SoAR forms Scientific Advisory Committee

The Supporters of Agricultural Research (SoAR) Foundation has announced the formation of its Scientific Advisory Committee, an eight-member panel led by Vicki Chandler, PhD, Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at the Minerva Schools at KGI. The committee's primary mission is to strengthen agricultural research and raise its profile within the broader science community. Special focus will be placed on the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, the nation's primary source of competitively awarded funding within the US Department of Agriculture.
"Four reports from the National Academies of Sciences since 1972 have pointed out the need for more and better funding of competitively awarded, peer-reviewed agricultural research," said Chandler, who also sits on the SoAR Foundation's board of directors. "AFRI holds the potential answer to these reports, tapping the brightest minds in the nation's entire research community to generate cutting-edge solutions to the problems confronting agriculture and food production today. Everyone with a stake—from consumers to producers to scientists—needs this program to excel."
The SoAR Foundation's Science Advisory Committee will focus on several goals: increasing the participation of the nation's leading research institutions in AFRI and in the field of agricultural research; identifying additional opportunities for collaboration and cross-disciplinary work between agricultural research programs and other federally funded science programs; and providing advice and recommendations for advancing agricultural research as a whole.
"The 'green revolution' of the 1950s and 1960s set the bar for a fruitful era of scientific progress," said Dr. William Danforth, Chancellor Emeritus of Washington University in St. Louis and chairman of SoAR Foundation. "Given the many problems confronting farms and food production today—including changing growing seasons, threats from new pests and diseases, and feeding a rapidly growing world— we need the next revolution to start today. Food is too important for the human race to be a research after-thought; it needs to be a high priority for the nation's entire scientific community."
The members of the SoAR Foundation's Scientific Advisory Committee include:

• Dr. Vicki Chandler (the committee chair)—Member of the National Academies of Sciences; Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at the Minerva Schools at KGI; and a member of the National Science Board.
• Dr. Arthur Bienenstock—Professor Emeritus of Photon Science, Stanford University; Former Associate Director for Science at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; and a member of the National Science Board.
• Dr. Robert Cousins—Eminent Scholar and Boston Family Professor of Nutrition, University of Florida; Director, Center for Nutritional Sciences at the University of Florida; President Emeritus, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology; and a member of the National Academies of Sciences.
• Dr. Michael Lairmore—Dean and Distinguished Professor, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis; and a member of the Institute of Medicine.
• Dr. Elliot Meyerowitz—George W. Beadle Professor of Biology; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, California Institute of Technology; and a member of the National Academies of Sciences.
• Dr. Charles Rice - University Distinguished Professor of Soil Microbiology, Kansas State University; member of the IPCC; Chair, Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine;
• Dr. Barbara Schaal—Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences and the Mary-Dell Chilton Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biology, Washington University; Member,  Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology; and member of the National Academies of Sciences.
• Dr. Patrick Stover—Professor and Director of the Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University; and President, American Society for Nutrition.

Simmet prize 2016 call for nominations

Through the auspices of the International Congress of Animal Reproduction (ICAR), Minitube International, a science-driven biotechnology company, is sponsoring the 3rd Simmet Prize in Assisted Reproduction. The award, which recognizes the scientific advances in assisted reproduction, recognizes an active research scientist for outstanding basic and applied research published during the previous six years in the area of assisted reproductive technologies for animal production systems. The Simmet Prize, which comes with a 50,000 euro honorarium, is the largest of its type in the world and is presented every four years at the ICAR meeting. Previous awardees were Cesare Galli (2008) and John Aitken (2012).
The Awards Committee will consider the significance of research areas under investigation, the breadth and depth of the research platform, the degree of originality of the research as documented in publications, and potential impact of the research contributions for animal reproduction. Scientists at all phases of their career (early, mid- and late) will be considered. Award criteria are Originality of Research, Experimental Approach and Leadership.
Scientists and industry professionals throughout the world are encouraged to nominate individuals for consideration of the Simmet Prize for Assisted Reproduction. The nomination process is straightforward. Nominators should assemble the nominee's portfolio for nomination to include:
a) Curriculum vitae consisting of professional positions held, honors received, peer-reviewed papers and reviews published over the last 6 years, and documentation of channels used for technology transfer in reproduction (courses, websites, etc.).
b) A letter of nomination that captures the nominee’s contributions in research, novel approaches, leadership, and impact on assisted reproduction community through potential use or current  application to reproductive technologies.
c) Two supporting letters from scientific peers.
Send nomination portfolio by Sept. 1 to Dr. Peter J Hansen, Chair, Award Committee Simmet Prize for Assisted Reproduction, email: hansen@animal.ufl.edu.
For more information about the the criteria of the Simmet Prize, click here

