• Cotton video

  Jonathan Wendel in NSF video to nurture future plant scientists.

• Lights, camera, action…and plants.
  
  A College of Liberal Arts and Sciences scientist is one of the featured researchers in a new video to encourage middle school and high school students to consider careers in the plant sciences.
  
  Jonathan Wendel, professor and chair of the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, explains his cotton genome research in "Secrets of Plant Genomes - Revealed!" The National Science Foundation production shows how plant scientists are discovering the genetic secrets of a trio of economically important plants: cotton, corn and potatoes.
  
  The high quality, fast-paced video features scientists at work in the lab and in the field, and explains how plant research impacts and improves our lives. The NSF hopes the video will encourage talented students, whom otherwise might go into another field such as medicine, to think about becoming plant scientists.
  
  "There's an enormous science gap presenting itself in this country," said Wendel. "We need investment and support for Americans to go into science."
  
  Filming in Ames took the better part of a day and a half. Wendel said he was not coached that much although the crew shot a lot of takes. "They would ask me to do a line again, but linger over the last word, or look more into the camera. It was hard work."
  
  One of his favorite scenes ended up on the proverbial cutting-room floor. The video crew filmed Wendel, who competes in marathons, running with some members of his research team through an Ames park.
  
  "It showed that the people in the lab have real lives," he explained.
  
  The video can be viewed online at www.nsf.gov/news/mmg/. Click on the "video" icon and search for the video title. A copy can be obtained from Video Placement Worldwide at www.vpw.com. Search for the title under the "High School" icon.
  
  Curriculum materials to accompany the video are being developed.

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December 3-16, 2007

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