Barry A. Palevitz

Professor of Plant Biology 

B.S., Brooklyn College, 1966

Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1971

Department of Plant Biology
University of Georgia
1603 Plant Sciences Building
Athens, GA 30602-7271 U.S.A.
telephone: 706-542-1784
fax: 706-542-1805

E-mail: palevitz@plantbio.uga.edu

 


(web page last revised August 14, 2006 )

 

 Common spiderwort, Tradescantia virginiana

Interests:

Plant cell biology; teaching and advising; science writing; science literacy and public perceptions of science; philosophy and ethics of science

Research:

I spent about 30 years doing bench research. In the last decade, however, I gave up research in favor of other pursuits, namely intensifying my work in teaching and advising. When I did do research, my work involved the cytoskeleton, which consists of families of fibrous intracellular arrays and associated proteins that participate in a variety of motility and cell shape related processes in eukaryotes. My interests concerned two of these families, microtubules and actin-containing microfilaments, and involved four main areas of experimentation. Below are descriptions of those areas of investigation taken from a previous webpage.

Control of Microtubule Organization and Function

The vegetative cells of angiosperms contain four main arrays of microtubules. The interphase array consists of microtubules in the cortex, just under and linked to the plasmalemma, that control the localization and orientation of new wall cellulose microfibrils assembled on the other side of the membrane. The wall comprises an exoskeleton that is pivotal in cell shaping and development. There appears to be a feedback loop through which the cortical microtubule array, plasma membrane and wall 'talk' to each other and thereby effect changes in cell growth and differentiation in response to endogenous and exogenous cues. During the G2 phase of the cell cycle, the interphase array is replaced by the preprophase band, which consists of both microtubules and microfilaments in a band-like array that progressively defines the future site and orientation of the cell plate laid down during subsequent cytokinesis. Thus, both the preprophase band and phragmoplast are crucial in division plane determination (see below). The preprophase band is degraded during late prophase and is replaced by the mitotic apparatus which is responsible for separating chromosomes during mitosis. Starting in mid anaphase, the phragmoplast is assembled in the mitotic midzone and gradual expands toward the cell periphery. The phragmoplast, which also contains microfilaments, consists of two interdigitating sets of microtubules and governs the assembly of the new cell plate.
What controls the assembly of these various arrays? The spatial and temporal control of the assembly of various microtubule arrays involves a variety of accessory proteins. My laboratory has been investigating two of these proteins, gamma tubulin and a kinesin-like protein. Gamma tubulin is a third member of the tubulin superfamily (besides alpha and beta) and appears to be localized to regions of microtubule assembly in various eukaryotes, including plants. We have succeeded in identifying and localizing members of the gamma tubulin family in a variety of plants including Arabidopsis. The kinesin-like proteins are motor proteins that govern a variety of microtubule-based movements. They are also important in the architecture of the meiotic and mitotic apparatus. We have localized kinesin-like proteins in Arabidopsis that may be important in the organization and function of the phragmoplast and spindle midzone.

Division Plane Determination in Plants

Because plant cells are surrounded by relatively thick, semirigid and complex walls (an evolutionary adaptation to a sedentary, terrestrial and photoautotrophic "life style"), they are not free to migrate within the body of the organism in a manner similar to that seen in animals. As a result, new directions in growth during morphogenesis rely heavily on changes in the plane of division. During cytokinesis, the cell wall (cell plate) forms in association with a microtubule array called the phragmoplast, which guides the growth of the plate toward the parental plasma membrane. The site of fusion of the cell plate with the membrane appears to be "marked" prior to division by the presence of a cortical cytoskeletal array termed the preprophase band. Besides microtubules, both the phragmoplast and preprophase band contain other proteins including actin. Our efforts in this area are aimed at clarifying the organization of these arrays, the mechanisms that control their placement in the cell, and their interactions with the cortex and plasma membrane. One of the 'pets' I've used for this research is the guard mother cell, which divides to produce the stomatal guard cells that regulate gas exchange in leaves. Because the cell is small, the orientation of the large mitotic apparatus and chromosomes is usually distorted (tilted, or oblique). Hence, corrective measures must be taken by the cell to restore the preprogrammed longitudinal plane of division after the chromosomes separate. 

