Iowa State University has landed a one million dollar grant to help in the construction of a new laboratory in the I-S-U Plant Sciences Institute. Stephen Howell, director of the Institute, says the new lab will focus on something called metabolomics. It’s a combination of genomics and metabolism — studying the types of vital nutrients plants produce at the genetic level. Howell says the grant from the Los Angeles-based Keck Foundation, a philanthropic group, will be used to buy lab equipment, hire a lab supervisor and provide “seed money” for research activities.Howell says the new lab will zero in on the nutrients plants produce, like oils and fats, which are important in the diets of humans and animals. He says they also look for the secondary things plants produce.Construction of the lab is already underway and should be complete in October. I-S-U is putting up one-point-three million dollars for the lab.
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