OSU researchers receive more than $450K in OCAST funding   

Researchers from Oklahoma State University have secured more than $450,000 from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology’s plant science research program.  OSU projects represented six of the program’s seven overall winners and 85 percent of the funding.

“We have outstanding researchers in the area of plant science,” said Toni Shaklee, assistant vice president for sponsored research.  “These awards are a testament to the quality and importance of the plant science work being done at Oklahoma State University.”

Michael Carolina, executive director of OCAST, said Oklahoma’s investment in plant science should mean larger federal research awards and further progress in many areas, including converting plants to energy and pharmaceuticals.  Oklahoma agricultural producers also can benefit with increased demand driven by the role of plant sciences in health, defense and energy.

The OSU winners are:

Justin Moss, assistant professor of horticulture and landscape architecture, received $73,278.  His project will target the development of drought-resistant turf grasses.  Oklahoma currently employs 10,000 people in the turf grass industry and benefits of drought resistant grasses can improve efforts in water conservation.

Rodney Will, associate professor in natural resource ecology and management, received $54,808.  His research project includes determining both beneficial and detrimental uses of red cedar mulch for plant growth.  Red cedar uses large amounts of water while crowding other more desirable plants.  Finding a beneficial way to use red cedar mulch would make the clearing of red cedar more cost effective and add other economic benefits.

Jeanmarie Verchot-Lubicz, associate professor of entomology and plant pathology, received $80,682.  This project will characterize the mechanism controlling the long-distance flow of proteins and virus-derived nanoparticles in plants.  This project could provide an alternative to transgenic applications or chemical spraying for disease control.  

Randy Allen, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, received $83,000.  Abiotic stress is a primary factor limiting crop productivity worldwide.  This project will seek to determine the function of responsive A20-like genes in certain plants.  Knowledge developed could improve understanding of the factors that control stress acclimation in plants and could lead to novel strategies that could require reduced levels of irrigation and other inputs.  

Liuling Yan, assistant professor in plant and soil sciences, also received $83,000 for a project that includes the study of nitrogen and its application as a fertilizer in wheat production.  Part of the focus will be to develop genetic understanding of nitrogen use effectiveness to enhance efficiency in wheat breeding and production.

Gerald Schoenknecht, associate professor of botany, received $82,644.  Living cells maintain a cytosolic pH that is close to neutrality.  Cytosolic acidification causes rapid cell damage and ultimately death.  By study of this relationship, Schoenknecht hopes to acquire a long-term insight from the work to optimize pH regulation in crop plants.  This is expected to improve crop yield and quality in acidic environments.   

Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant system that cuts across disciplines to better prepare students for a new world. Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach. OSU has more than 32,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 19,000 on its Stillwater campus; with students from all 50 states and about 110 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 200,000 students who have made a lasting impact on Oklahoma and the world. CREATE - INNOVATE - EDUCATE - GO STATE!

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