Corollary: I am also interested in the similarities and differences in division site determination between various organisms. Likewise, I am fascinated by the evolutionary processes responsible for similarities and differences in the organization of microtubule arrays in plants vs other organisms, and their relationship to the cell wall and the plant life style (see Selected Publications: Palevitz, 1993).

 This

Obliquely dividing guard mother cell of onion showing the large chromosomes typical of this species.

 
 

The Cytoskeleton in Angiosperm Spermatogenesis

In angiosperms, the production of two sperm per pollen tube is a crucial prelude to double fertilization. The sperm are produced by the division of a precursor generative cell. The generative cell is totally surrounded by the vegetative plasma membrane and contains many cross-bridged microtubules in bundles quite unlike the arrays seen elsewhere in the plant. Reports on generative cell division have been controversial. Some papers document events that are rather unusual for plants, including the lack of typical spindles and cytokinesis via cleavage (rather than a cell plate). Our efforts in this area are directed at a better understanding of this division using immunocytochemistry, observations on live, dividing generative cells, and comparisons with mitosis in somatic cells. One of our sources of pollen is the spiderwort plant, shown at the beginning of this web page.

Morphological Plasticity of the Plant Mitotic Apparatus

Besides preventing cell migration, the wall also places constraints on the plant mitotic apparatus. That is, because cell volume is relatively fixed during mitosis, the mitotic apparatus is often deformed or tilted, especially in small or narrow cells such as the guard mother cell shown above and the root cell seen here. Nevertheless, the mitotic apparatus separates chromosomes with fidelity, and predetermined division planes are achieved as well. In fact, the preprophase band can be thought of as part of a mechanism to correct misalignment of the phragmoplast resulting from wall-induced mitotic deformation. Morphological plasticity of the mitotic apparatus could be potentiated by the organization of the spindle poles and/or the presence of specific proteins such as gamma-tubulin, dynein and kinesin.

Oblique mitotic apparatus in a dividing onion root cell. Spindle fibers are fluorescent against a dark background.

And A Lot More...

Teaching: In PBIO 1210, I try to involve my undergraduate students in lecture, using a q/a, discussion approach, as much as possible. My goal is to get key concepts across, not just facts. If students remember the importance of evolution, energy, genetics and biodiversity a few years after they complete the course, I will have done my job. I also want them to understand and appreciate the process of science, the evidentiary nature of scientific investigation, and why we think what we think, e.g. about evolution. Lastly, I want them to realize that curiosity, creativity, questioning and life long learning are goals worth cultivating.

Each fall I teach a freshman seminar in 'Classic American Film'. The subjects vary: in fall 2005, we covered the films of famed director, Alfred Hitchcock. During fall 2006, we're watching 14 films starring one of Hollywood's greatest actors, Cary Grant.

I have also begun publishing scholarly articles on teaching techniques I have practiced in class. My first paper will appear in 2002 in American Biology Teacher and deals with ways teachers can incorporate technical and popular accounts of biotechnology in their lessons.

Advising:

I am active in the university in a variety of ways other than in teaching and research. The Plant Biology Department is in the Division of Biological Sciences of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. The activity I am most proud of is my role as Coordinator for Undergraduate Advising in Biology. I really enjoy the one-on-one, give and take with students that advising provides. And, I enjoy doing my best to improve the advising process for students (BIO has about 900 majors) as well as our other advisors (we have 25 advisors). For example, I continue to work extensively on our e-mail listserve and Biology Division Homepage. The site offers extensive information on courses, requirements, key links, and special events for our majors. Faculty and staff also post course updates and information on the website. One of my duties is serving as faculty advisor for the Biological Sciences Student Association and the American Medical Student Association. I also give special talks to students on how to approach faculty, the process of applying to graduate school, emerging issues in science, etc.

Other recent activities include:

Science Literacy and Writing:

I have become increasingly interested in improving public science literacy and appreciation. Toward that end, in 1989 I started doing commentaries and interviews on our local National Public Radio affiliate, WUGA-Athens My commentaries have covered a variety of subjects in science, nature and public affairs, with some additional human interest pieces thrown in as well. The purpose is to inform and excite the public about contemporary science, illustrate the scientific process, help increase the public's support for science, and hopefully promote curiosity about the natural world. I believe anyone can understand and appreciate science if the story is presented in the right way. My commentaries contributed to a major Public Radio News Directors Award for the station. They have been aired statewide on the Georgia Public Radio Network, and nationally via the public radio show, New Letters on the Air.

