March 2004, Vol. 13, No. 3| Return to Table of Contents


Science News

An update from the Architectural Dynamics in Living Cells Program...

MBL Distinguished Scientist Dr. Shinya Inoué was selected as one of "100 Intriguing People," past and present, on the Cape and Islands for Cape Cod Life Magazine's 25th Anniversary Issue. The magazine notes that for nearly 60 years Dr. Inoué has helped influence and shape the world's
understanding of basic cellular processes and structures. The Cape Cod
Life 25th Anniversary issue will hit newsstands March 30.

Dr. Inoué is temporarily residing at his home in Puerto Rico where he is writing and resting following his memorable trip to Japan in December to receive the 19th International Prize for Biology. He will return to the MBL in early April. On July 9th, the MBL will hold a symposium to celebrate his having received the Japan Prize.

Bob Knudson officially retired on December 31 and is now living in his new home in Port Townsend, Washington. He will continue to work with Dr. Inoué, fabricating intricate parts for microscopes.  In addition, he has been named as consultant on two of Rudolf Oldenbourg's pending grant applications. You may see Bob from time to time in the Instrument Development Lab at Broderick House.

Rudolf Oldenbourg is busy expanding the capabilities and applications of the Pol-Scope with funds from three active grants, and has submitted two more, one in collaboration with researchers at Brown University (see story at left). One of his current projects, sponsored by Japan Science and Technology Agency, has brought Post doc Yuki Kagawa, and his wife Emiko, to the Program.  

Michael Shribak’s research is ongoing and has been instrumental in developing the Scanned Aperture Pol-Scope, which was recently used to analyze the three-dimensional arrangement of the microtubule-centrosome structure in isolated asters of the surf clam.  

Grant Harris continues to work to develop software critical to Oldenbourg's Pol-Scope systems.

Lab Assistant Gwen Szent-Györgyi, left in December due to health reasons and has not yet been replaced.

Jane MacNeil remains working as Inoué's executive assistant as well as coordinator of Oldenbourg's research activities.

From the Josephine Bay Paul Center:

Center Director Mitch Sogin reports that after only four years at the MBL, Jennifer Wernegreen was promoted from Assistant Scientist to Associate Scientist. Jennifer continues to study endosymbioses.

David Patterson (Paddy) has joined the BPC as a Senior Scientist. David is fully funded by NASA and NSF. He was formerly the Chair of the Department of Biology at the University of Sydney in Australia.

From the Boston University Marine Program:

Sophia Fox, a second-year graduate student in the Boston University Marine Program, has been awarded a NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve Fellowship. Sophia will work on the controls of macroalgal blooms in Waquoit Bay. Despite demonstrated control of macroalgal growth by grazers, blooms are widespread along the coasts of the world, and are associated with anthropogenic inputs of nutrients to coastal waters. Sophia will use stable isotopic methods to define the macroalgal based food web in Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, and will carry out experimental manipulations to assess the relative influence of nutrients, grazing, and predation.

From The Ecosystems Center:

Publications:

Giblin, A. E., and J. J. Vallino. 2003. The role of models in addressing coastal eutrophication. Pp. 327-343 in Models in Ecosystem Science, edited by C.D. Canham, J.J. Cole, and W.K. Lauenroth. Princeton University Press.

Martin, R. A., L. Duobinis-Gray, and C. P. Crockett. 2003. A new species of early Pleistocene Synaptomys (Mammalia, Rodentia) from Florida and its relevance to southern bog lemming origins. Journal of Vertebrate Paleotology 23 (4): 917-936.


The following chapters were published in Forests in Time: The Environmental Consequences of 1000 Years of Change in New England, D. Foster and J. Aber (eds.) Yale University Press:

Aber, J., A. Magill, K. Nadelhoffer, J. Melillo, P. Steudler, P. Micks, J. Hendricks, R. Bowden, W. Currie, W. McDowell, and G. Berntson. 2004. Exploring the process of nitrogen saturation. Pp. 259-279.

Melillo, J. M., P. A. Steudler, J. D. Aber, K. Newkirk, H. Lux, F. P. Bowles, C. Catricala, A. Magill, T. Ahrens, S. Morrisseau, E. Burrows, and K. Nadelhoffer. 2004. Soil warming—a major consequence of global climate change. Pp. 280-295.

Foster, D., J. Aber, R. Bowden, J. Melillo, and F. Bazzaz. 2004. Comparisons between physical disturbance and novel stresses. Pp. 296-299.

Nadelhoffer, K., R. Boone, R. Bowden, J. Canary, J. Kaye, P. Micks, A. Ricca, W. McDowell, and J. Aitkenhead. 2004. The DIRT experiment: Litter and root influences on forest soil organic matter stocks and function. Pp. 300-315.


From Marine Resources…

The Cape Cod Cooperative Extension recently funded members of the MR’s Program for Scientific Aquaculture in developing a method to raise banded sunfish in area cranberry bogs. The sunfish, who feed on mosquitoes, help control local mosquito populations. The results of this effort can be seen at <http://www.mbl.edu/goetz/sunfish/>.

Publication:

Roberts S. B., T. Barry, J. Malison, and F. W. Goetz. 2004. Production of a recombinantly-derived growth hormone antibody and the characterization of growth hormone levels in yellow perch. Aquaculture 232/1-4: 591-602.