Technician
thursday july
7
2011
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
N.C. State makes its mark in space throughout shuttle program The final flight of the space shuttle program will carry experiments developed by N.C. State. Mark Herring Editor-in-Chief
Plants are resilient, simple to maintain and can produce clean air, clean water and food for astronauts. It should be a no brainer to bring them into space and onto the International Space Station— except for that gravity problem. Unlike other organisms, plants count on gravity for growth and respiration and researchers in plant biology at N.C. State are sending experiments with the space shuttle program’s final mission July 8 to study how micro-gravity environments influence plant growth. Heike Sederoff, assistant professor in plant biology, has worked on cultivating plants in environments of little gravity
for the past three years and she said like humans, plants sense stimuli like drought, stress and the force of gravity. “Plants will react to these stimuli,” Sederoff said. “They use a sugar called inositol phosphitase. It’s generated in the cell membrane, which reacts to the cells’ environment.” IP3, which scientists prefer referring to the cellular messenger, is responsible for plants’ reaction to gravity acting on them, signaling roots to grow down, towards the force, and shoots and leaves to grow up. In space, with little or no gravity, plants will grow erratically, according to Sederoff. Chris Brown, associate vice chancellor of research and development and professor of plant biology, said the species of plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, will be the subject of the experiment, but previously wheat, lettuce, radishes and tomatoes have been tested to the space station. “Growing plants in space is incredibly important when thinking about
supporting and sustaining life in space in the future,” Brown said. “Plants give us food, they convert carbon dioxide to oxygen and then can filter water through transpiration. To take the idea of habitation in space seriously, we will need plants.” In collaboration with Sederoff, Imara Perera, research associate professor in plant biology, is in Florida to overlook the packaging of the experiments supplies. According to Brown, the primary investigators chose Arabidopsis due to its simple genetic structure and ease to grow. “You walk on it very day,” Sederoff said. “It’s a little wheat grass, that only grows a few inches.” Arabidopsis only has five chromosomes, making it an ideal subject for experiments, according to Sederoff. The chemical messenger IP3 is an enzyme
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Photo Courtesy of historical state
The space shuttle program’s final flight will include experiments designed by researchers in plant biology at the University. Shuttle Atlantis will make its last mission July 8 and will mark the end of the 30-year-long era of shuttle missions to space.
insidetechnician
Police Chief Moorman highlights unity for safer campus
Newly announced Chief of Police speaks highly of campus community. See page 3.
Majoring in partnership
College couples talk about the challenges and joys of marriage while in school. See page 6.
Jordan moore/Technician
Derrick Brown, a senior in statistics and economics, bags of a thermodynamics book for a customer at Packbackers Tuesday, July 5. Brown works full time at the local store during summer, but has to work less during the fall and spring semesters.
Bookstores hit hard by economy
The Nebraska company that owns Raleigh textbook chains files for bankruptcy. John Wall Staff Writer
With hard economic times looming over many businesses surrounding campus, the parent company of multiple bookstores has declared bankruptcy to try to save its business endeavors. Nebraska Book Company of Lincoln, NE wholly owns Hillsborough St. Textbooks and Packbackers locations on Avent Ferry Road and Hillsborough Street. According to the Nebraska Company, the three stores will not close as a result of the bankruptcy.
The company filed June 27 under has reached an agreement to restrucChapter 11. According to Raleigh ture about $450 million in loans and bankruptcy attorney William E. bonds, according to a press release. “Bec ause t here Brewer, companies are many holders are allowed to conof our public debt, tinue to operate unthe most efficient der this bankruptcy way to implement a law, but “under the full recapitalization watchful eye” of the of our company is court system. through a proceed“A company puts ing under Chapter 11 their creditors on of the United States the sideline,” Brewer Bankruptcy Code,” said. “They propose the release said. a plan to pay their Nebraska Book Company Brewer said Chapcreditors, not necester 11 is quite comsarily in full, but to pay them what the bankruptcy court mon for companies that want to reconsiders to be a fair amount based structure, and cited examples such as General Motors and “about every on their assets.” Nebraska Book Company said it airline that exists.”
“This is the most strategic move our company has made in many years.”
The Nebraska Book Company’s press release also took time to attempt to prevent misunderstandings about its intentions. “[This] process may make some nervous,” the release said, “[but] this recapitalization is great news for our future because it will give us the financial flexibility we need to execute our business plan.” Although the company said no stores would close—including any of its other 287 stores located nationwide—Brewer mentioned the Kmart Chapter 11 case could prove otherwise. “Kmart filed a Chapter 11 a number of years ago for the purpose of
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East coast a popular target for Pack
Recruiting for the Wolfpack football team has picked up. See page 8.
University keeps Pack on short leash with social media
After an investigation at UNC stemming from social media, programs crack down hard at N.C. State. See page 8.
viewpoint features classifieds sports
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Forbes magazine ranks Triangle number one in business Area takes top spot in national ranking. John Wall Staff Writer
Forbes ranked the Raleigh-Cary metropolitan area number one in business and careers last week, reasoning that a “strong university presence” greatly aided this growth. Professor in agricultural and resource economics, Mike Walden, gave
nc state bookstores WHERE THE PACK SHOPS
credit for the ranking to the Triangle’s education system—particularly referring to higher education. High quality businesses need a highly educated labor force, so they come to the Triangle, according to Walden. “We have an unusual conf luence here of universities and colleges that are constantly turning out well-trained students,” Walden said. “That’s the big reason why [businesses] are here.” According to Walden, the U.S.
economy has been drifting away from manufacturing and toward services for the past couple decades. Therefore, Walden said since businesses do not need to localize production, they can headquarter themselves at nearly any point on the globe. “With modern technology,” Walden said, “businesses can locate anywhere—certainly anywhere in the country, and virtually anywhere in the world.” The area’s educational attainment,
or rate of the population over 25 with a bachelor’s degree or higher, was 42.2 percent, according to Forbes’ report. Raleigh’s major industries, according to Forbes, are technology, healthcare and education. The Forbes ranking, available on their website, lists two prominent key business people: James Goodnight and John Sall. Goodnight completed three degrees in statistics from N.C. State, and Sall sits on the Board of Trustees, according to the SAS website. Sall also
earned an honorary doctorate from the University. Goodnight owns two-thirds of SAS – the technology giant, while Sall owns the other one-third. In another Forbes ranking, Raleigh took number one in “America’s mostwired cities,” a list of which cities are most broadband-connected. The area also placed number 10 in edu-
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