ANNUAL REPORT: June 1, 2008 – May 31, 2009
(i.e., Summer 2008, AY 2008-2009)
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY
SUNY-ESF
NAME: Danilo D. Fernando
I. INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES
1. Regular Course Offerings
Course No.
Title
Credit
Hrs.
No.
Students
No. of Lab.
Sections
SUMMER:
None
FALL:
EFB 427/627 Plant Developmental Biology
3
8
2
BTC 132 Orientation Seminar in Biotechnology
1
16
0
EFB 326 Plant Diversity
3
66
4
SPRING
2. Non-Scheduled Course Offerings (e.g., 496, 899, 999)
Course No.
FALL:
Title
Credit
Hrs.
No.
Students
BTC 420
BTC 498
EFB 798
EFB 898
EFB 999
Internship in Biotechnology
Research Problem/Biotechnology
Research Problem/EFB
Professional Experience
Doctoral Thesis Research
3-5
3
3-6
3
3
5
1
3
1
2
BTC 498
EFB 498
EFB 999
Research Problem/Biotechnology
Research Problem/EFB
Doctoral Thesis Research
2-3
3
8-10
3
1
2
SPRING:
3. Continuing Education and Extension (short courses, workshops, etc.)
None
4. Guest Lecture Activities
Course No.
Title
No. of Lectures
None
II. STUDENT ADVISING
A. Number of undergraduates for whom you are the student’s official advisor __16__ and unofficial advisor _____
B. Graduate Students: (Name, degree sought, starting date, month & year; if a degree was completed, please give
date and full citation for the thesis or dissertation).
MAJOR PROFESSOR
Christina Quinn, Ph.D. Program, Started August 2006
Arnold Salazar, Ph.D. Program, Started January 2007
Teresa Boettrich, MPS Program, Started August 2008
CO-MAJOR PROFESSOR
None
MEMBER, STEERING COMMITTEE (other than those listed above)
Kathleen Baier, M.S. Program, Started August 2006 - EFB
Collin Fischer, Ph.D. Program, Started August 2005 – Chemistry Department (SB3 Program), SU
Nikhilesh Dhar, Ph.D. Program, Started August 2006 – Biology Department, SU
CHAIRMAN OR READER ON THESIS EXAMS, ETC.
None
III. RESEARCH COMPLETED OR UNDERWAY
A. Departmental Research (unsupported, boot-legged; title - % time spent)
Isolation and cloning of secreted proteins from pine pollen tubes (10%)
Isolation and cloning of microRNAs from pine pollen tubes (10%)
Development of a tissue regeneration protocol for willow (5%)
Development of a tissue regeneration protocol for Ginkgo (5%)
Transformation of pine pollen tubes (5%)
B. 1. Grant-supported Research (source, subject, amount - total award and current year, award period starting
and ending dates; list graduate research assistants supported by each grant)
None
2. Research Proposals pending (as in B.1., above)
NSF. Genomics of Pine Pollen Tube Wall Formation and Regulation. $268,574.
ESF. Genetic Improvement of loblolly pine through pollen transformation coupled with artificial pollination.
$4,000.
IV. PUBLICATIONS (Full bibliographic citation, i.e., do not use "with Jones," or "Jones, et al."; please list only
publications published, in press, or actually submitted during this reporting period --- do not list manuscripts
in preparation).
A. Refereed Publications
Fernando DD, Quinn CR, Brenner E, Owens JN. Male gametophyte development and evolution in gymnosperms.
Invited Review. International Journal of Plant Developmental Biology (in press).
Fernando DD, Zhang S. 2008. Characterization and heterologous expression of SLF, a functional homolog of the floral
regulator LEAFY/FLORICAULA from Salix discolor. International Journal of Plant Developmental Biology 2: 92-99.
Wang BY, JR Su, DD Fernando. 2008. Development of the male reproductive structures in Taxus yunnanensis. Plant
Systematics and Evolution 276:51-58.
