From Peggy.Pollak from nau.edu Mon Mar 3 16:52:39 2008 From: Peggy.Pollak from nau.edu (Peggy Pollak) Date: Mon Mar 3 16:58:15 2008 Subject: [Plant-education] what projecting microscope to buy? Message-ID: <47CC7327.2000707@nau.edu> Hi. Can anyone out there recommend a compound projecting microscope to use in teaching plant anatomy? Thanks. P From monique from mail.bio.tamu.edu Mon Mar 3 17:51:01 2008 From: monique from mail.bio.tamu.edu (monique) Date: Mon Mar 3 19:21:48 2008 Subject: [Plant-education] Re: what projecting microscope to buy? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Peggy Pollak wrote: > Hi. Can anyone out there recommend a compound projecting microscope to > use in teaching plant anatomy? Thanks. > P > > We've had good success using a microscope head that can connect to a video camera (surveillance type) that connects to a large TV. Monique Reed Texas A&M From ccoenen from allegheny.edu Tue Mar 4 19:27:09 2008 From: ccoenen from allegheny.edu (Catharina Coenen) Date: Tue Mar 4 21:26:01 2008 Subject: [Plant-education] cyclic electron transport in bacterial photosynthesis Message-ID: <7.0.0.16.2.20080304190801.02692f30@allegheny.edu> Can someone please help me understand the following statement from Raven et al. Biology 8th edition (p. 153) on cyclic photophosporylation in sulfur bacteria: "The hydrogen atoms extracted from H2S are used as a source of protons for driving ATP pumps and are not available to join carbon. Bacteria that are restricted to this process therefore must scavenge hydrogens from other sources, an inefficient undertaking." My old edition of Gottschalk Bacterial Metabolism states that "reduced sulfur compounds are preferentially used as H-donors by [phototrophic bacteria]" for CO2 reduction. And Brock's Microbiology, (2006, p. 542) states that "Reducing power (NADH) [....] for purple sulfur bacteria [...] usually comes from H2S [...]." Am I misreading Raven et al. somehow, or is their explanation in contradiction to the Microbiology textbooks? Thanks for any clarification you can provide, Catharina ********************************************************************************************* Dr. Catharina Coenen Associate Professor of Biology Biology Department phone: (814) 332-2703 Allegheny College FAX: (814) 332-2789 520 N Main Street Meadville, PA 16335 e-mail: ccoenen@allegheny.edu USA http://webpub.allegheny.edu/employee/c/ccoenen/ ********************************************************************************************* From chemingway from botany.org Mon Mar 17 20:07:13 2008 From: chemingway from botany.org (Claire Hemingway) Date: Mon Mar 17 20:24:08 2008 Subject: [Plant-education] four summer opportunities Message-ID: <47DF15C1.10906@botany.org> Greeting Plant-ed Network, I would like to share four summer opportunities for faculty and secondary school teachers interested in plant biology. (1) Jun 14 - Jun 21, 2008 BioQUEST Faculty Workshop Problem Solving in Biology: Data, Tools and Resources from Plant Science BioQUEST and the Botanical Society of America invite faculty interested in incorporating resources from contemporary plant research into undergraduate curricula. Join us at the Missouri Botanical Garden and Southeast Missouri State University as we explore a subset of the tools, data, and resources used in plant science with a special emphasis on quantitative reasoning, visualization and inquiry-based learning. Keynote speaker will be Dr. Barbara Schaal. For more information, please visit: http://bioquest.org/summer2008 (2) Jul 7 - Jul 18, 2008 NSF-funded Summer Institute for High School Teachers Plant It Careers, Cases, and Collaborations The Botanical Society of America, BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium, and Texas A&M University invite high school teachers interested in enlivening their science classroom with contemporary plant-related investigative cases. The theme for the Summer Institute is the workplace applications of plant forensics, environmental monitoring, and seeds biotechnology. Join us to explore the investigative case learning process and collaborate with fellows, scientists, and science educators to integrate IT (data, images, models) and develop case materials tailored for your classroom (July 7-11). Practice new skills and examine student learning by leading morning activities in student summer camps (July 14-18). The Summer Institute is offered under a grant by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers project of the National Science Foundation. Fourteen high school science teachers will be selected to receive stipends and expenses for 12 days in residence at Texas A&M University. For more information and to download an application, please visit: www.myPlantIT.org (3) Jul 27, 2008 Education and Outreach Forum at Botany 2008 The Botanical Society of America invites scientists and educators to attend and contribute to the annual Education and Outreach Forum. Join us Sunday, July 27, for 14 free, hands-on workshops. The Forum also includes informational sessions, round-table discussions, and problem-solving sessions. Join us to share your education and outreach experiences. Session abstracts will be accepted until April 1. For more information and to submit an abstract, please visit: http://www.2008.botanyconference.org/ (4) Aug 4 - Aug 13, 2008 NSF-funded Summer Institute for High School Teachers PlantingScience Institute The PlantingScience program is pleased to announce new summer professional development opportunities. The