Page 6 - Impact Fall 2021

BELL MUSEUM BEE LAB
CENTERS OF SCIENCE
Bell Museum and Bee Lab engage the public, promote research
Over the last 10 years, the St. Paul campus has seen two signature buildings come to life thanks to public-private partnerships, each highlighted by generous donor support throughout the
Driven campaign.
The stunning new 92,000-square-foot Bell
Museum opened in July 2018, seeing record attendance in its first year. Founded in 1872, the Bell is Minnesota’s official natural history museum and is a proud part of CFANS. It continues
to delight thousands of visitors each year by delivering on its mission of igniting curiosity and wonder, exploring connections to nature and
the universe, and creating a better future for our evolving world.
The $79.2 million building was made possible through state bonding and through generous donations from our CFANS partners.
In 2016, CFANS opened the new 10,000-square-foot Bee Lab. It serves as home
to our internationally recognized research and teaching program, providing opportunities
for enhanced interdisciplinary and worldwide collaborations. The Bee Lab provides a rich learning environment to promote the conservation, health and diversity of bee pollinators through research, education, and hands-on mentorship.
The $6 million building was made possible through state-funded bonds covering two-thirds of the cost, with the rest coming from private gifts.
Giving is fruitful for science
As Minnesota Gophers, we’re proud of the famous apple varieties, including Honeycrisp, that hail from our great state — but did you know that until 1888 we weren’t able to grow apples here due to the cold climate? That’s when the U of M began its revolutionary fruit breeding program that has since released nearly 30 varieties of apples enjoyed by apple lovers far and wide — most recently, the pleasantly tart and highly disease-resistant cultivar called TriumphTM.
Today, more than 130 years later, the breeding program is going strong and producing a variety of fruits — including grapes, pears and berries — that thrive in cold regions.
Adrian Hegeman, PhD, professor in the Departments of Horticultural Science and the College of Biological Sciences’ Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, is dedicated to research that improves fruit species. He started as the Luby Honeycrisp Endowed Chair for Fruit Crop Innovation in 2017 and, as he explains, has primarily been using it as an opportunity to engage with the U of M’s grape breeding program.
“This funding has allowed me to collaborate on new grape varieties and discover genetic markers associated with things like flavor and fragrance compounds,” said Hegeman. “Our research in genetics and plant metabolomics helps us procure information about grape quality much faster than before.”
High-quality grapes that tolerate northern climates like Minnesota are good for the economy, providing opportunities for regional growers and vineyards, and delicious local wines for consumers to enjoy.
“Breeding fruit for cold tolerance
is hard,” said Hegeman. “To make
something that will adapt to new
environments, or new diseases, or
other conditions, is a challenge that
requires bringing in genetic diversity.
I’m so grateful to the Luby family for their
commitment to this important work and their generous support.”
Peg Luby appreciates Hegeman as well. “My family and I are thankful for what the Luby Family Honeycrisp Endowed Chair for Fruit Crop Innovation has accomplished,” she said. “And talk about innovation — Adrian was an excellent pick for the endowed chair. He has already built on the great legacy of fruit innovation at CFANS, and it’s always exciting to hear what he’s been doing.”
RESEARCH AND FACULTY SUPPORT
$200.2 MILLION
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
$7.8 MILLION
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