News Archive

MSU awarded NSF 'BEACON' grant to study evolution 'in action'

MSU has been awarded a $25 million grant from the National Science Foundation, to establish a Science and Technology Center (STC) in order to study evolution in both natural and virtual settings.

The center is officially called "BEACON" ("Bio/computational Evolution in Action CONsortium) and will serve as a resource using real organisms in labs and field sites and also "digital organisms" undergoing real evolution on computers.

BEACON will involve over 30 scientists from MSU and four partner universities to create new technologies to solve real world problems, ranging from the development of safer, more efficient cars, to systems that detect computer intrusions.

The MSU News announcement (see link below) featured a quote from Professor Kay Holekamp, a co-principal investigator; and Professor Richard Lenski, co-principal investigator and also co-director, of the center.

MSU Zoology BEACON scientists:

Jenny Boughman
Ian Dworkin
Fred Dyer
Thomas Getty
Kay Holekamp
Richard Lenski
Elena Litchman
Barbara Lundrigan
Kim Scribner
Alexander Shingleton
Barry Williams
For more details, see the MSU News story

Or, visit BEACON

On YouTube: MSU Today host Jim Peck talks with MSU researchers Richard Lenski and Kay Holekamp about BEACON.