News

Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) has posted a conversation with MSI PI Peter Sorensen, a professor in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology and member of the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center. Professor Sorensen spoke at the annual statewide conference on invasive species in early October. His presentation concerned setting aside “freshwater preserves” or “stewardship areas” in lakes and rivers to protect their ecosystems.

Two MSI PIs, Professor Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos (Computer Science and Engineering) and Professor Nathan Springer (Plant Biology) have been named McKnight Presidential Endowed Professors by the University of Minnesota. This is one of the University’s highest honors.

MSI PI Eric Newman, a professor in the Department of Neuroscience, and his colleagues have published a paper showing that glial cells have functions in information processing and signaling. Previously, they were thought to have only “housekeeping” functions. This research was the cover story in a recent issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

Associate Professor David Masopust, an MSI PI in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, has been named one of the first group of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Faculty Scholars.

MSI PI Mo Li, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and members of his research group have succeeded in measuring the torque (twisting force) that is generated by light on a silicon chip. Light’s torque comes from the spin angular momentum of photons. This research is on a smaller scale than previous such measurements and has implications for such devices as miniaturized gyroscopes and torsional sensors.

Professor James Bradeen (Head, Plant Pathology) is featured in the U’s Fall 2016 Driven to Discover campaign. Professor Bradeen’s research is part of the “Abolish Hunger” section of the campaign. His work concentrates on developing genetic solutions to crop diseases. He is using MSI resources for genetic investigations of wild plants to study disease-resistance genes and plants’ defense responses.

MSI PI Dan Voytas (Genetics, Cell Biology and Development; Director, Center for Genome Engineering) has received the first award from the Hackett Fund for Genome Engineering. The award recognizes Professor Voytas’s work and leadership in the field of genome engineering. He uses MSI resources for high-throughput DNA sequencing.

MSI PI Jay Austin (UMD, Large Lakes Observatory) appeared on Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) to discuss Lake Superior’s near-record warmth during the summer of 2016. Researchers have found that surface-water temperatures on the Great Lakes are rising, a phenomenon that is related to the amount of ice the lakes develop during the winter.

The Dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School announced recently that Professor Jakub Tolar, an MSI Principal Investigator in the Department of Pediatrics, has been named the Medical School’s executive vice dean. In this position, he will implement the School’s strategic plans for scholarship and research.