University of North Texas 
March 30, 2012
Groundbreaking research is earning UNT a national reputation in plant science, enabling the university to attract top scientists, secure millions in funding and build cutting-edge labs. UNT recently hired internationally renowned plant signaling expert Richard A. Dixon, director of plant biology and senior vice president at the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, to join the collaborative Signaling Mechanisms in Plants research cluster.
A member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Dixon was aware of UNT's impressive investment in research and world-class facilities in the new Life Sciences Complex as a member of the cluster's advisory board.
"UNT had a very clear vision of what it wanted, and that was excellence," he says. "I felt this would be a great opportunity to build something new at UNT."
Researchers in the cluster, which was formed in 2008, study how plants use a complex network of molecular signals in growth, development and defense responses to stress. Understanding these signaling processes has far-reaching effects, including advancing new technologies in agriculture, nutrition, energy and the environment.
Dixon's research and expertise will build on the bridged work between the Signaling Mechanisms in Plants research cluster and the Renewable Bioproducts research cluster, solidifying UNT's commitment to finding sustainable solutions for reducing dependence on fossil fuels.