The result could boost scientists’ ability to custom-tailor corn for specific traits, such as high protein content for human consumption or high glucose content for biomass fuel.

“An understanding of the combination of genetic factors that result in superior performance will influence future breeding programs, which will produce higher yield or improved quality crops to meet the demands of an energy and nutrition hungry world,” said Brad Barbazuk, a UF assistant professor in biology and member of the UF Genetics Institute.

The findings are set to appear in the Nov. 20 issues of Science and PLoS Genetics.

With help from the newly released DNA sequence of the common corn strain known as B73, Barbazuk, and colleagues from the University of Minnesota, Iowa State University and Roche NimbleGen, compared the genetic sequence of B73 with that of a second strain, Mo17.

The scientists discovered an astonishing abundance of two kinds of structural variations between the pair: differences in the copy number of multiple copies of certain stretches of genetic material, and the presence of large segments of DNA in one but not the other. In fact, at least 180 genes appear in B73 that aren’t found in Mo17.

Nathan Springer, an associate professor of plant biology at the University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences and the lead author of the PLOS Genetics paper, suspects that Mo17 likely has a similar number of genes that B73 lacks.

“The genomes of two corn strains are much more different than we would have thought,” Springer said. “What struck us is how many major changes there are between two individuals of the same species.”

The researchers think that this diversity, which is almost as great as the difference between humans and chimpanzees, is what’s behind the superiority of hybrids. When the genetic material from the two very different parents combine, the offspring ends up with more expressed traits than either parent - the best of both worlds, gene-wise.

“Hybrid offspring are probably benefiting from obtaining the genes unique to each inbred parent in addition to unique combinations of favorable alleles.” Barbazuk said.

In addition, the analysis revealed large regions of low diversity.

“There are large segments that are essentially invariant between the two inbreds,” he said. “Some of these sections may have lost diversity as result of selection during the domestication of maize from its ancestor, teosinte, approximately 10,000 years ago.”

The findings are important because corn is important.

Domesticated some 10,000 years ago, the crop produces billions of bushels of food, feed, and fuel feedstock each year in the United States alone. If scientists understand the molecular underpinnings of hybrid vigor, Springer said, they can potentially produce true-breeding lines of corn with specific traits for specific uses. That means better use of land, fertilizer, fuel, and other inputs needed to grow crops, and, ultimately, less environmental impact than might otherwise accrue as we work to meet the needs of a growing population.

Physicians currently insert camera-equipped endoscopes into patients to hunt visible abnormalities, such as tumors, in the gastrointestinal tract and internal organs. Huikai Xie, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, is working on replacing the cameras with scanners that “see” beneath the surface of tissues — revealing abnormal groups of cells or growth patterns before cancerous growths are big enough to be visible.

“Right now, endoscopes just take pictures of the surface tissue. So, if you see some injury, or abnormality, on the surface, that’s good,” Xie said. “But most of the time, particularly with cancer, the early stages of disease are not so obvious. The technology we are developing is basically to see under the surface, under the epithelial layer.”

Experiments with Xie’s scanning “micro-endoscopes” on animal tissue have been promising, although his devices have yet to be tested in people. The pencil-sized or smaller-sized endoscopes could one day allow physicians to detect tumors at earlier stages and remove tumors more precisely, increasing patients’ chances of survival and improving patients’ quality of life.

Xie and his graduate students have authored at least 40 papers on various aspects of the research, which is supported with more than $1 million in grants, primarily from the National Science Foundation. In September, he delivered an invited talk, “MEMS-Based 3D Optical Microendoscopy,” at the 31st Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. He also recently launched a small company, the Gainesville-based WiOptix Inc., to speed commercialization of his scanning technology.

With current camera-equipped endoscopes, once doctors spot abnormalities, they typically perform a biopsy, and then send the suspicious tissue to a laboratory. But biopsy is risky and may cause bleeding and even trauma. Also, it usually takes a couple of days to receive the analysis of the biopsy sample from the laboratory. If it is cancerous, surgeons may attempt to remove the abnormality and surrounding tissue, using either endoscopes equipped for surgery or traditional surgical methods.

Xie’s endoscopes replace the cameras with infrared scanners smaller than pencil erasers. The heart of his scanner is a microelectromechanical system, or MEMS, device: A tiny motorized MEMS mirror that pivots back and forth to reflect a highly focused infrared beam.

By itself, the beam only strikes a period-sized dot of tissue. But the MEMS mirror allows it to move methodically back and forth, scanning a fingernail-sized piece of tissue row by row, like a lawnmower moving across a yard. The resulting image is high resolution: Xie said his scanners have achieved resolution of 10 microns, or 10 millionths of a meter, in laboratory tests. That’s more than 10 times higher resolution than the only other non-camera-based endoscopes on the market, which use ultrasound technology, he said. The high-resolution image also includes depth information, so the risky biopsy can be more specific to avoid randomness, or even completely avoided.

Computers process the return signal from the endoscopes, transforming it into a three-dimensional image of the surface tissue and the tissue beneath. One scanner even produces a 360-degree-image of all the tissue surrounding the endoscope. Doctors or other trained observers can then search the image for abnormalities or suspicious growth patterns.

