Why Birch is Toxic to Snowshoe Hares

BSU Photo, John Bryant.

Matt Pene, BSU News Release

Boise State biologists have uncovered why the chemical defenses in birch, a common type of tree found in North America, are toxic to snowshoe hares.

The snowshoe hare, also commonly called the snowshoe rabbit, is found throughout North America and plays an integral role in the food chain. Understanding the mechanism by which chemical defenses in trees and plants deter snowshoe hares and other herbivores can help explain diet selection and habitat use.

The researchers found that birch inhibits a certain enzyme – succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) – and therefore interferes with cellular energy production. Although it is well documented that the chemicals in birch are harmful to snowshoe hares and other herbivores, the mechanism for toxicity was not known until now.

The study appears online in the Journal of Chemical Ecology and is the first to specifically show how birch’s toxicity affects snowshoe hares.

“If we know diet selection and habitat use, it could lead to better management and conservation of both wildlife and the plants they eat,” said study coauthor Jennifer Forbey, assistant professor of biological sciences. “This work represents a novel discovery and also helps explain the evolution and distribution of chemicals in trees and plants that was made possible by integrating expertise from ecology, pharmacology and chemistry. These chemicals can be toxic to both wildlife and domestic animals and can therefore influence the health of these animals.

To conduct the study, researchers measured the inhibition of SDH isolated from snowshoe hares using in vitro enzyme kinetics studies. They then used computer generated structures of the enzyme and toxin to see if they have the right “shape” to bind together. They confirmed binding of the birch toxin to SDH, which interferes with cellular energy production, showing how birch affects the snowshoe hare.

Also collaborating on the project are Dong Xu, assistant professor of chemistry; Xinzhu Pu, research assistant professor of biology; Knut Kielland, an associate professor at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks; and John Bryant, professor emeritus at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

New Dean, BSU College of Arts & Sciences

Dean Roark

Sherry Squires, BSU News Release

Boise State University has named Tony Roark dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, following a national search.

Roark has served as interim dean of the college since May 2011 and brings to the position nearly five years of leadership experience in the college in the roles of department chair, associate dean and interim dean.

“In addition to his proven effectiveness as a leader, the many strengths highlighted by the search committee include Dr. Roark’s communication and collaboration skills, the ability to empower others and a broad understanding of the arts, sciences and humanities,” said Martin Schimpf, Boise State provost and vice president for academic affairs. “I am confident that Dr. Roark will continue to move the College of Arts and Sciences forward during these challenging times, as higher education struggles to re-invent itself in response to changing professional and economic circumstances in a digital age.”

“These are exciting times in higher education, and Boise State is a particularly dynamic institution,” Roark said. “Knowing what I do about the faculty, staff and students in the College of Arts and Sciences, I’m extraordinarily optimistic that we will not only meet the challenges that we currently face, we will also play a leading role in shaping the future of post-secondary education, research and creative activity within the state of Idaho and beyond. It’s an immense privilege serving our campus community and other stakeholders.”

Roark joined Boise State in 2000 as an adjunct professor of philosophy, served as assistant professor from 2001-2006, associate professor from 2006-2011, chair of the Department of Philosophy from 2007-2009, and was named associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2009.

Roark holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Washington and conducts research in ancient Greek philosophy. From 2008-2011, he co-chaired the Core Reform Task Force, whose charge was to examine Boise State’s general education curriculum and issue recommendations for reform. The recommendations of the task force led to the implementation of Boise State’s Foundational Studies Program.

The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest academic unit at Boise State University with 11 departments and seven research units. The college offers a variety of baccalaureate, masters and Ph.D. programs in the arts, sciences and humanities.

Gala Put 'Spotlight on Science'

College of Idaho News Release

The College of Idaho has long enjoyed a tradition of excellence in the sciences. The commitment to studying nature began with founder William Judson Boone and continues today through collaborative faculty-student research and hundreds of alumni enjoying careers in scientific fields.

C of I celebrated that tradition and bolstered its commitment to outstanding teaching during its annual Scholarship Gala, themed “Spotlight on Science,” in February, at the Boise Centre on the Grove in Downtown Boise. All proceeds from the gala support student scholarship and creative activity at C of I.

“The Scholarship Gala is an opportunity for us to both celebrate and support the reason The College of Idaho is here, and that is to provide the finest possible instruction and education to our students,” C of I President Marv Henberg said. “Our science programs are and always have been an outstanding representative of that standard.”

The Scholarship Gala is a formal, black-tie optional event featuring dinner, live musical entertainment by the Decade Blues Band, live and silent auctions, an “Adopt-a-Yote” paddle-up, a raffle drawing and remarks by Henberg as well as students and faculty from the College’s science departments. For more information, visit the Gala website or call (208) 459-5017.

The College of Idaho Scholarship Gala was sponsored by Caxton (live auction), U.S. Bank (silent auction), Blue Cross of Idaho (“Adopt-a-Yote”) and Fisher’s Document Systems (supporting sponsor). Live and silent auction items were donated by C of I trustees, alumni, friends, supporters, faculty and staff members, President Henberg and generous members of the Treasure Valley community.

Idaho Wilderness Study Program Open for Registration

Taylor Wilderness Research Station.

University of Idaho News Release

University of Idaho students who yearn to be outdoors and want to study science in one of the nation’s largest wilderness areas may now apply for the College of Natural Resources’ new pilot program, “Semester in the Wild.”

