[Plantsci] Fw: Herbarium Lunch - this week - Th 3/19, 12 noon

[Mcmahon, Michelle M - (mcmahonm)]

Hi everyone in Plant Sciences,

In case you do not receive our weekly announcements, I'm sending this note about a talk today at 12 in the Herbarium. If you would like to attend in person, we're in Herring Hall — the small old building between Forbes and Marley. The talk will also be live-streamed; see the link below.

Our speaker, Dr. Adrian Paul, is Project Lead for ARPA-E funded research in the Babst-Kostecka lab, in ENVS. It is also a great example of research projects operating in the Herbarium. 😁

Best,
Shelley

Shelley (Michelle) McMahon
Director, UA Herbarium<https://herbarium.arizona.edu>
School of Plant Sciences
University of Arizona

________________________________
From: ua_herbarium-request at list.arizona.edu <ua_herbarium-request at list.arizona.edu> on behalf of "Mcmahon, Michelle M - (mcmahonm)" <ua_herbarium at list.arizona.edu>
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2026 2:06 PM
To: ua_herbarium at list.arizona.edu <ua_herbarium at list.arizona.edu>
Subject: [ua_herbarium] Herbarium Lunch - this week - Th 3/19, 12 noon

 Please join us for our next Herbarium Lunch Seminar:

Adrian Paul

will present

 Using plant hyperaccumulators for metal recovery and

the herbarium "phytomining" project

Abstract:

Ultramafic landscapes are highly selective, characterised by low calcium-to-magnesium ratios, nutrient limitation, and elevated nickel, cobalt, and chromium. These conditions drive strong edaphic endemism, with many species restricted to small, fragmented outcrops. First identified in the 1950s in Italy in a mustard family species, metal hyperaccumulation, especially of nickel, has evolved multiple times in these systems. After decades of limited attention, research accelerated in the 1980s as technological advances enabled major breakthroughs in physiology. Studies from Malaysia, New Caledonia, the Philippines, Maryland, California, and elsewhere have since clarified many previously unknown aspects of this biological anomaly. Meanwhile, as scientists worldwide explored ultramafic ecosystems, Rufus Chaney (USDA), working with collaborators, pioneered the practical application of this biology in the United States, first through phytoremediation and later phytomining and agromining, using hyperaccumulators for environmental cleanup and metal recovery.

Adrian will discuss the importance of these systems and then describe his current project, "Systematic Elemental Screening of Herbarium and Field Plants to Create a Comprehensive U.S. Plant Inventory for Metal Hyperaccumulators” — including his team’s investigation of specimens in our very own Herbarium.

[cid:fd834ec7-b0e7-4838-9ed8-d51385d52db9] [cid:3b4eeaa3-af71-48b5-8c03-dc1843c3c7f6]

Bio:
Dr. Adrian Paul earned his PhD at the University of Queensland, held a postdoctoral position at the University of Montreal, and is currently serving as a Postdoctoral Fellow here at UA in Environmental Sciences and as Project Manager for the ARPA-E Project described above.


Thursday, Mar 19, 12-1pm, UA Herbarium (Herring Hall<https://map.arizona.edu/35>). Bring your lunch, if you like, and hear about this fascinating way to study unseen diversity!



We’ll also live-stream the presentation; you’re welcome to join us at this zoom link<https://arizona.zoom.us/j/88651466335>.



Our Spring schedule is done! We have an exciting line-up of speakers; please keep an eye on our website<https://herbarium.arizona.edu/> as we fill in more details.



Feel free to forward this, and if you are not on our mailing list and would like to hear about our weekly seminars, summer workshops and other occasional events, please contact me at mcmahonm at arizona.edu<mailto:mcmahonm at arizona.edu>.



Best,
Shelley and the rest of the team at ARIZ

Shelley (Michelle) McMahon
Director, UA Herbarium<https://herbarium.arizona.edu>
School of Plant Sciences
University of Arizona

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