Owens JN, Kittirat T, Fernando DD. Factors affecting seed production in Pinus monticola and P. albicaulis.
Proceedings of the Breeding and Genetic Resources of Five-Needle Pines Conference in Yangyang, Korea. IUFRO
Working Party 2.02.15. (in review).
B. Non-refereed Publications
Fernando DD. Pollen analysis. Magill’s Encyclopedia of Science: Global Warming. Salem Press, Inc. Pasadena, CA.
(in review).
C. Papers Presented at Science Meetings (give title, date, occasion, and location)
Fernando DD. Genetic improvement of loblolly pine through pollen transformation coupled with artificial pollination.
Consortium of Plant Biotechnology Research, Inc. Annual Meeting. George Washington University, Washington DC.
February 9-11, 2009.
Fernando DD and JN Owens. A proteomic approach to identify differentially expressed proteins in sterile pollen cones
of western white pine (Pinus monticola). The Breeding and Genetic Resources of Five-Needle Pines Conference in
Yangyang, Korea. IUFRO Working Party 2.02.15. September 22-26, 2008.
Owens JN, Kittirat T, and Fernando DD. Factors affecting seed production in Pinus monticola and P. albicaulis. The
Breeding and Genetic Resources of Five-Needle Pines Conference in Yangyang, Korea. IUFRO Working Party
2.02.15. September 22-26, 2008.
D. Public Service Presentations (lectures, seminars, etc. to and for the public; give group or occasion, date(s), and
attendance)
V. PUBLIC SERVICE
A. Funded Service (include consulting activities)
1. Government Agencies (Federal, State, Local):
2. Industrial and Commercial Groups, etc.
B. Unfunded Service to Governmental Agencies, Public Interest Groups, etc.
Judge at New York State Fair Agri Science Fair. 19 posters. August 21, 2008.
VI. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A. Professional Honors and Awards (for teaching, research, outreach, etc.)
B. 1. Activities in Professional Organizations (offices held, service as chairman, member, participant or
consultant)
2. Professional Society Membership
3. Other Professional Activities
a. Editorial activity
Journal (s)
Responsibility
International Journal of Plant Developmental Biology
Member, Editorial Board
Other (books, symposia, etc.)
b. Reviewer
Journal(s)
No. of manuscripts
IJPDB
Scientia Horticulturae
Tree Physiology
Fruits
1
3
1
1
Agency
No. of proposals
Consortium of Plant Biotech Research Inc.
USDA McIntire Stennis
1
1
Other
c. Participation (workshops, symposia, etc.)
Name of workshop, etc.
Date
C. Further Education/Re-training Undertaken, Leaves, Workshops, etc.
D. Foreign Travel (Where, When, Purpose)
Place
VII. ADMINISTRATIVE AND SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES (include committee participation)
A. Department-level
Director, EFB Graduate Program
Member, Graduate Program Advisory Committee
Member, Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Search
Coordinator, Committee on Optical Instruments and Equipment
B. College-level
Member, Assistant Dean (Office of Instructions and Graduate Studies) Search
C. University-wide, including Research Foundation
VIII. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING THIS
REPORTING PERIOD, ESPECIALLY THOSE MOST NOTEWORTHY AND RELATIVE TO THE
COLLEGE’S AND DEPARTMENT’S MISSION. One paragraph on each of the following would be most helpful:
this past year, what have you done for our students, department/college, and self professionally? NOTE: The
information in this section (along with the supporting specific information elsewhere in this report) should be your
strongest case for being considered for a discretionary raise, which I’ll continue to award based on your contributions to
the department and college this reporting period.
For the Students: In the past academic year, I taught Plant Developmental Biology and Plant Diversity, and
convened the freshman orientation seminar for biotechnology students. I have also trained several undergraduate
students in my lab through independent research, internship and professional experience. In total, at least 105 students
have been served. I have also been personally involved in the further training of my two PhD students on several
laboratory techniques including bioinformatic analyses of the genes and proteins that we have isolated, PCR primer
design, amplification of 3’ cDNA ends to obtain full-length sequences of genes, monitoring of pollen development,
collection or sterile pollen grains, and many others.