I have expanded this effort into longer, written pieces for the press, magazines and the worldwide web. Toward that end, several years ago I started publishing essays and reports in The Scientist and elsewhere, including BioScience and Skeptical Inquirer. I have also written pieces for local media outlets, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Flagpole Magazine. So far I have been very pleased with feedback I've gotten on my writing. The Scientist made me a contributing editor because of my work.

My interests in writing and science sparked a more general exploration of the rationalist approach to problem solving and life. As a result, in 1996 I organized a university-wide teach-in under the auspices of our Center for the Humanities and Arts on the subject "Rationalism Under Siege". It's purpose was to explore the troubling recent tendency to rely on personal bias and pseudoscience in making judgements about issues in science, science education, environmental regulations and health policy. I continued that effort in the spring 1999 semester with a freshman seminar on rationalism co-taught with Prof. Francis Assaf of Romance Languages. In spring 2000, 2001 I did seminars of my own on Creativity.

I have initiated courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels in popular and technical science writing and given numerous lectures on the subject. This effort is a continuation of my past activities in this area, including graduate and senior seminars on science ethics. Every spring semester I co-teach a course called 'Popular Science Writing', PBIO 4930/8930, and I developed additional department and graduate programs that address science literacy, science writing and science/journalism ethics. During the spring, 2003 semester I introduced a new course called 'Science Writing as Literature' which explores examples of great writing in books and essays, from 'A Sand County Almanac', 'Panda's Thumb' and 'Crickets and Katydids, Concerts and Solos', to 'The Cobra Event' to 'Galileo's Daughter' and 'Prodigal Summer'.

I also incorporate popular science writing in my PBIO 1210 course, maintaining a 'News' page on the course website. I also use news articles to supplement my lecture material whenever appropriate. Likewise, I regularly send out a News Digest to subscribers of the BIO major e-mail listserve. It's important for students to stay up to date on science current events.

I've begun publishing articles on how to use popular writing as an adjunct to teaching in formal science courses. I also give papers on the subject to the National Association of Biology Teachers. Finally, I do 'outreach' type programs on science for rationalist, civic and religious groups in N.E. Georgia and the Southeast.

I officially retire from UGA as of January 1, 2007. I will have served 28.5 years as an associate and full professor in Plant Biology. UGA and Athens have been very good to my family and me. Students won't be rid of me, though; I will stay on part time to continue my work in Biology advising.

What I Like To Do When I Am Not Working:

Power walking, reef snorkeling, reading, listening to music (NPR and XM73 are my favorites), and watching old movies (e.g. directed by Hitchcock, Ford, Capra, Hawks, Sturgess). I also collect the work of studio and folk potters. More recently, I became interested in pottery from pueblos of the American southwest, especially Jemez. I'm currently working on articles and eventually a book about Jemez pottery. Ceramics are not only visually beautiful, they also have a tactile dimension that's very satisfying. Pottery actually has four dimensions of meaning: utility, beauty, touch and history. When you drink or eat out of a unique pot, you feel its surface, see it's beauty, appreciate its utility and realize that the piece is the end product of thousands of years of experimentation by countless people who not only wanted to create something useful, but also take the opportunity to express their innermost feelings and aspirations in its form and surface. The result is something sublime. My fascination with clay has also allowed me to meet many interesting, creative potters, from Athens to North Carolina to the Hopi, Jemez and Santa Clara pueblos in AZ and NM. The experience has been very rewarding. In 2003, I helped organize an annual pottery show and sale called 'Perspectives', sponsored by the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation in Watkinsville. I want to learn a lot more about pottery -- different glazes, clays, firing conditions etc. -- and eventually do my own pieces. I also want to write about pots and the talented people who make them.

Lastly, I really enjoy living and doing in Athens, GA (for more information on Athens and the University of Georgia community, you can also click on the University of Georgia homepage or Flagpole Magazine). Athens is a great place!

Selected Publications

Palevitz, B.A. 1991. Potential significance of microtubule rearrangement, translocation and reutilization in plant cells. In, The Cytoskeletal Basis of Plant Growth and Form, ed. C.W. Lloyd, pp. 45-55. Academic Press, London.

Liu, B. and B.A. Palevitz. 1991. Kinetochore fiber formation in dividing generative cells of Tradescantia. Kinetochore reorientation associated with the transition between lateral microtubule interactions and end-on kinetochore fibers. J. Cell Sci. 98, 475-482.

