Dr. Howard Neufeld
Fall 2023 Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) Fund Recipient
Project: "Training Workshop on Gas Exchange Methods for Plants"
Dr. Howard Neufeld, a professor of plant ecophysiology in the Department of Biology, received a Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) grant to complete training workshops on gas exchange methods for plants.
With the funding, Dr. Neufeld and Leigha Henson '24, a former biology graduate student from Griffin, Georgia, attended a series of workshops held by Li-Cor, Inc. to help them better understand the capabilities of the Li-6800, a portable gas exchange system. "My students learn the basics of how plants take up carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and release water vapor while transpiring. They also learn how to use chlorophyll fluorescence as a measure of stress, but the Li-6800 is so sophisticated that there are many options on it that we have yet to master," explained Neufeld.
The training workshops demonstrated advanced techniques on the Li-6800, such as using chlorophyll fluorescence to measure stress in plant leaves and measuring and analyzing plant response to elevated carbon dioxide levels. In his application, Neufeld wrote, "The results will provide me the opportunity to pass on what I learn to my students. This will increase their options for doing independent research and, for those who go on to graduate school, it will give them the tools to succeed at that level."
While at the workshop, Henson presented a poster on her research showing how she used the Li-6800 system to measure gas exchange of several moss species and was able to discuss her work with other moss experts. Neufeld shared, "She also participated in the workshops and saw how the system could be modified to be used in situations where the relative humidity is elevated, which is necessary for doing moss photosynthesis."
In 2023, Henson received a 2023 Li-Cor Prize at the Botanical Society of America (BSA)'s Botany Conference for her poster, titled "Light and Moisture Content as Determinants of Photosynthetic Activity in Southern Appalachian Mosses from Open and Shaded Habitats." Awarded by the BSA's Physiological Section, the prize acknowledges the best oral and poster presentations by students.
"We are the first researchers to study the ecophysiology of Southern Appalachian Mountain moss species," said Neufeld. "Prior studies focused on floristics and systematics, but our work is the first to investigate photosynthesis and water relations of these mosses in this region, which has the second most number of moss species of anywhere in North America except California."
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About the SAFE Fund
Initially endowed by Hughlene and Bill Frank, the College of Arts and Sciences Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) Fund provides resources that can be used to support undergraduate, graduate and faculty experiences. The SAFE Fund provides funding for college priorities and opportunities that arise throughout the year. These unrestricted funds support student and faculty travel, publication support for faculty and student research opportunities. Learn more at: cas.appstate.edu/students/student-and-faculty-excellence-safe-fund.
About the Department of Biology
The Department of Biology is a community of teacher-scholars, with faculty representing the full breadth of biological specializations — from molecular genetics to landscape/ecosystem ecology. The department seeks to produce graduates with sound scientific knowledge, the skills to create new knowledge, and the excitement and appreciation of scientific discovery. Learn more at biology.appstate.edu.
Written by Lauren Gibbs
December 6, 2024
BOONE, N.C.
Dr. Howard Neufeld is a professor of plant ecophysiology in the Department of Biology. Photo by Marie Freeman
Dr. Howard Neufeld is a professor of plant ecophysiology in the Department of Biology. Photo by Marie Freeman