Dr. Roger Hangarter
Indiana University
February 27, 2014
11:30am – 12:30pm
SCP-101
“Function and Mechanisms of Light-induced Chloroplast Movements in Leaf Cells”
Abstract: Light-dependent chloroplast movements function to optimize light absorption in photosynthetic cells. Under high light intensity chloroplasts migrate to the anticlinal sides of leaf cells and in low light the chloroplast migrate to the periclinal sides. This repositioning of chloroplasts is stimulated by the plasma membrane-associated phototropin photoreceptors. The chloroplast movements are driven by actin re-organization at the plasma membrane. The seminar will show how chloroplast movements dynamically affect the optical properties of leaves to fine-tune photosynthesis. In addition, results will be presented showing that an actin-bundling protein called Thrumin1 is required for normal chloroplast movement and functions to remodel the cortical actin cytoskeleton during light-dependent chloroplast movements.
Biography: Roger Hangarter received his Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 1981. He conducted postdoctoral 
research at Michigan State University and the University of Illinois, Urbana from 1981 to 1986 and then became and an Assistant Professor of Botany at Ohio State University where he was promoted to Associate Profossor in 1992. He joined the faculty at Indiana University in 1995 where he is currently a Chancellor’s Professor of Biology. Hangarter has published 80 research articles about plant physiology research, served on several Editorial Boards and as a Program Officer for Grant Programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). He served in various leadership positions with the American Society of Plant Biologists, including a term as President.
Hangarter received the 2004 Award for Exemplary Online Learning Resources from the MERLOT Organization, the 2005 Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge Award from NSF and the AAAS for the movie Return of the 17-year Cicadas. He also received teaching awards from the American Society of Plant Biologists (2007) and the Botanical Society of America (2009). In 2008, he received an Emmy Award for Photography for a PBS documentary, “The Natural Heritage of Indiana”. He was elected a Fellow of the American Society of Plant Biologists in 2007 and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences in 2011.
Hangarter also spearheaded the development of sLowlife, a traveling exhibit that was designed to bring a greater awareness of plants to public audiences. He also developed and maintains the Plants-In-Motion website (plantsinmotion.bio.indiana.edu) to provide educators with informative materials including time-lapse movies of plants.
Hangarter has exhibited time-lapse and photography work in numerous national and international science and art venues, including, the WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology, Bloomington, IN, the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, MN, the Grunwald Gallery of Art, Indiana University, the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, IN, the Science Center Singapore, Indonesia, Museum.BL in Liestal, Switzerland, Turku Arts Academy, Finland, Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, Tupper Lake, NY, McWane Science Center, Birmingham, AL, and Museum of Science and Technology, Santiago, Chile. In Chicago he has exhibited at the Field Museum, the David Weinberg Gallery, Loyola University Art Museum, and the Illinois Institute of Technology and Design. The sLowlife exhibit has been shown at the US Botanic Garden, Washington DC, he Museum of the Earth, Ithaca, NY, the Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago, IL, and the Clifford C. Hach Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, and the Montshire Science Museum, Norwich, VT.
**He will also present an Arts Brown Bag seminar titled “Plants: They Whisper, Talk, and Even Move” that is hosted by The School of Science and the Center for the Arts on Friday, February 28, 2014.
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