Summer Institute is especially designed for high school teachers to explore plant biology content while learning to incorporate mentored inquiry projects into their classrooms. PlantingScience, an online learning community connecting classrooms across the country to online scientist mentors, is a unique experience for teachers to experience science with their students in the way science is done by scientists. Summer Institute fellows will team with scientist mentors and teacher leaders in the program to explore strategies to engage students in scientifically oriented questions and customize open-ended investigations on germination and photosynthesis. The Summer Institute is offered under a grant by the National Science Foundation and is developed through a partnership of the Botanical Society of America and Texas A&M University. Sixteen high school science teachers will be selected to receive stipends and expenses for 9 days in residence at Texas A&M University. For more information and to download an application, please visit: www.plantingscience.org For further information on either professional development opportunity, please contact: Claire Hemingway, Education Director chemingway@botany.org 562-433-4057 -- Claire Hemingway, Ph.D. Education Director, Botanical Society of America http://www.botany.org PlantingScience http://www.plantingscience.org PlantIT Careers, Cases and Collaborations http://www.myplantit.org 4209 E. 3rd. Street, Long Beach, CA 90814 chemingway@botany.org, 562-433-4057 (ph), 562-308-0075 (cell) BSA Executive Office: P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166 314-577-9566 (ph), 314-577-9515 (fax) From phd from ninesigmainc.com Wed Mar 19 14:34:10 2008 From: phd from ninesigmainc.com (S. Orellana Ph.D.) Date: Thu Mar 20 14:55:02 2008 Subject: [Plant-education] RFP - Ingredient Adsorption Technologies for Plant Root Surfaces Message-ID: <20080319153410.886869@ninesigmainc.com> Please be aware that the deadline to submit Proposal Abstracts for NineSigma RFP# 50640-1, "Ingredient Adsorption Technologies for Plant Root Surfaces" is Friday, March 28, 2008. This is a hard deadline; proposals submitted after this deadline will not be accepted. Please let me know if you are interested in responding but cannot provide a proposal abstract by this date. The RFP and associated documents can be accessed online at http://www.ninesigma.com/mx/50640-1. If you have already submitted a proposal or have communicated your intentions, please disregard this message. If you are interested in submitting a proposal or would like more information, please contact me. To receive our newsletter that includes all active projects, register online at http://www.ninesigma.com/registration_form. Sincerely, Stephanie Orellana, Ph.D. Program Manager NineSigma, Inc. 23611 Chagrin Blvd., Ste. 320 Cleveland, Ohio 44122-5540 PhD@ninesigma.com This e-mail message is a solicitation to submit a proposal for the Request for Proposal (RFP) described above. There is no cost to you for this service. If you wish to no longer receive RFPs - presumed to be related to your area of expertise - unsubscribe by email to unsubscribe@ninesigma.com and put your email address in the subject line. From d.a.walker from sheffield.ac.uk Sat Mar 22 05:06:18 2008 From: d.a.walker from sheffield.ac.uk (David Walker) Date: Sat Mar 22 07:05:38 2008 Subject: [Plant-education] (no subject) Message-ID: <7617b5393a895a85e259772da7747388@sheffield.ac.uk> “Algae yields have not yet been accurately determined, but DOE is reported as saying that algae yield 30 times more energy per acre than land crops such as soybeans, and some estimate even higher yields up to 15000 gpa” I read statements such as the above with increasing scepticism. Does anyone have verifiable figures  (in tons per acre per year) of biomass for algae such as Chlorella or Spirulina ? Many thanks From David Alan Walker, FRS., Emeritus Professor of Photosynthesis, University of Sheffield, UK. +441142305904 http://www.oxygraphics.co.uk/ http://www.peerlesspublications.co.uk/ From dh321 from excite.com Mon Mar 24 19:43:15 2008 From: dh321 from excite.com (David R. Hershey) Date: Mon Mar 24 19:54:03 2008 Subject: [Plant-education] Biodiesel from Algae Message-ID: On Mar 22, 5:06 am, David Walker wrote: > "Algae yields have not yet been accurately determined, but DOE is > reported as saying that algae yield 30 times more energy per acre than > land crops such as soybeans, and some estimate even higher yields up to > 15000 gpa" > > I read statements such as the above with increasing scepticism. Does > anyone have verifiable figures (in tons per acre per year) of biomass > for algae such as Chlorella or Spirulina ? Other people have questioned this number (reference 1) and thought is was incorrect. The origin seems to be from a 1998 DOE report summarizing research on biodiesel from algae from 1978 to 1996 (reference 2). The report noted "microalgae are capable of producing 30 times the amount of oil per unit area of land, compared to terrestrial oilseed crops" but provided no reference for that claim. Under open pond conditions, DOE research found a maximum daily yield of 50 g dry matter per square meter per day but long term productivity of only 10. They also noted that low temperatures in the New Mexico desert greatly limited algae productivity in open ponds. The research in the Executive Summary of the DOE report is surprisingly preliminary. They grew algae and measured productivity but there was no mention of