USDA creates Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research

The Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research (FFAR), designed to leverage public and private resources to increase the scientific and technological research, innovation, and partnerships critical to boosting America's agricultural economy, has been created, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on July 23. A 15-member board of directors has been appointed to guide the new foundation.
Authorized by Congress as part of the 2014 farm bill, the foundation will operate as a non-profit corporation seeking and accepting private donations in order to fund research activities that focus on problems of national and international significance. Congress also provided $200 million for the foundation which must be matched by non-federal funds as the Foundation identifies and approves projects.
"Studies have shown that every dollar invested in agricultural research creates $20 in economic activity," said Vilsack. "Investments in innovation made over the past several decades have developed new products and new procedures that have been critical to the continued growth of American agriculture. We must continue to make strategic investments in research and technology if we are to remain leaders in the global economy."
The research funded by FFAR will address issues including plant and animal health; food safety, nutrition and health; renewable energy, natural resources, and environment; agricultural and food security; and agriculture systems and technology.
The foundation's board of directors was chosen to represent the diverse sectors of agriculture. Seven of these board members were selected by the unanimous vote of the board's five ex-officio members from lists of candidates provided by industry, while eight representatives were unanimously elected from a list of candidates provided by the National Academy of Sciences. Congress mandated that the ex-officio members choose the initial 15 board members from among the lists provided by these two groups. However, new board members now have the option of adding additional members if they so choose. Vilsack said he hoped the board would exercise its prerogative to add more members to expand the board's diversity.
In announcing the 15-member FFAR board, Vilsack remarked, "Public-private partnerships are vital to the agricultural research community, and this is reflected in the membership of the foundation's board of directors."
The 15 voting members are:


• Dr. Kathryn Boor - the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of theCollege of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University
• Dr. Douglas Buhler - Director of AgBioResearch and seniorassociate dean for research for the College of Agriculture and NaturalResources, Michigan State University
• Dr. Nancy Creamer - Distinguished professor of sustainableagriculture and community based food systems, North Carolina StateUniversity
• Dr. Deborah Delmer - Professor emeritus of biology,University of California-Davis
• Dan Glickman - former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture andcurrent executive director of the Aspen Institute's Congressional Program
• Dr. Robert Horsch - Deputy director, Bill & MelindaGates Foundation
• Pamela Johnson - Chairwoman, National Corn GrowersAssociation
• Dr. Mark E. Keenum - President, Mississippi StateUniversity
• Dr. Michael Ladisch - Director of the Laboratory ofRenewable Resources Engineering and Distinguished Professor ofAgricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University
• Dr. Christopher Mallett - Vice president of researchand development, Cargill
• Dr. Pamela Matson - Chester Naramore Dean of the Schoolof Earth Sciences, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Professor ofEnvironmental Studies and senior fellow at the Woods Institute for theEnvironment, Stanford University
• Dr. Terry McElwain - Associate director and professor,Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, and Executive Director,Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Washington StateUniversity
• Dr. Stanley Prusiner - Director of the Institute forNeurodegenerative Diseases and Professor of Neurology, University ofCalifornia-San Francisco and 1997 Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine
• Dr. Yehia "Mo" Saif - Professor emeritus, TheOhio State University
• Dr. Barbara Schaal - Dean of the faculty of Arts &Sciences and Mary-Dell Chilton distinguished professor at WashingtonUniversity in St. Louis.
The five ex-officio board members, all of whom were designated by Congress, are Vilsack; Dr. Catherine Woteki, USDA undersecretary for Research, Education, and Economics and Chief Scientist; Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, administrator of the USDA Agricultural Research Service; Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy, firector of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture; and Dr. France A. Córdova, director of the National Science Foundation.
In a time of federal budgetary restraints, the new foundation is another innovative way to continue and expand investment in agricultural research. FFAR will complement existing federal and federally-funded agricultural science research endeavors and accelerate solutions to the challenges American agriculture.