Offered for the first time in fall 2012, this semester-long experience is made up of five courses and is open to all undergraduate students. The program takes place at the University of Idaho Taylor Wilderness Research Station in the heart of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness and at the McCall Field Campus, along the shores of Payette Lake.

Interested students may visit the program web site to meet the April 13, 2012 application deadline. To learn more about the program, call (208) 885-8981 or email Brian Kennedy at kennedy@uidaho.edu.

“Students will enroll in classes that take advantage of Idaho’s wilderness setting and develop a foundation in the unique ecology, geology and natural history of the Rocky Mountain ecosystems,” said Steven Hollenhorst, CNR associate dean for academics. ”Students will develop the necessary tools to understand core scientific principles and communicate scientific ideas effectively, and this will put them at a greater advantage when considering careers or graduate school.”

The Semester in the Wild program will allow students to:
• Study the unique ecosystems of the central Idaho wilderness;
• Enroll in field ecology and geology while conducting hands-on research;
• Experience wildlife, forests, rivers and lakes that have inspired western writers;
• Immerse in a truly integrated program of science and humanities;
• Increase communication skills through scientific presentation and environmental writing.

Science Trek 2012 for Third to Fifth graders Set

ISU News Release

Idaho State University and the Idaho Museum of Natural History will present a night of scientific exploration with Science Trek 2012 on Friday, April 13, at the Museum.

The overnight, sleep-at-the-museum experience will allow children in third through the fifth grades to learn about the frontiers of science. The workshop-style Science Trek Adventures include hands-on activities and live science presentations, experiments and demonstrations.

Children will have the thrill of an overnight stay at the museum with the saber-tooth cat, the Columbian mammoth, and the International Space Station, among other rare and unique museum exhibits. They will be allowed to choose one of a variety of science workshops to explore the often-unseen wonders of microbiology, paleontology, physics, engineering and botany, among other fields of science. The event will also include a movie and a midnight pizza party.

Pre-registration for Science Trek 2012 is required. The cost to attend is $37 per child. Registration deadline is March 28 and there is no registration at the door. For registration forms and specific, important information necessary to prepare registered children to attend the overnight event visit the IMNH web site. For additional information or questions contact Rebecca A. Thorne-Ferrel at 282-2195, or by emailing her at thorrebe@isu.edu. Registered participants can check-in for the event starting at 6 p.m. on April 13.

The museum is seeking additional private and business sponsorships of children for the event. Contact Rebecca A. Thorne-Ferrel for more information.

Borah Symposium Focuses on Link Between Sustainability and War

Senator William E. Borah. Library of Congress.

University of Idaho News Release

The University of Idaho's 2012 Borah Symposium, “Food and War: Cultivating Peace,” will explore the connections between hunger, population, sustainability, war and peace. Evening keynote speakers Raj Patel and Dr. Vandana Shiva exemplify the intersection of these themes within the context of the current global food crisis. The event, scheduled for April 9-11, is free and open to the public.

“This year’s topic is particularly important to focus on because food shortages and rising food prices can lead to political turmoil,” said Melissa Saul, Borah committee co-chair and faculty member. “As the population of the planet increases, food insecurity around the world is affected by the limits of the earth’s land and water resources.”

The Borah Symposium will open on Monday, April 9 with a screening of “Darwin’s Nightmare,” 2004 Academy Award Nominee for Best Documentary. Following the showing, Borah Symposium panelists will discuss the film.

On Tuesday, April 10, award-winning writer and food activist Raj Patel will address “Causes of War and Conditions for Peace: Food's Role.” Patel received degrees from the University of Oxford, the London School of Economics and Cornell University, has worked for the World Bank and WTO, and protested against them around the world. He has published several books including “Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System,” and his latest, “The Value of Nothing”, is a New York Times best-seller.

The symposium concludes on Wednesday, April 11 with physicist and internationally renowned activist Dr. Vandana Shiva’s presentation on “Water Wars and the Future of Food.” Shiva left academics to found the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, a participatory, public interest research organization. Later, when she found that global corporations wanted to patent seeds, crops or life forms, she started Navdanya International to protect biodiversity, defend farmers’ rights and promote organic farming.

For more information, visit the the Borah Foundation.

Middle School Science Olympiad on March 17

ISU News Release

The Idaho State University Department of Physics will host a regional Science Olympiad on Saturday, March 17, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Physical Science Building on the corner of 8th Avenue and Carter Street on the ISU campus. 

Seventh- through ninth-grade students from throughout eastern Idaho will represent their schools and communities and compete in teams in a variety of science competitions.

At least 16 teams from Eagle Rock Junior High, Irving Middle School, Franklin Middle School, Hawthorn Middle School, Sugar Salem Junior High School and White Pine Charter School will be competing.

Students will compete with mousetrap cars, rockets, and catapults. They'll also compete in an experimental design challenge, test their knowledge of thermal energy and rocks and minerals, and compete in several other fun science events.

Winning teams will be encouraged to compete in the state competition in Nampa on April 14. The Idaho champion team will be invited to compete in the National Science Olympiad at Indiana University in May.

The Science Olympiad is a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of science education, increasing student interest in science, and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers.

Professor Shropshire Demonstrates

Steve Shropshire, a professor in the ISU Department of Physics, and ISU students from the departments of mechanical engineering, geosciences, and physics will serve as judges, along with several scientists and engineers from the Idaho National Laboratory.

More information on the program is available at Science Olympiad.

For more information on the ISU Science Olympiad, contact Shropshire at shropshi@physics.isu.edu or 282-2212.