Craig Brodersen, a Plant Biology Ph.D. student working with Department Chair, Dr. Thomas Vogelmann, research addresses unanswered questions concerning the passage of light through plant leaves, with a focus on the effects that the directionality and quality of light have on photosynthesis. Leaf optics with respect to diffuse light, comprising a significant component of the light a leaf receives, has yet to be fully explored. Findings from this research will ultimately help better understand future plant response to current global change scenarios.
Anthony McInnis, working with John Todd, has developed an experiment that is an adaptation of
several existing ecologically engineered technologies, designed to treat
chemical contaminants found in mineral wastes generated in the state of Vermont. The experimental setup consists of 3 systems
(2 experimental, 1 control), and the experiment will be run in blocks.
The technology is intended to treat the chemical contaminants found in the mineral wastes, and is designed to recover the treated minerals at the end of the process, as they still have considered economic & environmental value. Success of this experimental technology will address many of the legal, environmental health & social concerns surrounding this mineral waste product in Vermont & across North America. This technology also has the potential of creating novel products from this waste material.
Traits leading to a species invasiveness
Jane Molofsky, Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Biology has been using the invasive grass,
Phalaris arundinacea, reed canary grass,
as a model system to ask questions about how different traits influence a species success and how this can affect a species
ability to invade new habitats. She and her team have identified 41 native and 49 invasive genotypes taken from Europe and
North America for experimental work.
Last modified February 24 2009 11:19 PM
