Professor Of Botany Research Articles

Retrospective Approach to the Endemic Dianthus fruticosus L. ssp. fruticosus on Serifos Island (Cyclades, Greece).

The carnation Dianthus fruticosus L. ssp. fruticosus (Caryophyllaceae) is a range-restricted perennial, endemic plant that grows on cliffs, rocks, ravines, terraces, and boulders on Serifos Island in the Cyclades in the Aegean archipelago (Greece), possessing an impressive, aesthetic blossoming during the dry season. This indigenous carnation of Serifos has attracted the interest of naturalists and scientists. Specimens of this subspecific taxon from the island of Serifos (Greece) were collected during botanical explorations in preindustrial times by the French naturalist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1702) and in the late eighteenth century by the English Professor of Botany at the University of Oxford John Sibthorp (1787). Those specimens, documented in relevant publications and labelled with different names (i.e., Caryophyllus Graecus arboreus and Caryophyllus arboreus Seriphius in the early eighteenth century and Dianthus fruticosus in the early nineteenth century), are related to aspects of vegetation history, linking the past to the present and (most probably) to the future. Today, a thorough understanding of the in situ development and functionality of this endemic carnation is still required, as is a framework of its sustainability and management in small-scale insular habitats. The timeless perception of the emblematic wild carnation Dianthus fruticosus ssp. fruticosus, which is still growing on inland and coastal sites of Serifos and neighboring islands in the Cyclades (Greece), is also a reminder that a native plant is often a repository to which local communities may look when crafting their identity.

Creation of the first Russian Anthrax vaccine: the phenomenon of the professor of botany L.S. Tsenkovsky

The article is devoted to epizootics of anthrax, which has been known to mankind since ancient times and caused enormous damage, causing death of animals and people. Russian chronicle sources, starting from the 10th century, testify about devastating epidemics, the nature of which was unknown at that time. Scientists first discovered anthrax bacilli in the blood of sick animals in 1855 and proved their role in causing the disease in different species of animals and humans. The research of Lev Semyonovich Tsenkovsky on obtaining the first Russian anthrax vaccine and his work on developing the foundations of bacteriology in Russia are discussed.

The collection of letters addressed to D.F.L. von Schlechtendal in the University herbarium in Halle (Saale), Germany (HAL)

D.F.L. von Schlechtendal (1794–1866) was one of the most important botanists of the 19th century. From 1833 to 1866 he was professor of botany at the University Halle-Wittenberg, where his collection of some 70 000 plant specimens is kept. Schlechtendal described more than 1600 new taxa, including 78 genera, mostly from the New World. Schlechtendal’s dense network of scientific contacts is documented by his correspondence, comprising some 5600 letters he received from about 500 persons, including many famous contemporary botanists, natural scientists, travelers and plant collectors. The letters mostly refer to publications and scientific questions concerning the journals ,Linnaea’ and ,Botanische Zeitung’ edited by Schlechtendal. In particular, the letters of scientists dealing with African, Central and South American, and Australian plants are an important source of taxonomic information. The letters are mostly written in the old German Kurrent script, the ink is fading and the paper is disintegrating. We therefore have started to transliterate all letters (54 % completed), index and digitize them and make them available online. Here we explain their importance, highlighting letters dealing with the plants from Humboldt’s and Bonpland’s travels and from the correspondence with R.A. Philippi(Chile, 1808–1904) and H. Christ (Switzerland, 1833–1933).

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It takes more than being LAZY: regulation of shoot branching angle by BRXL4

It takes more than being <scp>LAZY</scp>: regulation of shoot branching angle by <scp>BRXL4</scp>

М.А. Максимович — адресат писем Н.В. Гоголя (из комментария)

The article is devoted to the relationship between N.V. Gogol and M.A. Maksimovich (1804–1873), his fellow countryman from the Poltava region. In his family there were writers and professors, they were proud of it, and Maksimovich himself from childhood dreamed of becoming a professor of botany in Moscow, but became a professor of Russian literature in Kiev and as a philologist and historian lived a fruitful scientific life. With Gogol he was brought together by his love for Little Russian songs. For the famous collection of songs by Maksimovich, Gogol offered several of his recordings and took part in its publication. Both were enthusiastic about the unrealized project to occupy university departments in Kiev together and turn it into a “new Athens,” launching an extensive educational program there. Their relations, invariably warm, were almost in absentia, until the autumn of 1849, when at the end of October Maksimovich arrived in Moscow, where Gogol then lived, and remained there for more than six months. In June they went together to their native lands, and in August 1850 Maksimovich visited Gogol in his village of Vasilyevka. Botany classes during the trip gave Gogol knowledge about Russia, important for the continuation of “Dead Souls.” Maksimovich, in his turn, left a portrait of the writer marked by professional observation and at the same time sympathetic understanding.

Frederick Robert Whatley. 26 January 1924—14 November 2020

Frederick Robert (Bob) Whatley was a plant biochemist who made fundamental discoveries that form the basis of our present textbook understanding of photosynthesis, the process by which green plants harness the energy of sunlight to incorporate atmospheric carbon dioxide, and upon which all life on Earth depends. Bob was born in Wiltshire and graduated from the University of Cambridge with a first class degree in biochemistry and a PhD supervised by Robin Hill FRS. He brought biochemical expertise and insight to a small team under the leadership of Daniel Arnon at the University of California at Berkeley, which, in the decade from 1953, discovered that chloroplasts were capable of conserving light energy as adenosine triphosphate by what the Berkeley group named photosynthetic phosphorylation. The Berkeley group also defined the role of the enzyme cofactor NADP + . By demonstrating that isolated chloroplasts were capable of the complete process of light-driven carbon dioxide fixation, they revolutionized the contemporary conception of the process, and provided a solid basis for subsequent research. In the 1960s Bob Whatley contributed to identifying the important role of the key protein, ferredoxin, in photosynthesis, and he established an important centre for photosynthesis research at King's College London. In the 1970s and 1980s as Sherardian professor of botany at Oxford he advanced several areas of biochemical research. Bob Whatley was a meticulous experimenter and clear thinker. He had a gentle manner and, for all his scientific achievements, Bob possessed an inherent modesty.

From Biodiversity to Musketry: Detection of Plant Diversity in Pre-Industrial Peloponnese during the Flora Graeca Expedition.

As the interest in natural, sustainable ecosystems arises in many fields, wild plant diversity is reconsidered. The present study is based on extant literature evidence from the journey of John Sibthorp (Professor of Botany, Oxford University) to Peloponnese (Greece) in pre-industrial time. In the year 1795, Peloponnese was a botanically unknown region, very dangerous for travellers and under civil unrest, in conjuncture with a pre-rebellion period. Our study reveals approximately 200 wild plant taxa that were collected from Peloponnese localities in 1795, transported to Oxford University (UK), and quoted in the magnificent edition Flora Graeca Sibthorpiana of the 19th century. Moreover, these plants currently constitute a living collection in Peloponnese, confirmed according to updated data on the vascular Flora of Greece. The presented lists constitute a source of information for plant biologists, linking the past to the present, shedding light on the study of adaptive traits of wild Mediterranean plants and revealing the temporal dimension of natural history. Nowadays, increasing and thorough understanding of the considered plants' functionality to abiotic and biotic environmental stimuli provides a new framework of sustainability and management options.

Richard Gilbert West. 31 May 1926—30 December 2020

Richard West was undoubtedly the greatest British Quaternary geologist of his generation. Following National Service in India, he was admitted to Clare College, Cambridge in 1948 to study the Natural Sciences Tripos. Considering Geology for Part II, he finally selected Botany and was awarded First Class Honours. Under the supervision of Professor Harry Godwin FRS, in the Subdepartment of Quaternary Research (SDQR) for his PhD thesis he studied Pleistocene interglacial deposits in East Anglia. His detailed investigations at Hoxne and Ipswich led to a lifetime unravelling the environmental, geological and vegetational history of Quaternary deposits in Britain, particularly in East Anglia. In the course of this work, he was responsible for recognizing and defining the majority of the cold or glacial and interglacial stages into which the Quaternary Period in Britain is subdivided. His expertise extended from pollen and plant macrofossil analysis to physical geological evidence, glacial deposits, periglacial phenomena, and sea-level change. These studies required extensive cooperation with specialist colleagues, to the extent that the majority of his investigations are determinedly multi-disciplinary, an approach in which he was undoubtedly a leader. At Cambridge, becoming Director of the SDQR and later Professor of Botany, he supervised, nurtured and inspired numerous research and Master's students and influenced many others, both academics and amateurs alike. His research articles (over 150) and books provide a lasting legacy in Quaternary research. After retirement and up to the time of his death he continued to research, producing several important publications, principally on the evolution of the East Anglian Fenland.

Some mysteries solved: new biographical information on Brotero, the first Professor of Botany in Portugal

The biography of Felix de Avelar Brotero (1744–1828), the first Professor of Botany in Portugal, is updated and corrected based on information that recently came to light.

Leading in the academy: women science professors at university college Dublin in the 1960s

ABSTRACTThe under-representation of women in senior echelons of the academy, particularly in disciplines which have been historically male-dominated and male-led, is well-documented internationally. The narrative, however, is not a linear one, and there have been intervals of alteration and narrow apertures of opportunity. This article focuses on one of those intervals, the period 1957–1962, which saw three women professors being appointed to the Science Faculty at University College Dublin: Carmel Humphries (1909–1986) first female professor of zoology (1957); Phyllis Clinch (1901–1984) first female professor of botany (1961); and Eva Philbin (1914–2005) first female professor of organic chemistry (1962). Interrogating the career biographies of Humphries, Clinch, and Philbin, this article examines how as outsiders within an academic hierarchy marked by male privilege, these women managed to infiltrate the inner sanctum of university activity, undertaking leading, high profile academic roles in prestigious, male-dominated disciplines. The article finds, however, that while Humphries, Clinch, and Philbin were successful in negotiating, even shifting, the university’s centre of gravity for a brief period, this powerbase was soon eroded and the dominant hegemony reinstated, ushering women scientists back to the margins of university activity.

The man standing on the globe

The forthcoming 134th birthday of Nikolai Vavilov has in spired the editors to publish the essay The Man Standing on the Globe written by Dr. Margarita Vishnyakova as the intro ductory article to the Spanish translation of Vavilov’s Five Continents ( Cinco continentes ). This book was published in 2015 by Libros del Jata S.L. , a small publishing company in Bilbao, Spain. Margarita Vishnyakova was directly involved in the process of publication. She was acquainted with Dr. Gustavo Renobales, a former professor of botany at the University of the Basque Country, who became the book’s editor and publisher. As soon as the publishing process was initiated, Gustavo sought Margarita’s aid. She helped to overcome formalities associated with copyright and assisted with translation and selection of illustrations, also contributing to the solution of some botanical and linguistic problems (Vishnyakova, 2017). It took two years to finalize the publication. This essay was published only in Spanish. The original Russian version is presented here.

Book Review: The Scientific Muslim: Understanding Islam in a New Light. By Mohammad Aslam Parvaiz

This book is a product of more than three decades of the author's experience in teaching and research as Professor of Botany, side by side with his relentless efforts to understand and interpretthe Qur'an in original Arabic by applying his knowledge of science. Its central theme is encapsulated in its very title The Scientific Muslim: Understanding Islam in a New Light

Welcome to Stresses: The Only Gold Open Access International Journal Treating Responses to All Stresses in All Biological Systems, with an Interdisciplinary Vision

A warm welcome from the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Stresses, Luigi Sanità di Toppi, Full Professor of Botany at the University of Pisa, Italy [...]

ВІДОМИЙ УКРАЇНСЬКИЙ ВЧЕНИЙ-БІОЛОГ ТА ПЕДАГОГ (ДО 85-РІЧЧЯ ВІД ДНЯ НАРОДЖЕННЯ)

