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NF Scientists Recognized with Promotions, Appointment

ARDMORE, Okla. — Three Noble Foundation scientists with the nonprofit organization's Plant Biology Division have been recognized for excellence in their research work: two by promotion, and the third by appointment to a new position.

Dr. Marilyn Roossinck has been promoted from associate scientist to scientist; Dr. Liangjiang Wang has been promoted from senior research associate to assistant scientist; and Dr. Elison Blancaflor has been appointed to an assistant scientist post. He had been heading the Foundation's microscopy department. Both Wang and Blancaflor now join the ranks of principal investigators in the division.

Dr. Richard A. Dixon, division director, made the announcements recently.

"Marilyn's promotion reflects the reputation she has deservedly won in the international plant virology community," Dixon said. "She has been a leader in considering the importance of the evolution of infectious plant viruses to agricultural production, and one of the few researchers brave enough to attempt to experimentally verify the theories underlying virus evolution."

Dixon added that promotions to associate or full scientist positions in the Plant Biology Division require stringent external peer review.

Roossinck's research focuses on using virus-resistant plants in agriculture as a viable and necessary means of feeding an ever-growing world population, while food production is faced with dwindling arable land areas and water sources.

"Pathogen-derived virus resistance has proven effective in limited greenhouse studies and field trials," Roossinck noted, "but it is not clear that it will stand up to the remarkably evolutionary plasticity of RNA viruses. These viruses can change as much as two percent of their nucleotide sequence in a few weeks.

"With this knowledge, we may be able to circumvent the evolution of the virus and develop long-lasting resistance to viral disease in plants."

She joined the Foundation in 1991 and received her doctoral degree in microbiology and immunology in 1986 at the University of Colorado/Denver.

Wang joined the Plant Biology Division in October 2001 as a computational biologist.

"Dr. Wang's appointment as assistant scientist reflects our desire to build a strong bioinformatics program at the Noble Foundation to support our efforts in Medicago genomics," Dixon said. "He has, since coming to the Foundation, demonstrated the talents necessary to lead this program."

Wang received his master's degree at Mississippi State University/Starkville in computer science and his doctoral degree in molecular biology at the University of Georgia/Athens.

Blancaflor joined the Noble Foundation in June 1999. He received his master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Louisiana/Lafayette in plant physiology. He has received National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) funding to research the role of gravitropism, or how plant growth is affected by gravity, on plant root growth and development at the cellular and molecular levels.

"One of the questions I'm trying to answer is how the cytoskeleton (the cell skeleton) transmits the gravity signal that presumably originates in the root cap to initiate the growth responses, which take place in another region of the root called the elongation zone," Blancaflor said.

"Elison's appointment recognizes the impact that his work on plant microscopy and cell biology has had on most of the staff scientists' programs in the Plant Biology Division," Dixon said. "With his promotion, he will be given more opportunity to develop his own independent research, which has already received federal NASA funding."

The Noble Foundation is an Ardmore, Okla.-based nonprofit organization for research in plant biology and forage biotechnology; agricultural research, demonstration and consultation; and granting for other nonprofit organizations. It was established in 1945.

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Photos:

Dr. Elison Blancaflor (188k jpeg)

Dr. Marilyn Roossinck (190k jpeg)

Dr. Liangjiang Wang (212k jpeg)

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a non-profit organization conducting agricultural, forage biotechnological, and plant biology research; providing grants to numerous non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.

To learn more, visit the Noble Foundation Web site at http://www.noble.org.

More news releases available at www.noble.org/Press_Release