Palevitz, B.A. and A. Tiezzi. 1992. The organization, composition and function of the generative cell and sperm cytoskeleton. Int. Rev. Cytol. 140, 149-185.

Eleftheriou, E.P. and B.A. Palevitz. 1992. The effect of cytochalasin D on preprophase band organization in root tip cells of Allium. J. Cell Sci. 103, 989-998.

Liu, B. and B.A. Palevitz. 1992. Organization of cortical microfilaments in dividing root cells. Cell Motil. Cytoskel. 23, 252-264.

Palevitz, B.A. 1993. Morphological plasticity of the mitotic apparatus in plants and its developmental consequences. Plant Cell 5, 1001-1009.

Liu, B., H.C. Joshi, T.J. Wilson, C.D. Silflow, B.A. Palevitz and D.P. Snustad. 1994. Gamma tubulin in Arabidopsis. Gene sequence, immunoblot, and immunofluorescence studies. Plant Cell 6, 303-314.

Cyr, R.J. and B.A. Palevitz. 1995. Organization of cortical microtubules in plant cells. Curr. Op. Cell Biol. 7, 65-71.

Liu, H.C. Joshi and B.A. Palevitz. 1995. Association of gamma-tubulin with mitotic and cytokinetic microtubules in Arabidopsis. Experimental manipulation using anti-microtubule drugs. Cell Motil. Cytoskel. 31, 113-129.

Joshi, H.C. and B.A. Palevitz. 1996. Gamma tubulin and microtubule organization in plants. Trends Cell Biol. 6, 41-44.

Liu, B., R.J. Cyr and B.A. Palevitz. 1996. Biochemical and cytological studies of a kinesin-like protein, KatAp, in the cells of Arabidopsis and other plants. Plant Cell 8, 119-132.

Liu, B. and B.A. Palevitz. 1996. Localization of a kinesin-like protein in generative cells of tobacco. Protoplasma 195, 78-89.

Silflow, C.D., Liu, B., LaVoie, M., Richardson, E.A. and B.A. Palevitz. 1999. Gamma-Tubulin in Chlamydomonas: characterization of the gene and localization of the gene product in cells. Cell Motil. Cytoskel. 42,285-297.
 
 

POPULAR SCIENCE ARTICLES AND BROADCASTS

MANY OF THESE ARTICLES HAVE BEEN REPRODUCED IN OTHER PRINT MEDIA OR ON THE INTERNET. Some of the reprints are noted here.

Palevitz, B.A. 1996. Binti's Tale. Flagpole Magazine, September 4, 1996, page 5.

Palevitz, B.A. 1997. The Ethics of Citation: A Matter of Science's Family Values. The Scientist, June 9, 1997, page 8.

Palevitz, B.A. and R. Lewis. 1997. Show Me the Data: A Nobel Lesson in the Process of Science.The Scientist, December 8, 1997, page 8. Reprinted in Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Winter, 1998, and in Rational Inquiry, San Diego Association for Rational Inquiry, July-September, 1998

Palevitz, B.A. and R. Lewis. 1998. Death Raises Safety Issues for Primate Handlers. The Scientist, March 2, 1998, page 1.

Palevitz, B.A. and R. Lewis. 1998. The Use and Abuse of the B Word.The Scientist, July 20, 1998, page 7.

Lewis, R. and B.A. Palevitz. 1998. Nature Versus Nurture Revisited. The World and I, July, 1998, page 274.

Palevitz, B.A. 1998. Finding a Voice for Science. University of Georgia Research Reporter, Spring, 1998, page 28.

Palevitz, B.A. 1998. The Real Scoop on Michael Behe...And Why Creationism is Still a Bad Idea. Flagpole Magazine, April 8, 1998, page 6.

Palevitz, B.A. and R. Lewis. 1998. Serious Research for a Serious Problem. The Scientist, October 12, 1998, page 1.

Lewis, R. and B.A. Palevitz. 1998. Nobel Honors Pioneers of NO. The Scientist, November 23, 1998, page 1.

