working in the area of breast cancer prevention, with a focus on early prevention among adolescent females.

Before coming to MSU in 2003, Silk was a postdoctoral fellow at Pennsylvania State University from 2002 to 2003 researching how to most effectively communicate human genetics research to the lay public. She received her doctorate in speech communication from the University of Georgia in 2002, and her master’s degree in communication and her bachelor’s degree in English and mass communication at Bloomsburg University in 1993 and 1991, respectively.

Mark Skidmore, professor of agricultural economics and Morris Chair in State and Local Government Finance and Policy, became affiliated with the MAES in August. His research focuses on public economics and economic development. Skidmore has served as a consultant on a range of issues, including economic development, government public finance and policy, and price determination. Current research areas include economics of the public sector, economic development and the economics of natural disasters. Much of Skidmore's research and outreach focuses on public finance policy and the relationship between public policy and economic development.

Before coming to MSU, Skidmore served as department chair and director of the Fiscal and Economic Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater from 2003 to 2007. He received his doctoral and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Colorado in 1994 and 1992, respectively, and his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Washington in 1987.

Paul Thompson, W.K. Kellogg Chair in Agricultural, Food and Community Ethics, became affiliated with the MAES in August. His research focuses on ethical issues associated with food and agriculture. Currently, his research interests include emerging animal welfare standards, the role of food in establishing a feeling of community or sense of place, and the risks and benefits of nanotechnologies on the food system. Thompson is author of The Spirit of the Soil: Agriculture and Environmental Ethics (1995) and Food Biotechnology in Ethical Perspective. A collection of essays edited with Ken David entitled What Can Nano Learn from Bio? Lessons for Nanotechnology from the Debate over Agrifood Biotechnology and GMOs is slated for 2008.

Before coming to MSU in 2003, Thompson was the Joyce and Edward E. Brewer Distinguished Professor of Applied Ethics at Purdue University; he held a joint appointment in philosophy and agricultural economics at Texas A&M University from 1981 to 1997. He received his doctoral and master’s degrees in philosophy from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1980 and 1979, respectively, and his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Emory University in 1974.

Wynne Wright, assistant professor of community, agriculture, recreation and resource studies, became affiliated with the MAES in August. Wright’s work focuses on agrifood restructuring in global and local contexts. Her research has been primarily in rural sociology with emphasis on inequality, social movements and social change, often from the perspective of the political economy. Wright is currently conducting research on the role that cooperation plays in building sustainable agrifood systems. This work is shaped by civic engagement with agriculture and food system partners as they collaborate and plan for and envision sustainable agrifood futures. She is also pursuing research and outreach in civic engagement around contested issues in Michigan agriculture with funding from the Kettering Foundation.

Before coming to MSU, Wright held a Fulbright Fellowship at Szent Istvan University in Gödöllo, Hungary, in 2006 and was a sociology faculty member at the University of Northern Iowa from 2001 to 2006. She received her doctorate in sociology from the University of Kentucky in 1999, and her master’s degree in sociology and bachelor’s degree in psychology from Western Kentucky University in 1990 and 1988, respectively.

MAES Dairy Scientist Receives National Award

Dave Beede The American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) selected David K. Beede, MAES researcher and C.E. Meadows endowed chair professor of animal science, to receive the 2007 Award of Honor in recognition of his leadership and distinguished service to the association.

The Award of Honor is given annually to an individual with more than 25 years of ADSA membership who has served the association with unusual distinction. Beede served as a member of the ADSA board of directors from 1998 to 2004 and then as vice president and president. He also served on the board of directors of the Federation of Animal Science Societies.

During his 13 years at MSU, Beede has conducted extensive research and Extension programs on dairy cattle nutrition and management. He specializes in the environmental benefits of balancing the phosphorus requirements of dairy cattle with farms’ environmental sustainability.

"Dave has made significant contributions to the ongoing discourse about dairy cattle nutrition and the environment through his research and Extension activities," said Karen Plaut, chairperson of the Department of Animal Science. "However, he also finds time to serve his fellow dairy scientists through involvement in professional organizations. This award is a well-deserved recognition."

Beede is an active member of the MSU Dairy and Animal Agriculture and the Environment Area of Expertise teams and serves as publisher of the Michigan Dairy Review (MDR), a statewide publication for the dairy industry funded by the Animal Agriculture Initiative (AAI).

The AAI is a partnership between MSU, livestock producers and industry organizations and the Michigan Department of Agriculture. Governed by the Animal Agriculture Initiative Coalition, its objective is to address challenges facing Michigan’s animal agriculture industry through research and Extension projects. To learn more about Michigan's animal agriculture initiative at MSU, visit www.animalag.msu.edu.