WWF: Europe needs to do more to promote responsible soy production

European companies that use soy for animal feed or animal products are not doing enough to encourage responsible growers to reduce the negative effects of soy production, an analysis from WWF finds.
TheWWF Soy Report Card 2014 also found national initiatives on responsible soy encourage better performance from companies, although there is more room for improvement.
“Europe uses 34 million tons of soy a year and needs to take more responsibility for reducing deforestation, environmental degradation and social conflict in Latin America where that soy is mainly coming from,” said Sandra Mulder, leader of WWF’s global soy program. “We are showing in this report that European companies and countries could readily do much more, starting with taking up more of the certified soy that is being produced by RTRS and ProTerra, currently the only two credible schemes for responsible soy.”
The report surveyed 88 major retailers, producers and feed suppliers from Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and the U.K., and found the best performers were concentrated among retailers, consumer goods manufacturers and the dairy industry. Little interest was being shown by most companies in the feed, meat and egg sectors and the limited progress in those sectors was driven by national programs.
“With around three-quarters of soy globally going into animal and fish feed, WWF is pleased to bring some transparency to a supply chain characterized by unfamiliar companies relatively insulated from consumer concerns about what soy production might be doing to forests, communities or the global climate,” said Mulder. “If we are to reduce the negative impacts of soy production, these are the companies that are going to have to lift their game, while the retailers and consumer product suppliers need to make sure that they do. Companies can also purchase responsible soy credits themselves in order to guarantee the products they offer to consumers are not linked to irresponsible soy production.”
Companies on track to meet goals of sourcing 100 percent of soy from certified responsible sources by 2015 included dairy companies Arla (Denmark and Sweden) and FrieslandCampina (Netherlands) and retailers Ahold (Netherlands), Marks & Spencer and Waitrose (U.K.) and feed company Lantmännen (Sweden). Companies that havestarted the journey to responsibly sourced soy include the French retailer Carrefour, the Dutch feed company Nutreco, and U.K. retailers Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

