A new research institute aimed at discovering how biological variation influences ecosystem and biosphere dynamics launched this month. The Biology Integration Institute (BII), a joint effort by the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin - Madison and funded by the National Science Foundation, will be headed by MSI PI Jeannine Cavendar-Bares (professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior). MSI PI Peter Reich (Regents Professor, Forest Resources) is a co-director. The BII will use spectral biology to investigate plant and vegetation biodiversity.
Several other MSI PIs are part of the BII:
- Professor Arindam Banerjee, Computer Science and Engineering
- Professor Sarah Hobbie, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
- Professor Forest Isbell, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior and Associate Director, Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
- Professor Nathan Springer, Plant and Microbial Biology
- Assistant Professor Ya Yang, Plant and Microbial Biology
A story about the BII and its work can be found on the U of M Twin Cities news site: U of M Awarded $12.5 Million to Create New Institute to Further Understanding of the Impact of Biodiversity Change on Earth.