PREVIOUS EDITION
BTI welcomes new Director Ted Davis

When Regents Professor and former Institute of Technology (IT) dean Ted Davis assumed leadership of the BioTechnology Institute (BTI) on January 7th, he was no stranger. A faculty member in the university's department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (CEMS) since 1963, he had worked with College of Biological Sciences dean Robert Elde to write the white paper that convinced President Bruininks to launch the initiative in biocatalysis at BTI. As dean of the Institute of Technology, he had a direct interest in the operation of the BTI because a budget for the director was supported partially out of funds from the IT dean's office. Now, as newly installed director, Davis has a vision and some specific objectives for BTI.

Click here to read about Davis' thoughts on the future of biotechnology and of the BTI.

Click here for more photos from the reception.

Biofuels Database debuts
The University of Minnesota Biofuels Database is up and running. The free online database is designed to be a repository for research on biofuels and to sassist researchers in the development of fuels from renewable resources. BTI faculty member Larry Wackett, a distinguished McKnight University Professor, has directed the project with funding from an IREE/IonE Discovery grant. Co-PIs include Lynda Ellis (Bioinformatics), John Carlis (Computer Science), Marc von Keitz (Microbiology/BTI) and Janet Jannson (DOE Joint Bioenergy Institute).

Davis named Director
Regents Professor Ted Davis was named director of the BioTechnology Institute effective January 7, 2008. Davis, a faculty member in the university's department of chemical engineering and materials science since 1963, served nine years as dean of the Institute of Technology before leaving the post in 2004 to return to the faculty. In his new role as director of the BTI, Davis leads efforts at BTI to boost interdisciplinary research for new and innovative sources of renewable energy.
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Wackett study is published
(CBS News, Jan. 2008) Larry Wackett (BTI) led a study published in the Nov. 2007 issue of Applied and Environmental Microbiology which shows that a bacterium reported to produce significant quantities of diesel fuel does not make alkanes. The study investigates the alkane-producing phenotype of V. furnissii M1 using a combined approach of whole-genome sequencing and biochemical studies. Wackett and his research team reported that alkane-producing genes could not be identified and alkane biosynthesis could not be demonstrated in vivo or in vitro.

Bacterium nanotubes may have
industrial applications
(CBS News, Jan. 2008) A study co-authored by Michael Sadowsky (BTI) and published in the December 7, 2007, edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reports that semiconductor-like nanotubes are formed by the bacterium Shewanella sp. HN-41. The ability to produce these specialized arsenic-sulfide nanotubes biologically rather chemically by converting arsenate into arsenic sulfide is unique to the Shewanella bacterium. The semiconductor-like nanotubes are tiny filaments may find use in the optical, medical and electronics industries.

Poster competition
winners announced
at LifeScience Alley
The BioTechnology Institute teamed up again with the Biomedical Engineering Institute to host the 6th Annual Graduate Student Poster/Gadget Session on Dec. 6. in conjunction with the LifeScience Alley Conference and Expo at Touchstone Energy Place in St. Paul. Winners of this year's poster session were: Xiafeng Yao, Marlene Castro, Anne Kantardjieff, Lei Xu, Erin Marasco, Ravi Narayanan, and Cong Trinh.

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Srienc receives innovation grant
(CBS News, Dec. 2007) Friedrich Srienc (BTI) received a $50,000 innovation grant from the Office of the Vice President to develop a cell tracking cytometer. He was also awarded a $260,000 grant from Mascoma Corp. to develop yeast strains.