Palevitz, B.A. 1998. Interview with Nobel Chemist, Roald Hoffmann. New Letters on the Air, aired by National Public Radio affiliates nationwide.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. Yerkes Center, OSHA Settle Death Case. The Scientist, January 4, 1999, page 1.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. Interview with Pulitzer Prize winning historian Edward Larson. New Letters on the Air, aired by National Public Radio affiliates nationwide.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. Cleaving in the Sheaves. The Scientist, February 1, 1999, page 8.

Palevitz, B.A. and R. Lewis. 1999. Short Shrift to Evolution? The Scientist, February 1, 1999, page 11.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. Plant Sex: Pollen Tubes on the Move. The Scientist, February 15, 1999, page 10.

Palevitz, B.A. and R. Lewis. 1999. Mixing Religion and Health: Is It Good Science? The Scientist, March 29, 1999, page 9.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. Green Genes: Chloroplast Studies Point to Crop Enhancement. The Scientist, April 12, 1999, page 6.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. The Sagan Society of Georgia Celebrates Curiosity and Intellect. Skeptical Inquirer, March/April 1999, page 9.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. Science and the Versus of Religion. Skeptical Inquirer, July/August 1999, pages 32-36. REPRINTED IN 'SCIENCE AND RELIGION: ARE THEY COMPATIBLE?', ed. P. Kurtz, Prometheus Books, 2003.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. Bt or not Bt...Transgenic Corn vs. Monarch Butterlies. The Scientist, June 7, 1999, page 1.

Lewis, R. and B.A. Palevitz. 1999. Genome of Thermotoga Maritima Reveals Lateral Gene Transfer. The Scientist, June 7, 1999, page 10.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. Global Warming: Organisms Feel the Heat. The Scientist, July 5, 1999, page 1.

Lewis, R. and B.A. Palevitz. 1999. Celera Genomics Carves Its Niche. The Scientist, July 19, 1999, page 1.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. Ancient DNA - When is Old Too Old? The Scientist, July 19, 1999, page 10.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. Mother Earth's Diary. New Exhibit Unites Science Disciplines. The Scientist, August 16, 1999, page 1.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. Botanists Paint the Arch Green. The Scientist, August 30, 1999, page 1.

Palevitz, B.A. and R. Lewis. 1999. A Conversation with Peter Raven. The Scientist, September 13, 1999, page 1.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. Stirring the Gene Pool. Will Data on Trees Lead to a Forest of Understanding? The Scientist, September 27, 1999, page 8.

Lewis, R. and B.A. Palevitz. 1999. Science vs. P.R. GM Crops Face Heat of Debate The Scientist, October 11, 1999, page 1.

Palevitz, B.A. and R. Lewis. 1999. Fear or Facts? A Viewpoint on GM Crops. The Scientist, October 11, 1999, page 10.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. Missing Links and the Origin of Biochemical Complexity. The Scientist, November 22, 1999, page 8.

Palevitz, B.A. 1999. Discovering Relatives in the Flowering Plant Family Tree. The Scientist, December 6, 1999, page 12.

Palevitz, B.A. 2000. With GM Crops, Who Needs Vitamin Pills. Rice, Canola Offer Potential for Targeted Nutrition. The Scientist, February 7, 2000, page 14.

Palevitz, B.A. 2000. Soybeans Hit Main Street. The Scientist, March 20, 2000, page 8.

Palevitz, B.A. 2000. Rice Genome Gets A Boost. The Scientist, May 1, 2000, page 1.

Palevitz, B.A. 2000. Science and Religion are Fundamentally Different Pursuits. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 3, 2000, Faith and Values Section, page B4.

Palevitz, B.A. 2000. DNA Surprise. The Scientist, July 24, 2000, page 20.

Palevitz, B.A. 2000. Selective Service. The Scientist, July 24, 2000, page 22.

Palevitz, B.A. 2000. Discovery Goes Beyond Medicine. Mapping of Human Genome Will Provide Answers to Biology's Grand Questions. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sunday, July 2, 2000, Perspectives Section, page B1.

Palevitz, B.A. 2000. Planet Earth's Sickness Contagious For Human Inhabitants. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sunday, July 30, 2000 Perspectives Section, page G1.

Palevitz, B.A. 2000. Evolutionary Genomics. A Conversation With Pioneer Jeffrey Palmer. The Scientist, August 21, 2000, page 12.

Palevitz, B.A. 2000. Genetic Parasites and a Whole Lot More. The Scientist, October 16, 2000, page 13.

