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| BATON ROUGE – Each year, LSU faculty members publish dozens of books, hundreds of articles and receive millions of dollars in grants, with each individual playing their own role in bringing LSU closer to surpassing the goals of the Flagship Agenda. But the 2007-2008 academic year has proven to be even more exceptional than usual. Not only did the university move up to Tier 1 in the U.S. News & World Report’s national ranking, but now two LSU researchers have been featured in Discover Magazine’s Top 100 Stories of 2008. Brent Christner, assistant professor of biological sciences, and Mark Batzer, Boyd Professor and Dr. Mary Lou Applewhite Distinguished Professor in Biological Sciences, both conducted research recognized in the magazine’s annual listings. Christner’s research on rain-making bacteria came in at number 88. The full listing can be seen at http://discovermagazine.com/2009/jan/088. His groundbreaking work in this arena has been attracting international attention since February 2008, when he first published an article on the subject in the prestigious scientific journal, Science. “These new findings are changing the way scientists view the role of biology in atmospheric processes,” said Christner. “This adds yet another layer of complexity to what is known about our climate system.” Batzer, widely considered to be one of LSU’s most distinguished faculty members, is featured at number 90 for his involvement in this year’s sequencing and analysis of the platypus genome, which determined that the mixed-up monotreme has bird, reptile and mammal ancestors. The full article is available at http://discovermagazine.com/2009/jan/090. Batzer, an LSU alumnus, remains in the international spotlight for his cutting-edge research dealing with transposable elements and the structure of mammalian genomes. “The assembly and analysis of the genome sequence of the platypus provides new insight into the structure and function of mammalian genomes and the role that transposable elements have played in shaping the genome,” said Batzer. Both Batzer and Christner are faculty members in the College of Basic Sciences, which is known for its high level of research productivity. “Dr. Christner’s and Dr. Batzer’s research is of the highest caliber, and I am particularly pleased that their work is being recognized in this fashion,” said Dean of LSU’s College of Basic Sciences Kevin Carman. “Such a distinction illustrates that they are addressing research questions that are at the leading edge of science, and that their work has relevance to society. I hope I’m stating the obvious in noting that inclusion in such a list is tangible evidence that LSU research is among the best in the world.” Discover Magazine poses essential questions and tackles highly topical, sometimes controversial issues on the cutting edge of science, technology and the future. Discover Magazine is currently in the process of unveiling the rest of its Top 100 Stories of 2008. For more information, visit http://discovermagazine.com. RELATED LINKS:
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