ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GENETICS SECTION - 2008

Activities of the BSA Genetics section during the 2007-2008 year include:

  1. Business meeting conducted in Chicago, IL (July 9, 2007) at Botany 2007.
  2. Genetics section co-sponsored six (6) symposia at Botany 2007.
    a. Phylogenomics; Organizers: Chris Pires and Jim Leebens-Mack; funds committed - $500
    b. Evolution of diversity in Sapindales; Organizers: Susan Pell and Allison Miller; funds committed - $250
    c. The functional significance of leaf shape variation – towards a consensus from gene to community; Organizer: Adrienne Nicotra; funds committed - $250
    d. Comparative Genomics, Development, Physiology and Systematics of the Brassicaceae and Cleomaceae; Organizers: Jocelyn Hall and Eric Schranz; nominal support only
    e. The evolution and maintenance of mixed mating systems; Organizers: Diane Byers and Johanne Brunet; nominal support only
    f. Frontiers in Plant Biology: Emerging Model Species; Organizers: Pamela Diggle and Elena Kramer; nominal support only
  3. Genetics section had 5 contributed paper sessions with 58 papers over three days at the Botany
    2007 meeting (these included both Genetics section and related thematic sections that fall under the general heading of Genetics).
  4. The 2007 Margaret Menzel Award ($200) for the best contributed paper was given to Dr. Keith Adams (Univ. of British Columbia) for his paper “Subfunctionalization of genes duplicated by polyploidy in response to environmental stress”.
  5. The Genetics section had four (4) posters presented at Botany 2007 (a total of 35 posters in related thematic sections).
  6. The 2007 Genetics section Poster Award ($100) was given to Richard Stokes (Univ. Cincinnati) for his poster "A Novel Approach to Study Gene Flow Between Color Forms of the Tetraploid Species Erythronium americanum".
  7. The 2008 Graduate Student Research Award(s), based on our evaluation of the seven proposals submitted, was awarded to Ms. Renate Wuersig (Purdue University), in the PhD category, and Ms. Sunni Taylor (Texas State University-San Marcos) in the MS category. Each award includes $500 for research and an additional $500 to cover travel costs to attend a subsequent BSA meeting. Dr. R. Whitkus will contact the winners, and arrange for an announcement to be made at the ’08 banquet.
  8. The Genetics Section gave a Student Travel Award ($200 courtesy of Dr. Keith Adams) to Mr. Aaron Duffy (Utah State University) to present the paper titled: “Conservation of selection on matK in ferns following an ancient loss of the trnK intron by genome inversion” (with co-authors Scot Kelchner and Paul Wolf)
  9. The Genetics section will have four (4) paper sessions at the Botany 2008 meeting in Vancouver, BC (including both Genetics section and four related thematic sections that fall under the general heading of Genetics).
    Genetics: 15 papers, 10 posters (organized by Sec./Treas.)
    Genomics/Proteomics: 4 papers, 2 posters
    Molecular Biology: 2 papers, 3 posters
    Molecular Ecology and Evolution: 6 papers, 10 posters
    Population Genetics: 11 papers, 8 posters
  10. The Genetics section will co-sponsor the following symposia at the Botany 2008 meeting:
    a. Polyploidy: Genetics, Evolution, and Ecology (organized by Keith Adams, UBC; 7 presentations); funds committed - at least $500

Genetics Section Officers:
Chair: Vance Baird (Clemson U.), will step down at end of Botany 2009
Vice-Chair: Theresa Culley (U. of Cincinnati), will become Chair at end of Botany 2009
Sec./Treasurer: Kristina Schierenbeck (Calif. State Univ., Chico)

Respectfully submitted,
Vance Baird, Chair