Xie said doctors could use the endoscopes not only for diagnosis, but also for treatment and surgery. Currently, he said, doctors must rely during operations on static MRI or CT images of tissue obtained before the operation begins. But his scanners make images available in real time. That would be particularly useful for regions of the body where removing as little tissue as possible is paramount, for example in brain surgery, he said.

“We are trying to couple this imaging probe with cutting tools, so that when surgeons begin cutting, they know exactly what’s in front of them,” he said.

David Dickensheets, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Montana State University in Bozeman, said Xie’s research shows great potential.

“The impact on quality of care could be huge, allowing more comprehensive screening than is possible with point biopsies, and making it possible to achieve both diagnosis and treatment in a single patient visit,” he said in an email. “Professor Xie’s research is at the leading edge of this emerging technology area, and he has worked hard to move the technology out of the laboratory and into demonstration instruments that show its potential.”

By observing and removing Cuban tree frogs, residents can help protect native tree frog species, said Monica McGarrity, a biological scientist with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

The page, http://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/citizen_sci.shtml, is one of the first attempts to recruit “citizen scientists” in control efforts, McGarrity said. It was developed by McGarrity and Steve Johnson, an assistant professor of wildlife ecology, who study the frogs at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Plant City.

“People e-mail us constantly, wanting to know what they can do about these frogs,” McGarrity said. “So we launched a pilot project to get them involved.”

Reports submitted to the page will be used to develop strategies for eliminating — or at least reducing — populations of the frogs, Johnson said.

“It really enhances our ability to monitor the spread and potential impact of Cuban tree frogs in a manner we just could not do by ourselves,” he said.

Accidentally introduced to South Florida in the early 20th century, the Caribbean frogs have spread throughout much of Florida, Johnson said. They can grow to more than six inches long and are known to eat native tree frogs. Previous studies suggest that when Cuban tree frogs become established in an area, native species disappear.

But there is hope, McGarrity says. Anecdotal evidence suggests that when Cuban tree frogs are removed, the natives return.

For residents, that means identifying, capturing and euthanizing Cuban tree frogs found near — or inside — houses and apartments. McGarrity said she realizes some people may be reluctant to approach the creatures, and that’s okay — the researchers welcome observations and photos.

However, captured Cuban tree frogs should be euthanized, because it’s illegal to release them. The page includes detailed instructions on how to humanely dispatch the pests. It also contains multiple photographs of Cuban tree frogs and native species, to ensure accurate identification.

To help users submit reports, the page contains a detailed form and instructions on how to complete it. Reports can be filed via e-mail, fax or conventional mail.

Filing reports can be educational for children, but McGarrity cautions parents that Cuban tree frogs are coated with a sticky slime that can irritate the eyes and nose. So youngsters should be instructed to avoid touching any tree frogs they encounter.

Residents of Central and South Florida may notice an upsurge in Cuban tree frog populations these days, Johnson says. He’s received e-mails from residents who believe the frogs are laying eggs in swimming pools at foreclosed homes.

“We don’t have any quantified data, but it certainly makes sense,” he said. “You’ve got a pool that’s abandoned, it’s full of water, there’s algae growing in it, and that’s almost an ideal environment for these frogs to reproduce.”

Huikai Xie/UF engineer: “They have to rely on spinning a long wire, to get the image scanning, but in our technology, we just manipulate the light in free space.”

THE MIRRORS WORK WITH INFRARED LIGHT TO SCAN 40 DEGREES BACK AND FORTH IN THE SCOPE. THAT GIVES DOCTORS AN INSTANT IMAGE AND MORE.

Huikai Xie/UF engineer: “It’s a technology which can see under skin, so it can see depths of information, not just the surface.”

EXPERTS SAY ENDOSCOPES CAPTURING A DEEPER PICTURE COULD ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR BIOPSIES AND LEAD TO EARLIER CANCER DETECTION.

And what University of Florida researchers are finding could give grape growers a way to boost production of the $20 million Florida wine industry with fewer worries from diseases that have long plagued grapes here.

In the current issue of the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, a team led by biotechnology researcher Dennis Gray describes detailed methods on ways to genetically alter 19 grape varieties, including Shiraz, Merlot and Thompson Seedless.

The paper provides a virtual “how-to” for other scientists studying grape, and covers more varieties than previously published works.

Sharing the information will likely lead to faster development of disease-resistant plants that otherwise would take decades to create through traditional breeding, said Gray, based at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka.

“Everything that we’re going to end up with in grape could’ve been accomplished with breeding,” he said. “It just would’ve taken maybe 200 years to get there.”

Florida has traditionally been the nation’s second-largest state in grape consumption, both through table grapes and wines. But it’s also been hamstrung by its often wet and humid climate, as well as fungal diseases and the bacterial malady Pierce’s disease.

While the United States produced about 634 million gallons of wine in 2006, only about 1.7 million gallons were produced in Florida, according to the U.S. Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Division.

