James L. Van Etten is William Allington Distinguished Professor of Plant Pathology the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received his Ph.D. in plant pathology from the University of Illinois, Urbana. He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2003 and was a recipient of the Nebraska Sigma Xi Outstanding Scientist Award in 1999. Address: 205 Morrison Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0900. E-mail: jvanetten@unlnotes.unl.edu