Retaking The Field Volume 3

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“Retaking the Field Volume 3: Empowering Agricultural Sciences for Health” is a collaborative report from eleven universities and the SoAR Foundation. The report — the third in SoAR’s series — explores the success of research projects funded by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the flagship competitive grants program of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). It is part of SoAR’s broader education and advocacy initiative to encourage additional federal support for food and agricultural research.

This issue examines how scientists are solving challenging and critical public health issues related to zoonotic diseases, nutrition, and food safety. From controlling drug-resistant bacteria to improving gut health, “Retaking the Field” tells stories about exciting advances and innovative research in the animal and plant sciences from Colorado State University, Cornell University, Iowa State University, Michigan State University, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, Penn State University, Purdue University, Texas A&M University, University of California, Davis, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, and University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Stories from the issue

Banishing Bad Bacteria: Controlling E. Coli To Protect Poultry and People

Dr. Mellata and her team’s project focuses on improving food safety by reducing harmful bacteria in poultry products. Its major goals are: 1) advance our understanding of the zoonotic...

Defending Diabetics: Developing Flavonoid-enriched Foods to Prevent and Treat Diabetes

More than 30 million Americans have diabetes and more than 80 million American adults have prediabetes. Dr. Shengmin Sang is working to determine if there are dietary strategies focused...

Fighting For The Future: Mitigating Antimicrobial Resistance Through Better Stewardship

Antibiotics have been prescribed for people and animals at rates that have encouraged bacteria to expand resistance. If this trend continues, life-saving antibiotics may be ineffective in...

Helping Hearts: Discovering the Impacts of Flavonoids and Interpersonal Gut Variations to Improve Cardiovascular Health

The American Heart Association notes a recent study that showed millions of people worldwide could prevent early deaths and disability from heart disease by eating more fruits and...

Influencing Inflammation: Boosting Gut Health to Help Obese Adults

Inflammation is a major cause of health problems. Drs. Hutkins and Walter and their collaborators set out to improve gut health by using a novel formulation of probiotics (healthy...

Safeguarding Salad: Reducing Cross-contamination in Fresh Produce Processing

Dr. Nitin and his team are discovering multiple techniques to minimize cross-contamination, which is a leading cause of foodborne outbreaks in fresh produce. They study how to prevent...

Sequencing Solutions: Revolutionizing Understanding of Antimicrobial Resistance With Genome Analysis

Antimicrobial resistant-microbes (AMRs) pose a serious threat to public health. AMRs are found in people, animals, food, and the environment. They spread from animals to people, and from...

Targeting Troublemakers: Enhancing Dry Food Safety With Pasteurization Technologies

Salmonella is a formidable foe in low-moisture foods. The project’s overall goal is to enhance the development, improvement, and commercial adoption of pathogen-reduction technologies for...

Treasuring Thiamin: Optimizing Vitamin B1 Delivery in Food Products

People suffering from thiamin deficiencies often don’t know the cause of their symptoms, which may include exhaustion, loss of appetite, and shortness of breath. Dr. Mauer and Dr....

Valuing Vegetables: Investigating Broccoli to Improve Gut Health

Dr. Perdew explains that all cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, cauliflower) contain an organic chemical compound called “indole glucosinolates.” When that...

Thinking Tiny: Blocking Pathogenic Bacteria With Nanoengineered Surfaces

Foodborne illnesses can be caused by food coming in contact with bacteria on surfaces in food-processing plants, restaurants, and households. When enough bacteria congregate, they create...

Retaking The Field Volume 3

Stories from the issue

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