Pierce’s disease has been seen from California to Florida and is spread by an insect called the glassy-winged sharpshooter. It appears mild the first season but returns with a vengeance the second, killing the vines.

Pierce’s disease has left Florida growers with few options but the hardy muscadine, which has seeds, a less desirable trait in a snacking grape.

And that is where Gray believes his research team — which has perfected genetic modification to the point it has become routine — can change the face of grape production, both worldwide and in Florida.

The group is working on two fronts: Toward the creation of seedless muscadines and to boost disease resistance in other grapes, such as the more traditional wine-making varieties not typically viable in Florida.

Success on any front could lead to big increases in grape acreage in Florida, as well as help growers around the world who struggle with disease.

While some critics suggest that Florida has little future as a wine-making state, Gray suggests it’s too early to say.

“One thing people will kind of throw at us: ‘Well, so what if you can grow wine grapes? You can’t make the wine,’” he said. “And that may be true for some varieties — but there are 2,000 to test. So some of them will probably make wine here.”

Gray’s research now emphasizes cisgenic genetic modifications, which means using plant genes only from a particular species — for example, grape genes into grapes — to create an improved plant, such as one with heightened disease resistance.

Jeanne Burgess, vice president of winemaking for Seavin, Inc., the company that runs Lakeridge Winery in Clermont and San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine, believes the UF research will vastly improve the outlook for the state’s vineyards.

“If we could get a handle on Pierce’s disease, we would then have the option of growing a much more diverse group of grapes,” said Burgess, who has grown the UF-created Blanc du Bois grape for more than 15 years. “Then all of a sudden, our choices are enormous.”

For more information on Gray’s research, visit: http://www.mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/grapes/genetics.

The primary goal of the awards is to promote the Rotary’s ideals of peace and international understanding by emphasizing the ambassadorial role of scholars in their daily contact with people of other cultures and traditions.

Student scholarships range up to $25,000 for up to a one-year academic study and foreign residence. There is no upper age limit, but applicants must have completed the lower division courses of their college career, and applicants must either be residents of D-6970 or be enrolled in one of the institutions of higher learning located within D-6970 counties.

For more information, visit http://www.rotaryfoundation6970.org and open the Ambassadorial Scholarships link. To apply for the scholarship, applicants must contact a sponsor counselor of a sponsoring rotary club in District 6970 after they have met sponsoring criteria.

This exhibition features architectural models, drawings and photographs from John Howey’s Sarasota School of Architecture Collection in the UF Architecture Archives. Architects Ralph Twitchell, Paul Rudolph, Victor Lundy, Tim Seibert, Jack West and Gene Leedy, among others, are represented.

The opening reception will be from 2 to 4 p.m. on Nov. 18 in the gallery. The guest speaker will be John Howey who is the author of Sarasota School of Architecture, 1941-1966. Refreshments will be served and the reception is free and open to the public.

The gallery is open 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Jesse Dallery/UF psychology researcher: “Basically what they’re doing is leaving a carbon monoxide sample and we can see them leaving it through a web camera, and based on whether they’re positive or negative, they have to meet a cut point for abstinence, they receive immediate feedback, immediate positive feedback, and some also receive a tangible monetary incentive for meeting their goals.”

THE MORE CONSECUTIVE DAYS WITHOUT SMOKING, THE MORE MONEY PARTICIPANTS GET, UP TO 168 DOLLARS FOR THE LENGTH OF THE STUDY. NEARLY TWO OUT OF THREE PEOPLE WHO STOPPED SMOKING FOR THE STUDY, NEVER STARTED AGAIN DURING THE SIX WEEKS.

Jesse Dallery/UF psychology researcher: “They really like the intervention, they like using the internet based system, they like to see immediate progress, immediate feedback for cessation, so they really seem to enjoy it.”

EXPERTS ARE HOPING TO LAUNCH THE PROGRAM NATIONWIDE SOON TO HELP THOSE MAKING A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION TO STOP SMOKING, QUIT FOR GOOD.

“Besides select high school and university ensembles, we’ll also work to capture the professional performances such as the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra and performers from UF Performing Arts,” said Richard Drake, HD2 manager. “We want faculty and students, and we are not restricting the concerts to strictly classical genre.”

Drake says performances of smaller ensembles will be recorded or broadcast live from a Weimer Hall studio and larger groups at their performance sites.

The new series aims to showcase local talent, Drake said. Two concerts by the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra and one by the University of Florida Symphony Orchestra are confirmed and will be featured in the series, according to Drake. He’s also talking with directors at P.K. Yonge, the Gainesville Community Band, Musica Vera and Alachua County high schools. The series will be broadcast later this month and December during the holiday season.

“We intend to make this a regular series throughout the school year,” Drake said. “We want to emphasize cultural diversity, so ensembles will not be restricted to the classical repertoire.”

WUFT-FM, which broadcasts news and public affairs programs on its primary channel, classical/art programming on HD2, and old-time radio on HD3 — is part of the UF College of Journalism and Communications’ newly restructured Division of Multimedia Properties. All three channels are simulcast on WJUF-FM 90.1 in the Nature Coast area.