Palevitz, B.A. 2000. Falling Off a Tightrope: Compromise and Accommodation in the War Between Creationism and Evolution. BioScience 50 (no. 10):926-929, October, 2000.

Palevitz, B.A. 2000. The Little Mustard that Could. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sunday, December 24, 2000, @Issue Section, page D1.

Palevitz, B.A. 2000. CAST Discusses Plant Issues. American Society of Plant Physiologists Newsletter, November/December 2000, page 15.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Arabidopsis Genome. Completed Project Opens New Doors for Plant Biologists. The Scientist, January 8, 2001, page 1.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. An Anniversary-and a Revolution. The Scientist, February 5, 2001, page 6.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Deep Gene and Deep Time. Evolving Collaborations Parse the Plant Family Tree. The Scientist, March 5, 2001, page 12.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Bowl of Hope, Bucket of Hype? The Scientist, April 2, 2001, page 15.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Mary's Little Lambs. The Scientist, April 16, 2001, page 6.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Society Launches DeLill Nasser Award. The Scientist, May 14, 2001, page 29.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Genes Change, And So Do The Words That Describe Them. The Scientist, May 28, 2001, page 4.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. With Gain Comes Pain. In Growing Numbers, Female Athletes are Finding Success on the Field, But With an Alarming Rise in Knee Injuries. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 5, 2001, C1.

R. Lewis and B.A. Palevitz. 2001. Genome Economy. With Fewer Human Genes Than Expected, Where do all Those Proteins Get Their Instructions? The Scientist, June 11, 2001, page 21.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. A Biography of Jeffrey Palmer. World of Genetics, K. Lee Lerner & Brenda Wilmoth Lerner (eds), Thomson Publishing, Gale Group, 826 pp.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Arabidopsis. World of Genetics, Op Cit.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Watching Plants Grow. The Private Life of Titan Arum Put on Display by University of Wisconsin. The Scientist, July 9, 2001, page 13.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Activists Cite Science Only if it's Convenient. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 24, 2001, page C1.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. When Science Gets in the Way of Pet Agendas. The Scientist, July 23, 2001, page 43.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. USDA Launches Food Safety Web Site. The Scientist, July 23, 2001, page 17.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Society Honors Golden Rice Inventor. The Scientist, August 20, 2001, page 8.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Folke Skoog: A Personal Reflection on the People Who Change Our Lives. ASPB News, July/August, 2001, page 32.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. ASPB Research Points to Biotech Potential. The Scientist, August 20, 2001, page 8.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Stem Cells and Cloning in the Public Eye. The Scientist, September 3, 2001, page 4.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Assessing Risk. Federal Programs Address Biotech's Downside Along With Benefits. The Scientist, October 1, 2001, page 1.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. EPA Rauthorizes Bt Corn. The Scientist, October 29, 2001, page 11.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Forging Ahead on Arabidopsis. The Scientist, October 29, 2001, page 13.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Deciphering Protein Evolution. Actin Shares a Common Ancestor With a Bacterial Protein. The Scientist, November 26, 2001, page 18.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Why We Say It With Flowers. The Scientist, November 26, 2001, page 43.

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall. The Scientist, December 10, 2001, page 8.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Networking for Plant Survival. Plasmodesmata Provide Conduit for Developmental Information. The Scientist, January 7, 2002, page 41.

