Tag: agriculture
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New Heart-Healthy Oat Variety Developed
Agricultural researchers at University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a new kind of oat grain with greater amounts of a compound that can lower the amount of the harmful cholesterol in humans. BetaGene, as the new variety is called, is a product of a 14-year project in the Small Grains Breeding Program in UW-Madison’s agronomy department.…
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U.K. Universities, Companies Developing Fishmeal Substitute
A consortium of universities and companies in the U.K., led by University of Liverpool, is developing a plant-based substitute for fishmeal as feed for farm-raised fish. Fishmeal is made from fishery by-products or various species caught for fishmeal processing, which is then fed to farm-raised fish as a protein source. In addition to Liverpool, the…
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Agriculture Research Companies to Partner on Insect Control
Syngenta, a developer of agricultural products in Basel, Switzerland and Devgen, an agro-biotech company in Ghent, Belgium have agreed on a licensing and development partnership for new insect-control products based on genetic technologies. The six-year agreement has an estimated value of at least €50.8 million ($US 65.5 million). The partnership will enable Syngenta to add…
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Starch-Based Fibers for Bandages and Paper Developed
A graduate student in food science at Pennsylvania State University in University Park has developed a fibrous material from ordinary food starch that can be woven into bandages and household paper products. A provisional patent has been filed for the discovery by Lingyan Kong, working under food science professor Greg Ziegler, with the research funded…
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DNA Bar Code Identifiers Developed for Species Tracking
Botanists at University of Bonn, with researchers from 10 other German institutions, are devising a system of standard identifiers based on DNA sequencing to identify plant and animal species more efficiently. The German Barcode of Life (GBOL) project is coordinated by the Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig in Bonn. “In the DNA of living beings,…
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White House Issues Outline for Bioscience-Based Economy
The Office of Science and Technology Policy in the White House today released a national Bioeconomy Blueprint that it says will harness biological research to address national priorities. The plan outlines actions to be undertaken by federal agencies. No mention is made of new legislation, although the administration’s latest budget submission identified as a priority…
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Government-Industry Consortium Selects U.K. Cereals Studies
A committee of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) selected nine new research projects for funding that involve the U.K.’s main cereal crops: oilseed rape, barley and wheat. The funds for the research total some £4 million ($6.45 million) from Crop Improvement Research Club, a consortium of BBSRC, Scottish government, and 14 private…
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DuPont Expanding Iowa Agriculture R&D Center
DuPont Corporation says it will add a $40 million plant genetics research center to its current facilities in Johnston, Iowa. The 200,000 square foot center is expected to add some 400 jobs. The new facility will be part of DuPont’s Pioneer Hi-Bred business, a subsidiary developing seeds through plant genetics. Johnston is located northwest of…
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Database Reveals Food Ingredient Fraud Hazards
A study drawing on a database of reports on fraud and economically motivated adulteration in food shows that olive oil, milk, honey, and saffron are among the foods found most often with adulterated ingredients. The research appears online in the April Journal of Food Science (paid subscription required) that draws on a database offered by the…
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Algae Biofuel Start-Up Secures $144M for Demo Plant
Sapphire Energy in San Diego says it received the last installment of its series C financing — the third round of funding after initial start-up — valued at $144 million. The company develops biofuels from algae and bacteria, and the new financing is expected to fund a demonstration production plant in Luna County, New Mexico.…