New MSU Resources Help Growers Identify, Control Potato Diseases

Managing and controlling potato diseases is a complex task for growers, but thanks to efforts by MAES plant pathologists, the job has gotten a bit easier. Farmers now have access to eight bulletins, a pocket-sized scouting guide and a Web site that they can refer to for help.

Willie Kirk and Phill Wharton, MAES plant pathologists, developed the Web site, www.potatodiseases.org, and scouting guide, “A Pocket Guide to Disease Scouting in Michigan Potatoes” (bulletin E-2998), as reference tools to help farmers identify common potato diseases in Michigan.

"Our goal is to provide the state’s potato growers with the science-based information they need to make decisions to control and prevent potato diseases," Wharton said.

The scouting guide was developed as a pocket reference text for use in disease scouting in potato fields. It includes lists of the basic symptoms for each disease, photos, a description of disease cycles, and details on how to distinguish between diseases with similar symptoms. When growers detect disease symptoms in their crop, they can refer to the scouting guide to make a preliminary disease diagnosis. They should then send a plant sample to the MSU Center for Plant Diagnostic Services or to their local county MSU Extension office to confirm disease identification.

"Hopefully, the scouting guide will help farmers make preliminary diagnoses of any diseases that may exist in their fields," Wharton said. "Growers should use the guide in combination with the bulletins, which have detailed information on each disease and suggest recommended cultural, biological and chemical control options.

"It is important to identify diseases at an early stage because several diseases may have similar-looking symptoms. For example, foliar lesions of gray mold and early blight -- controllable diseases in Michigan -- have similar-looking lesions to those of late blight, a very serious disease that may result in the loss of an entire crop if it’s not caught early," he said. "It’s important to be able to distinguish between the lesions of these three diseases because immediate action needs to be taken if late blight is discovered in a potato field."

The bulletins can be downloaded as PDFs from the potatodiseases.org Web site or purchased through the MSU Bulletin Office, www.emdc.msue.msu.edu/.

The research conducted by Kirk and Wharton that appears in the bulletins and on the Web site received funding from Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs), Michigan’s plant agriculture initiative at MSU. Production of the Web site was also funded by Project GREEEN.

MAES Researcher Jeanne Burton Dies, Memorial Service Announced

Jeanne Burton Jeanne Burton, MAES researcher and Michigan State University associate professor of animal science, died Aug. 26 in Traverse City after a brief battle with cancer. She was 48.

Dr. Burton’s research focused on bovine immunophysiology and immunogenetics. In addition to contributing significantly to understanding the genes that control animal health, Dr. Burton's work helped biomedical researchers realize that larger agricultural animals such as dairy cows or pigs may be better models to decode the secrets of human gene functioning and health than mice, rats or other rodents.

"Having known Jeanne, what I will always remember is her upbeat attitude and her willingness to always help out," said MAES Associate Director John Baker. "I also had several opportunities to hear her lecture over the years -- she had a way of simplifying the complex and making it understood. Her enthusiasm was infectious. She will truly be missed by all of us in the MSU community, both professionally and as a great human being."

In addition to her research responsibilities, Dr. Burton was an advocate for comprehensive graduate student training and exposing students to the best minds in the animal functional genomics field. In May 2006, she organized the Second International Symposium on Animal Functional Genomics, featuring leading functional genomics scientists from around the world. Dr. Burton also worked with her colleagues at the MSU Center for Animal Functional Genomics to secure a USDA National Needs Fellowship grant to support four graduate doctoral fellowships in animal functional genomics.

"Jeanne was an exceptional scientist who not only demonstrated her dedication to her research -- she also worked hard to create opportunities for graduate students to receive the training and education they need to ensure that there is a new generation of scientists familiar with the field and its tools to enhance both biomedical and agricultural sciences," Baker said.

Dr. Burton, of Lansing, came to MSU in 1996 as an assistant professor of animal science and was appointed associate professor of animal science in 2001. Prior to coming to MSU, she served as a postdoctoral fellow for the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa from 1993 to 1995. She also was a postdoctoral fellow in veterinary microbiology and immunology at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College in 1992; a postdoctoral fellow in ruminant metabolism for the USDA-ARS in Beltsville, MD in 1991; and as a research associate in animal and poultry science at the University of Guelph, Ontario.

Dr. Burton received her doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in immunophysiology, immunogenetics and animal science from the University of Guelph, Ontario in 1991, 1986 and 1982, respectively.

She is survived by her husband, Paul Coussens, MAES animal scientist and director of the MSU Center for Animal Functional Genomics.

There was a celebration of Dr. Burton’s life on Aug. 29 in Mancelona. There also will be a memorial service at the MSU Alumni Memorial Chapel on campus on Sept. 6 at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Dr. Burton's family asks that friends consider making a donation to the scholarship fund established in her honor:

The Jeanne L. Burton Fund
Department of Animal Science
Michigan State University
Attn: Jamie Pratt
1290 Anthony Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824