Palevitz, B.A., R. Lewis and S. Latourelle. 2002. Issue Oriented Biology: Merging Technical and Popular Science Writing in the Classroom. American Biology Teacher 64:250-259, April, 2002.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Changing Careers Midstride. Surviving Away from the Bench and Loving It. Plant Physiol. 128:329-331, February, 2002.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Happy Birthday, Uncle Charlie. Darwin Day celebrations mark evolution guru's birthday. The Scientist, February 4, 2002, page 19. Reprinted in, 'The Single Best Idea, Ever,' ed. A. Chesworth et. al., Tangled Bank Press, Albuquerque, 2002.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. NSF Reaches Out to Young Investigators. A new research grant competition focuses on plant genomics. The Scientist, February 4, 2002, page 20.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Back for a Second Look. The Scientist, February 4, 2002, page 6.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Linking up with LinkOut. NCBI expands access to outside internet sites. The Scientist, March 18, 2002, page 27.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Toxicologists Label GM Foods Safe. The Scientist, April 15, 2002, page 22.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Birth of A Giant Arum. The Scientist, April 15, 2002, page 23.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. The Continuing Saga of Invasive Species. New study documents damage, recommends action. The Scientist, April 15, 2002, page 26.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Corn Goes Pop, Then Kaboom. Nature regrets publishing a paper on transgene contamination in Mexico. The Scientist, April 29, 2002, page 18.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Forget Tacos. The Scientist, April 29, 2002, page 12.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Love Him or Hate Him, Stephen Jay Gould Made a Difference. The Scientist, June 10, 2002, page 12. REPRINTED IN 'REPORTS OF THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION', vol 22, no. 6, Nov./Dec., 2002.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Designing Science by Politics. The Scientist, May 27, 2002, page 25.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Forensics and Critical Thinking. The Scientist, May 13, 2002, page 10.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Film Fest Fetes Science. At Issue: How do you communicate science without dumbing it down? The Scientist, June 24, 2002, page 18.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Awash in DNA News. The Scientist, June 24, 2002, page 8.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Mendel and More. From peas to rice, researchers continue to sort out how genes affect the gibberellin growth factor. The Scientist, July 8, 2002, page 20.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Intelligent design creationism: None of your business? Think again. Evolution 56:1718-1720.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Researchers Blast Open Pathogen Genome. Results have direct impact on fungal disease of rice. The Scientist, August 19, 2002, page 24.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Plastic in My French Fries? Scientists probe acrylamide in food. The Scientist, September 2, 2002, page 26. THIS ARTICLE HAD THE GREATEST NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL HITS -- MORE THAN 14,400 -- ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2002, helping to propel The Scientist website to a record single day circulation.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Acrylamide in French Fries. How does it get there? The Scientist, October 14, 2002, page 23.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Plant Riches, and, Stifling the Sniffles Due to Soybeans. The Scientist, October 14, 2002, page 7.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. The March of the Monarch. Butterfly buffs and researchers track migration after disastrous winter. The Scientist, October 14, 2002, page 26.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. COVER STORY: An Odyssey in Science and Art. Alan Campbell combines his love of science with a mastery of art. The Scientist, November 11, 2002, page 18.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Flower of a Find. Researchers discover a new plant genus. The Scientist, November 25, 2002, page 23.

Palevitz, B.A. 2002. Harmless Energizers or Dangerous Drugs? Government ponders ephedrine-containing dietary supplements. The Scientist, December 9, 2002, page 18.

Palevitz, B.A. 2003. Letters of Recommendation: From God or Darwin? The Scientist, March 10, 2003, page 16. Reprinted in Atlanta Freethought News, April, 2003.

Palevitz, B.A. 2003. Nature's Biographer. A profile of geneticist John Avise. Georgia Magazine, 82(3):46-50, June 2003.

Palevitz, B.A. 2003. Perspectives in Clay: Georgia Potters and Collectors. Clay Times, 9(4):54-55, July/August 2003.

Palevitz, B.A. 2003. From Dirt Comes Diversity. Researchers probe viruses that infect tuberculosis bacteria. The Scientist, July 28, 2003, page 30.

Palevitz, B.A. 2003. Forum: Bush's Iraq Campaign Hijacked America's United Spirit, Athens Banner-Herald, July 26, 2003, page A8.

Palevitz, B.A. 2003. Potters' Paradise. UGA has been a mecca for internationally renowned potters for more than 60 yrs. Georgia Magazine,
September 2003.

Palevitz, B.A. 2003. Georgia Clay Takes Center Stage. Flagpole Magazine, August 27, 2003, page 10.

Palevitz, B.A. 2004. Forum: America - Love It and Question It. Athens Banner-Herald, April 24, 2004.

Palevitz, B.A. 2004. Forum: With UGA's Reputation in Jeopardy, the Buck Stops with Adams. Athens Banner-Herald, March 11, 2004.

Palevitz, B.A. 2004. Forum: History has Taught Jews to be Wary of their Depiction by Others. Athens Banner-Herald, February 28, 2004.

Palevitz, B.A. 2004. Scientists Communicating Badly. Quart. Rev. Biol. 79:395-399.

Palevitz, B.A. 2005. Intelligent Design’s Empty But Explosive Black Box. Bioscience, in press
 

Other Activities:

Palevitz, B.A. 2001. A Tribute to Frank Sinatra. Jazz Contrasts, WUGA, Athens, GA, May 18, 2001.

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