October 8, 2007: Oklahoma Sectional meeting of the American Chemical Society: Dr. Sumner and the Noble Foundation hosted the speaker Dr. Eugene Stevens (Chemistry Dept, SUNY at Binghamtom) who presented a seminar entitled “Green Plastics” which focuses on using renewal biosources as starting materials for polymer production.

September 10-14, 2007: Noble Protein Analysis Workshop and Tutorial: The Sumner group conducted workshop focused on advanced training of Noble postdoctoral fellows outside of our group in the area of proteomics.  These events include lectures, review of procedures, and extensive (i.e. 1 week) hands-on experimental training to enable self use of 1D SDS PAGE, 2-DE SDS PAGE, MALDI-TOFMS, and database queries for protein identifications.  Each workshop had approximately 20 participants. (Photo)

August 7, 2007: Noble Scholars and Teachers Workshop: This workshop focused upon “Weighing Molecules and The Large-scale Biochemical Analysis of Plants”.  This event included a lecture overview on the basis of mass spectrometry and how we use this technology to weigh molecules.  Mock mass spectrometers were assembled using various sized ball bearings, PVC, magnets, and a home-made spring loaded ball bearing accelerator.  These materials were used to provide a tangible illustration of time-of-flight and magnetic sector mass spectrometry.  These exercises made the subsequent laboratory demonstrations of GC/MS and LC/MS much more meaningful and understandable.

July - August, 2007: Visiting Scientist: The Sumner group hosted Assistant Professor of Analytical Chemistry Dr. Mohammed Meetani from the United Arab Emirates University as a visiting scientist.  During this visit Dr. Meetani gained training related to GC/MS, UPLC/MS, and data processing while performing some preliminary metabolomics experiments focused upon the emerging biofuel crop, switchgrass.

July 2007 - July 2008: Visiting Graduate Student: The Sumner group is hosting Ms. Narumon Sawasdipuksa as a visiting graudate student from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.  Ms. Sawasdipuksa is receiving proteomics training while working on projects focused on the legumes manila tamarind (Pithecelobium dulce) seeds and Medicago truncatula vacuoles.

June - August, 2007: Visiting Graduate Student: The Sumner group welcomed John Snyder as a new graduate student in its metabolomics program.  Mr. Snyder’s graduate education is being made possible through a collaboration with the Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.  Mr. Snyder spent the summer performing research on bioactive compounds from osage orange.  In August, 2007 he returned to Cornell to complete his course work and will relocate to Ardmore in May 2008 to complete the research component of his dissertation which will focus on hormone and metabolome analyses.

June-August, 2007: Internship: The Sumner lab hosted Ms Keisha Wood, an Oklahoma University undergraduate research summer intern. Ms. Wood contributed to our ongoing organization of metabolite libraries and harvesting of biological materials for metabolomics experiments.  She also participated in numerous workshops and training opportunities provided for our summer interns.

May - August, 2007:  Noble Scholars Program: The Sumner Lab hosted Mr. Cesar M. Moreira from the University of Florida as part of our Noble Scholars program (http://www.noble.org/SummerScholar/index.html).  The Noble Foundation’s Summer Research Scholars Program is a nationally competitive program that offers motivated undergraduates the opportunity to conduct plant science research in a real-world laboratory.  Projects for the Scholars are selected from an internal competition by Noble Foundation postdoctoral fellows.  Thus, this program also provides proposal preparation training and personnel supervision for our post doctoral research fellows.  Mr. Moreira participated in a project entitled "Metabolomics of Medicago truncatula roots and border cellsin response to the symbiotic fungus Glomus intraradices" and was supervised by Dr. Ewa Urbanczyk-Wochniak.  This project provided Mr Moreira will theoretical and hands-on GC/MS and UPLC/MS metabolic profiling experience using isolated Medicago truncatula border cells.  The project also provided fundamental biochemical information concerning the role of border cells in relation to symbiotic nodulation.  Mr. Moreira participation also reflects that Noble Foundation’s committment to diversity and recruitment of under-represented classes.

May, 2007: Southeastern OK State Instrumental Analysis Class: The Sumner lab hosted Prof. Joel T. Smith and his Instrumental Analysis Class on an annual basis for a 1 day focus on mass spectrometry that involves lectures, tours, and instrumental demonstrations to stimulate scientific interests and provide real world examples of science and mass spectrometry in a research environment.

April 9-13, 2007: Noble Metabolite Analysis Workshop and Tutorial: The Sumner group conducted workshop focused on advanced training of Noble postdoctoral fellows outside of our group in the area of metabolomics.  These events include lectures, review of procedures, and extensive (i.e. 1 week) hands-on experimental training to enable self use of GC/MS and database queries for metabolite identifications.  Each workshop had approximately 20 participants.