Tag: agriculture
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Community Management Can Sustain Small Fisheries
Small-scale commercial fishing operations, the kind that often feed millions of people worldwide, can be sustained when managed cooperatively with their communities. This conclusion is drawn from a study published 5 January in the online issue of the journal Nature (paid subscription required). Nicolas Gutiérrez, a University of Washington fisheries scientist and lead author of…
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NSF Awards Small Business Grant for Antioxidant Processes
ChromaDex Corporation in Irvine, California says it received a $500,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to commercialize its technology for anthocyanins, a form of plant-based antioxidants. Anthocyanins are naturally occurring plant pigments or colorants that contribute to the vivid coloring of berries. They are also considered helpful in protecting against oxidative stress and control…
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International Team Sequences Criollo Cacao Genome
Researchers from 18 institutions in five countries reported sequencing the genome of Theobroma cacao, commonly called the Criollo cacao tree. The findings are published in the current online issue of Nature Genetics. The tree is known for its high quality, but also for low productivity and weak resistance to disease. Most commercial chocolate today comes…
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Process Developed for High-Quality Gluten-Free Bread
Chemists with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Manhattan, Kansas have developed a process for high-quality, gluten-free bread. According to National Institutes of Health, some two million Americans suffer from celiac disease, which makes them unable to digest gluten, a protein in flour from grains such as wheat, barley and rye, causing severe diarrhea…
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Another Use for Bounce Dryer Sheets: Repelling Gnats
For some time, many gardeners have carried around Bounce fabric softening dryer sheets to ward off insects. Entomology professor Raymond Cloyd and colleagues at Kansas State University in Manhattan and University of Illinois in Urbana, decided to test this claim about the Procter and Gamble product and discovered there’s something to it. Cloyd’s team conducted…
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Israeli Prof. Develops Catalysts for Biodegradable Plastics
Moshe Kol, professor chemistry at Tel Aviv University in Israel, is developing new processes using corn starch and sugar to make biodegradable plastics more competitive in the industry. Kol’s approach involves a new variety of catalysts, substances that initiate or sustain chemical reactions in other substances. Kol’s team in Tel Aviv is working with collaborators…
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Collaboration Develops, Patents Fish Hatchery Vaccine
A team of researchers from University of Idaho in Moscow, Clear Springs Foods Inc. in Buhl, Idaho, and the Agricultural Research Service of USDA, have developed a coldwater disease (CWD) vaccine. CWD is a bacterial disease caused by Flavobacterium psychrophilum, and results in a lethal infection causing losses of hatchery-reared salmonids — e.g., salmon, trout,…
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Industry Funding University Citrus Disease Research
Coca-Cola and Cutrale Citrus Juices said today at that they have each pledged $1.5 million to the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville for research into citrus fruit diseases. The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), a direct support organization of UF, will manage the funding from the two companies and the research program. The…
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Beverages with Whey Protein Can Lower Blood Pressure
A study at Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman has found, beverages supplemented by whey-based protein can significantly reduce elevated blood pressure. High blood pressure affects almost one in three U.S. adults, and is a leading risk factor for stroke and heart disease. Nutritional biochemist Susan Fluegel led the research, conducted for her doctorate in…
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Nanoparticle Boosts Antimicrobial Against Listeria
A researcher at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana developed a nanoparticle that can hold and release an antimicrobial agent to extend the shelf life of foods susceptible to Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Listeria is a food-borne pathogen found in meats, dairy and vegetables. In mild cases, Listeria can cause diarrhea, but can advance to gastroenteritis…