In my Plant Diversity course, I have modified the laboratory manual and added an exercise on Basal
Angiosperms, which includes the requisition of various living materials so as the students will be able to see some of
these primitive plants in person rather than just from preserved and dried herbarium specimens. To enhance student
interest and broaden their understanding of various groups of plants, three speakers were invited to give presentations
in this course - Drs. Robin Kimmerer and Martin Dovciak (who talked about bryophytes and plant systematics,
respectively) and Dr. Jim Seago (from SUNY Oswego) who talked on Basal Angiosperms.
I also served as one of the resource speakers for an ESF student-organized symposium on Graduate School 101,
i.e., tips on graduate application process.
For the department/college: I served as the Director of the Graduate Program (for the second year) and my
major responsibilities include the following: 1) replied to inquiries (email, phone, and/or personal) on an almost daily
basis from potential applicants about our graduate program, as well as from our current graduate students, 2) processed
a total of 156 applications (20 for spring and 136 for fall) that involved designating reviewers for each application,
following up on the completion of the reviews on each applications, summarizing the reviews for each application, and
submitting EFB’s recommendation for each accepted and rejected applications to the Dean of Instructions and
Graduate Studies, 3) provided orientation seminars to new graduate students about our graduate program, and 4)
worked closely with Dr. Karin Limburg, the Chair of the Graduate Program Advisory Committee, on various issues
concerning the graduate program from graduate recruitment to deliberation of the Outstanding EFB PhD Student
Award.
I served as a member of the search on Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty for the department. We received and
reviewed 48 applications and interviewed four. I also served as a member of the search for the Assistant Dean for
Instructions and Graduate Studies, were we reviewed 18 applications and interviewed three.
For my professional accomplishments, the following are what I consider as significant: 1) published two papers
this year, plus one currently in press and another in review, 2) invited to be a Guest Editor for a Special Issue on Plant
Development and Evolution by the International Journal of Plant Developmental Biology. I have contacted various
colleagues from around the world and ten have confirmed participation in this special issue thus far, and 3) submitted a
new proposal to NSF’s Plant Genome Program on the genomics of pine pollen tube wall formation and regulation.
IX. A. FUTURE PLANS, AMBITIONS, AND POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FOR YOUR OWN
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE PROGRAM IN
ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY (brief summary)
B. PROJECTED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT YEAR
1. Summer 2009
a. Course(s) to be offered
None
b. Proposed research activity
I will continue working on the isolation and characterization of microRNAs and secretory proteins
involved in loblolly pine pollen tube wall formation. These projects will be done with my two
PhD students. I will also be working with an undergrad student (who is doing an internship in my
lab this summer) on an in vitro regeneration protocol for willow.
c. University, professional society, and public service
I will continue the responsibilities of being the Graduate Director including processing of a few
more graduate applications this summer. I will also continue to work with the Office of
Instructions and Graduate Studies to implement some of the changes that will facilitate the online
application review process for the next academic year. The summer will also be used to
contemplate on some visions and ideas to work on for the coming school year.
As Guest Editor for IJPDB on a Special Issue on Plant Development and Evolution, I will be
reviewing various manuscripts, as well as coordinating the peer review process of at least ten
review articles.
2. Fall Semester 2009
a. Course(s) to be offered
EFB 427/627
b. Proposed research activity
Continue the researches as described above. Write NSF grant proposal due on January 2010.
c. University, Professional society, and public service
- Continue work on the Special Issue, which is scheduled to be published in the Dec. 2009 issue.
- Participate in the USDA Plant Biology: Growth and Development panel to review grant
applications in Washington DC in September 2009.
3. Spring Semester 2010
a. Course(s) to be offered
EFB 326
b. Proposed research activity
Same as above.
c. University, professional society, and public service
Bulk of graduate applications will be coming in this semester and so I anticipate spending a lot of
time working on the graduate applications.