an actual pilot algae biodiesel project to determine just how much biodiesel could be produced per hectare per year outdoors in the open ponds. It also appears that the enticing figure of 60% oil content for some algae species only occurs under silicon-deficient or nitrogen- deficient conditions, so is misleading. Mineral nutrient deficiencies would lower the overall oil production of the algae. The statement you quoted is contradictory because if algae yields have not been "accurately determined" it could not be known that algae yields are 30 times better than soybean. It is likely that the DOE used rose-colored glasses to get the most optimistic prediction possible. To do this one could take the highest daily algae yield (i.e. 50 g per square meter per day) and extrapolate to long term field conditions. To make as big a difference as possible one could compare an average soybean yield with one crop per year to continuous algae culture under optimal conditions. The productivity difference between the two is magnified greatly because the soybean field is fallow more than half the year. They may have also have used the misleading 60% oil content figure for algae. Soybean is only about 15 to 20% oil and that for just the seed, not the entire organism as in algae. There is a lot of hype associated with biofuels. The Bush Administration has so politicized U.S. government science agencies that one can no longer believe everything that they report. The U.S. corn ethanol program is clearly a boondoggle. Dr. Tad Patzek of the University of California, Berkeley and Professor David Pimentel of Cornell have carefully analyzed the energy cost of converting corn grain to ethanol. Pimentel concluded "It takes more [fossil fuel] energy to make ethanol from grain than the combustion of ethanol produces." (reference 3). David R. Hershey References 1. 2004. Algae as a biomass source. http://www.energybulletin.net/1330.html 2. 1998. A Look Back at the U.S. Department of Energy's Aquatic Species Program: Biodiesel from Algae. http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/24190.pdf 3. 2001. Ethanol fuel from corn faulted as 'unsustainable subsidized food burning' in analysis by Cornell scientist. http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Aug01/corn-basedethanol.hrs.html From mrehansiddiqi from yahoo.com Wed Mar 26 06:32:33 2008 From: mrehansiddiqi from yahoo.com (Dr. M. Rehan Siddiqi) Date: Wed Mar 26 06:35:07 2008 Subject: [Plant-education] How to stain plant sections with toluidine blue Message-ID: <11142.79213.qm@web36305.mail.mud.yahoo.com> In literature I have read that stem and roots section of angiosperms can be stained with toluidine blue stain. Can somebody tell me how to prepare this stain for staining and what is the procedure for staining sections with toluidine blue stain Thanks Dr. M. Rehan Siddiqi, Biology Department Forman Christian College Lahore, Pakistan Take Care, M. Rehan Siddiqi --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. From timber271 from yahoo.com Thu Mar 27 09:35:25 2008 From: timber271 from yahoo.com (timber271@yahoo.com) Date: Thu Mar 27 13:20:15 2008 Subject: [Plant-education] Re: How to stain plant sections with toluidine blue References: Message-ID: <986ec003-318f-496d-8ecb-7861ff843b80@u69g2000hse.googlegroups.com> There have been several discussions in this newsgroup about toluidine blue. They can be found at the following link: http://groups.google.com/group/bionet.plants.education/search?hl=en&group=bionet.plants.education&q=toluidine+blue&qt_g=Search+this+group A google search will provide many other sources, such as the following: BIOL2053: Hand sectioning and staining of sections http://www.cavehill.uwi.edu/FPAS/bcs/courses/Biology/BIOL2053/2053proj/biol2053sect.htm Creating Free Hand Sections of Plant Specimens http://dbs.umt.edu/courses/biol316/freehand.htm Lux A., Morita S., Abe J. and Ito K. 2005. An improved method for clearing and staining free-hand sections and whole-mount samples. Ann Bot (Lond). 96(6):989-96. http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/96/6/989 From mrehansiddiqi from yahoo.com Fri Mar 28 04:28:24 2008 From: mrehansiddiqi from yahoo.com (Dr. M. Rehan Siddiqi) Date: Fri Mar 28 11:33:06 2008 Subject: [Plant-education] how to demonstrate and measure the rate of transpiration Message-ID: <694934.38619.qm@web36312.mail.mud.yahoo.com> In our introductory plant biology labs we demonstrate transpiration by using potometer. We actually show that water is absorbed when it is lost by transpiration. Is there any other good method by which transpiration can be demonstrated and measured in introductory biology course Amara Mobeen Dept. of Biological Sciences Forman CHRISTIAN College, Lahore, Pakistan Take Care, M. Rehan Siddiqi --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. From sci_educ from yahoo.com Fri Mar 28 10:09:37 2008 From: sci_educ from yahoo.com (Jon Greenberg) Date: Fri Mar 28 11:33:10 2008 Subject: [Plant-education] Torah Flora Volume 2, number 1 is now available free Message-ID: <82877.36857.qm@web63111.mail.re1.yahoo.com> Torah Flora Volume 2, number 1 (the post-Purim issue) is now available. Torah Flora is a free e-newsletter about plants and nature in Torah and Jewish tradition. To receive a copy or to subscribe to Torah Flora, send an e-mail to: sci_educ@yahoo.com All Torah Flora e-mail is confidential, and is used only to send you Torah Flora. Jon Greenberg sci_educ@yahoo.com ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs