November 2015

A note from the Senior Associate Dean
Welcome to the Plant Science's Research and Education Pipeline update. We are continually advancing plant-based agriculture by building the research and education pipeline to strengthen the University's leadership in developing novel ways to help feed a rapidly growing global population.

We are happy to announce two new employees to the Plant Sciences team. Jason Adams will start December 1st as the Phenotyping Facility Manager to oversee the daily operations associated with the new state-of-the-art Advanced Phenotyping & Seed Processing Facility at ACRE.  Jason will report to April Agee Carroll, director of phenomics, working closely with plant sciences staff and ACRE superintendent Jim Beaty. Erin Robinson started October 21st as our new Communication and Marketing Specialist. She will develop and implement a forward looking communication and marketing strategy for the Plant Science Research and Education Pipeline and create materials that reflect the multitude of new investments.

Any questions regarding facilities and infrastructure can be directed to project manager Julie Hickman at julie@purdue.edu or 49-42208. You are welcome to email me directly with questions or comments at kplaut@purdue.edu.

All other plant sciences updates can be found on the intranet.

All the best,



Karen Plaut, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Dean for Research & Faculty Affairs

Transform plant biology 

Faculty Recruitment Update
The faculty search associated with the Plant Sciences Big Moves initiative is in full swing and has kept the members of the core search committee very busy. After advertising in Science journal, numerous websites, and social media, a list of 65 candidates has been condensed from a total pool of over 330 applicants. The chairs of departmental search committees and volunteers from the College of Science are now being engaged to identify select faculty candidates to interview in December, January and February.

Develop Smarter Agriculture™

Redesigned labs promote student and instructor collaboration
Since the start of the semester, students and faculty have collaborated in state-of-the-art lab environments that promote better circulation and direct student-instructor interaction where students' involvement is key in designing and teaching the course.

Mark Hall, Professor of Biochemistry, and students collaborating in newly renovated lab space in BCHM 112 and 113

The newly renovated lab in the Biochemistry building transforms a typical wet lab into an interactive lab with cutting-edge research equipment and computational tools to teach modern analytical research procedures. "We are able to expose students to a real, authentic lab and research setting using modern equipment they would actually see and use out in the real world," said Mark Hall, Ph.D. and associate professor of biochemistry. Each student is equipped with a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablet with a wireless presentation system that allows any active group of students to display their work on one of three large, flat screen displays. This enables the instructor to present lecture material while students are actually working on lecture material at their station.

Focusing on genetics, the new Beck's Genetics Lab in Lilly Hall of Life Sciences can now accommodate double the students in each lab section of AGRY 321 each semester. Benches are designed in such a way that four students can sit around each bench and work as a group. An inverted microscope connects to three large monitors to display a detailed analysis of cross section of tissues, cell division, and/or chromosomes. Gregore Koliantz, Ph.D. and continuing lecturer, has utilized the space since the start of the fall semester and recognizes great opportunities for students and faculty. "The faculty have exceptional opportunity to use the facilities and students who take my course will enjoy excellent learning opportunities that may encourage them to pursue genetics as their future career," said Koliantz.

Gregore Koliantz, Ph.D. and Professor of Agronomy, leads AGRY 321 students in the genetic analysis of arabidopsis

"I thank the Beck Family very much for their donation to the College of Agriculture. I also thank Dr. Joe Anderson who brought about the idea of reconstruction and critically reviewed every stage of the renovation," proclaimed Koliantz. "Julie Hickman, project manager, closely supervised the ordering (and design) of equipment; I thank her very much."

Design study under review for Greenhouse Imaging Facility
A design study provided by BSA LifeStructures and Agronomics is currently under review by the plant sciences project management team for a new automated controlled environment imaging lab in the Lilly Hall of Sciences greenhouse. Researchers are encouraged to contact April Agee Carroll, director of phenomics, to discuss potential projects.

Graphic of plant imaging concept provided by Dutch Plant Phenotyping Partners

Automate large-scale plant analysis

License to fly
New procedures and practices are now in place to comply with the FAA Certificate of Authorization (COA) that will allow the flight and operation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for field phenotyping at the Agronomy Farm for Research & Education (ACRE). The research team, including unmanned aerial facilitator Mike Leasure, will be using an automated, high-throughput system to produce detailed and precise measurements of plant characteristics that measure growth, development and water tolerance.

A COA permits public entities to operate a particular aircraft, for a particular purpose, in a particular geographical area. Mike Leasure, Purdue Polytechnic associate professor, holds a FAA Private Pilot's license and will serve as the UAS liaison and operator for plant science activities. All individuals interested in operating unmanned aerial systems next season should contact Jason Adams after December 1st. 

Student Corben Meyer prepares the UAV for flight while student Lexie Yang waits to initiate the hyperspectral camera. Also pictured (from left to right): Melba Crawford, associate dean of engineering for research and professor of agronomy; Mike Leasure, unmanned aerial facilitator. Photo taken by Mike Butrom.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Automated Phenotyping & Seed Processing Facility
Construction is well underway on the new 25,500 sq. ft. Automated Phenotyping & Seed Processing Facility. The shell of the building is nearly complete and asphalt is being poured for the driveway and parking lot.

Phenotyping Facility Manager Jason Adams (pictured on right) is scheduled to start December 1st. Jason and April Agee Carroll will be getting to know users of the facility to better understand how to facilitate their research. He will also be working with Julie Hickman to identify equipment for the new facility. They will be looking at ways to automate seed processing more efficiently, as well as developing safety training and orientation materials for new employees and students who will utilize the space when it opens in Spring. 

This new state-of-the-art facility located at the Agronomy Farm for Research & Education (ACRE) will provide space for innovative research in automated phenotyping to access the characteristics of plants under field conditions.

View of Automated Phenotyping & Seed Processing Facility with metal siding and roofing being installed. Photo taken 10/25/2015.

Automated Sorghum Phenotyping and Trait Development
As part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) funded project for Sorghum as a Bioenergy Crop, Purdue researchers and industry partner IBM Research met in October to discuss analysis techniques for remote sensing and genomic data. Data techniques include machine learning, feature extractions and learning, and predictive modeling. The goal of Purdue's collaboration with IBM is to develop powerful algorithms, data visualization techniques, phenotype prediction tools, and a genomic-phenomic analysis pipeline. Leading the team is Mitch Tuinstra, scientific director of the plant sciences initiative and professor of plant breeding and genetics in the Department of Agronomy.

DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) team also made a visit to Purdue in September to discuss the project. Purdue and ARPA-E team members reviewed the project's ground and aerial-based phenotyping platforms, discussed preliminary data collection and analysis efforts, and toured the Agronomy Center for Research and Education (ACRE).

Funding for this project is through DOE Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The grant is among six Transportation Energy Resources from Renewable Agriculture (TERRA) awards nationwide. For more details on the project and funding announcement, click here.

The Phenomobile
In conjunction with the DOE ARPA-E project, the Phenomobile has been used thus far to collect preliminary data about sorghum. Customization of the Phenomobile will take place this winter in preparation for the 2016 growing season. Those activities include; creation and attachment of custom boom with sensors, auto-steering technology, and on-board data storage and transfer capabilities.

Alterations of the Phenomobile will likely be performed through undergraduate and graduate researchers in collaboration with internal Purdue engineering and fabrication resources. Any questions regarding the Phenomobile should be addressed to Chris Boomsma, Ph.D. and managing director of Automated Field Phenotyping and Trait Development.

Andy Linvill, field technician, operating the Phenomobile for field testing in sorghum at the Agronomy Center for Research and Education (ACRE)

Foster entrepreneurship and commercialization

Entrepreneur in Residence
Since September, Daryl Starr has been working in collaboration with the Purdue Foundry as an entrepreneur-in-residence to help students, faculty, and alumni entrepreneurs through the early phases of launching startups related to plant sciences.

Many faculty, students, and even alumni come to the Purdue Foundry with just an early-stage idea. The Foundry's responsibility is to help those individuals or parties identify the value of their idea through a program called LaunchBox. Daryl is a resource for those LaunchBox graduates and founders across plant sciences and the College of Agriculture to help polish their business plans and attract first customers or funding.