A Penn State professor was recently selected to be inducted into the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for his work on plant biology.

Daniel Cosgrove, professor of biology, was elected into membership of the NAS for his research on plant cell growth. He will be inducted along with 72 other new members in a ceremony on April 22.

Upon hearing the news that he had been selected, Cosgrove said he was surprised because he didn't have a clue he was up for election and grateful for the recognition and honor.

"Members and foreign associates of the academy are elected in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research; election to the academy is considered one of the highest honors that can be accorded a scientist or engineer," according to an NAS press release.

The NAS is a nonprofit institution that provides science advice and is composed of about 2,000 members and 350 foreign associates, according to its Web site.

"Some say this recognition is second to the Nobel Prize. It is a very big honor to become a member," said Maureen O'Leary, director of public information for NAS.

Dan Durachko, a research assistant with Cosgrove for 20 years, said Cosgrove earned the induction into the NAS.

"My initial thoughts were simply that he was unquestionably deserving of the honor," Durachko said.

Cosgrove and his team's research focuses primarily on understanding the molecular basis of cell growth, such as "what kinds of enzymes and biochemical changes occur in a cell to allow it to get bigger," he said.

Their research has identified an unusual group of proteins that loosen the cell wall and make it softer so plants can stretch the wall, Cosgrove said.

"Our discovery of the expansin gene family was a major breakthrough," Durachko said. "Expansins are a large family of proteins that play an important role in plant cell growth."

The growth of a plant is analogous to the way insects and invertebrates molt, Cosgrove said.

He added that proteins loosen cell walls in an unusual way because they don't degrade or cut cell walls. One form of expansin protein is a major pollen allergen, one that 400 million people are allergic to. "What started as a research project on cell growth has connections to allergies and immunology and alternative fuels," Cosgrove Now that Cosgrove has been elected to the NAS, Durachko said he doesn't think the research will change in a drastic way.

"However, I'd assume being exposed to such a diverse circle of colleagues can only serve to benefit the research we do here by enriching and broadening Dr. Cosgrove's interactions within the scientific community," Durachko said.

As a member of NAS, Cosgrove will attend annual meetings, the first of which will be in April when he will be inducted.

At the induction ceremony, he will sign the Registry of Membership, which is a special leather-bound book that every member signs, O'Leary said. Also at the ceremony, the NAS will speak about his research accomplishments.

"The society contributes to policy matters regarding how science is used to inform public decisions, and as a member, I will be contributing to that process," Cosgrove said.

The NAS also sponsors other kinds of specialized meetings dealing with various issues facing the fields of science, Cosgrove said.