The article covers the scientific, pedagogical and public activities of biologist, plant physiologist, candidate of biological sciences, associate professor and head of the Department of Botany (1988–2002), rector of the Ternopil State Pedagogical Institute (1982–1984) Ivan Mykolaiovych Butnytskyi. The scientist went from an assistant to the head of the Department of Botany, vice-rector for academic affairs (1979–2002), rector of the Ternopil State Pedagogical Institute (2002–2004).&#x0D; In 1975 he successfully defended his dissertation on "Polarity and physiological-biochemical features of sexualization of some dioecious plants" for the degree of candidate of biological sciences in the specialty – plant physiology. By the decision of the Academic Council of Chernivtsi State University of December 29, 1975 Ivan Mykolaiovych Butnytskyi was awarded the degree of Candidate of Biological Sciences and by the decision of the High Attestation Commission of the USSR Council of Ministers of December 23, 1981 - the academic title of associate professor of botany. The direction of his research was to study the features of sexualization of tissues of female and male forms of dioecious plants; study of the activity of some oxidative enzymes in males and females of dioecious plants, the effect of photoperiodism on the growth of aboveground and underground organs in some dioecious plants, the effect of inoculation on the formation of root nitrogen-fixing nodules and increase alfalfa yield in Western Podillya; study of activation of bean-rhizobial symbiosis of alfalfa in the absence of the use of heterologous lectins, etc.&#x0D; I. M. Butnytskyi actively develops methodological aspects of improving the preparation of courses "Plant Physiology", especially increasing the independent activity of students in the process of preparation for laboratory classes and educational practice in this course. I. M. Butnytskyi was a talented and responsible organizer of higher education, proved to be principled, hardworking, conscientious in the performance of official duties, persistent in achieving the goal, a teacher with deep theoretical knowledge, which he generously shared with students, teachers in postgraduate courses, in the lecture hall of the society «Knowledge», enjoyed leadership among teachers and students, conducted research, participated in the education of student youth and the implementation of measures for the organic combination of the institute with the work of secondary schools in the region and city.&#x0D; I. M. Butnytskyi’s active public and scientific activity was noted by the state. He was awarded the Veteran of Labor Medal (1987), the Badge of Excellence in Public Education of the Ukrainian SSR (1982) and two Diplomas of the Ministry of Defense of the Ukrainian SSR (1958 and 1990). He was elected a deputy of the Ternopil City Council of People's Deputies. For many years he headed the Ternopil branch of the Ukrainian Society of Plant Physiologists.&#x0D; He is the author of more than 130 scientific and scientific-methodical works, including two patents of Ukraine for inventions.

Using COVID-19 to Reboot Biology Education

Editorial| September 01 2020 Using COVID-19 to Reboot Biology Education Uno Gordon Uno Gordon GORDON UNO is David Ross Boyd Professor of Botany in the Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019; e-mail: guno@ou.edu. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar The American Biology Teacher (2020) 82 (7): 437. https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2020.82.7.437 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Uno Gordon; Using COVID-19 to Reboot Biology Education. The American Biology Teacher 1 September 2020; 82 (7): 437. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2020.82.7.437 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentThe American Biology Teacher Search The novel coronavirus pandemic forced American educators to change the way we teach. Now, it's time for us to rethink what we teach. The old phrase “never let a good crisis go to waste” applies because COVID-19 has created incredible problems but also unexpected opportunities for us to seize the moment and change the focus of biology instruction. We should all ask why so many Americans choose to ignore or reject scientific information in favor of unsourced, speculative, and generally nonsensical disinformation that appears online. Our response must be to help students develop correct explanations regarding the natural world, or they will likely accept the commonly offered pseudoscientific explanations from nonexperts. As Carl Sagan noted in The Demon-Haunted World, “science can be a candle in the dark.” The unscientific responses to the coronavirus make clear how important the use of valid evidence and the expertise of scientists and health... You do not currently have access to this content.

Solving the Mystery of the "Cyanide Bomb"

A man who's career began as a biochemist and ended as a botanist. A man who under the instruction of a Professor Butt realized what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. This was the story of Professor Jonathan Poulton, Emeritus Faculty at the University of Iowa. He comes from an English family with a religious background and ended up in the sciences when he decided to pursue biochemistry over a dinner with a family friend. He earned his PhD at Oxford University and traveled abroad to conduct research. Poulton eventually landed himself at the University of Iowa on a frigid day but this wasn't enough to deter him! Poulton became a professor of botany and conducted research on how plants stored and released cyanide from their leaves. Later in his career, his research focused on uncovering some of the genes in the Arabidopsis thaliana genome (a small flowering plant). His career was also comprised of several teaching experiences such as but not limited to Principles of Biology and Botany. If you would like to learn more about his outstanding career and unlikely story, read Professor Jonathan Poulton's profile story!

З ВІДДАНІСТЮ СВОЇЙ СПРАВІ, З ЛЮБОВ’Ю ДО ЛЮДЕЙ ТА З ІСКРОЮ ДОБРА У СЕРЦІ

З ВІДДАНІСТЮ СВОЇЙ СПРАВІ, З ЛЮБОВ’Ю ДО ЛЮДЕЙ ТА З ІСКРОЮ ДОБРА У СЕРЦІ

Progress for the pea of prosperity.

Progress for the pea of prosperity.

Stories of seeds and seeding

Sedentary seeds In 1879, William James Beal began an experiment he knew he would not complete. Beal, a professor of botany and forestry at Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State Universi...