Selenium key to producing healthier meat for humans, study finds

Selenium may be a key ingredient to producing healthier meat and lowering animal cholesterol levels according to researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil. The study aimed to determine the effects of canola oil as a fat source when combined with the antioxidants vitamin E and selenium, as well as determine the metabolic lipid oxidation and nutritional value of the beef. The result - a meat enriched with vitamin E and selenium with lower levels of cholesterol.
Selenium, an essential nutrient for animals and people, is a powerful antioxidant and plays a critical role in metabolism, reproductive health and the body's natural defense system. The organic selenium used in the USP study was Sel-Plex, from Alltech, a natural source of selenium enriched yeasts with higher bioavailability than inorganic sources. Sel-Plex is the only FDA reviewed and the first E.U. approved form of organic selenium for all animal species.
"We're excited to share these independent results, obtained by one of the most prestigious universities in this field of study, with the global livestock and poultry sectors," said Steve Elliott, global director of the mineral management program for Alltech. "Selenium has once again been confirmed as a critical component for the human diet, and Alltech is committed to delivering a safe and efficient source of selenium to animals and humans in a natural way."
According to the lead researcher, Dr. Marcus Antonio Zanetti of the School of Animal Science and Food Engineering, USP, studies like this are important to improve human nutrition in a time of great demand for healthier products.
"Strengthening the immune system of people and helping health professionals, nutritionists and all those involved in the meat production chain find a practical way to do so is one of the objectives of this research," Zanetti said.
In the first part of the study, 48 Nellore bulls were divided into four groups with and without additional supplemental selenium, vitamin E and canola oil. The second phase aimed to provide selenium-enriched meat to a group of elderly people.
"We supplemented the diet of animals with 2.5 mg of organic selenium per cow per day for a period of three months during fattening and found that in addition to increasing the amount of selenium in the blood of animals, the mineral content in the meat produced was six times greater than meat from beef cattle that have not had the supplemented diet," Zanetti said.
According to Zanetti, the cholesterol level in the blood and meat of the animals that were fed the selenium-enriched diet was also reduced significantly.
In the second phase of the research, to assess the effects of meat supplemented with selenium on lowering cholesterol in human blood, the researchers conducted a study in a nursing care facility in São Paulo. For periods up to 90 days, the cattle meat supplemented with selenium and vitamin E was included in the meals of 80 elderly people in different variations on the menu. The special diet was coordinated by a registered dietician for the project.
After 45 days, a blood test analysis for the group showed an increase in the amount of selenium in the blood plasma. Zanetti emphasized that the results of cholesterol rates are not yet completed.
"However, through this research, we have seen an increase in the availability of vitamin E and selenium in the blood of the group that ate the meat," Zanetti said.
According to nutritionists, selenium is considered an important antioxidant mineral that prevents the formation of free radicals, enhances immunity and thus helps fight infections in humans. However, many people are still deficient in selenium in their daily diet. According to the faculty of pharmaceutical sciences, USP, selenium levels are low in the Brazilian diet due to the country's mineral deficient soil.
Zanetti believes that the development of supplemented products can help improve human nutrition.
"The daily consumption of 200 grams [7 ounces] of meat supplemented with selenium is able to provide the recommended mineral [50 micrograms] daily intake," he said.
In a previous trial, Zanetti and other researchers supplemented the diet of cows with sunflower oil, organic selenium and vitamin E to increase the mineral availability in milk produced by the animals. The diet supplemented with milk was offered to a group of children in first through fourth grade. The research results showed the additional improvement in the quality and preservation of enriched milk by increasing levels of selenium and vitamin E in the blood of the children.
"This is pioneering research on selenium enriched milk and meat that links animal feed and nutrition to human health," Zanetti said. "In the world, there has only been basic investigation into this, but nothing as extensive as our studies."

'US Digestive Ingredients in Animal Feed Market' report released

Research and Markets Ltd. has released its latest report, "U.S. Digestive Ingredients in Animal Feed Market."
The report focuses on the various subsets of the market, including enzymes, probiotics, prebiotics and phytogenics. Market overviews, forecasts and trends, as well as competitive analyses, are covered. More information on this report, including purchase options, can be found here.

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica requests proposals for 2011 PRRS research awards

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI) is again seeking research study proposals focused on porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), to help swine producers and veterinarians better manage the disease.
For the last eight years, BIVI has contributed $75,000 or more annually through its Advancement in PRRS Research Awards, which fund three selected research programs. The company’s PRRS research award program is open to swine veterinarians, diagnosticians or public and private researchers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Selected programs are designed to investigate new ways to diagnose, control and eradicate this costly swine disease.
Research proposals must be submitted by Jan. 1, 2011, and awards will be presented during the 2011 American Association of Swine Veterinarians Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Ariz. Proposals will be selected by an independent review board based on established criteria, including potential economic impact to the swine industry, originality and scientific quality and probability of success in completing the year-long study.
This year, BIVI recognized three veterinarians and researchers for the 2010 Advancement in PRRS Research Award: Robert Morrison, DVM, Ph.D., University of Minnesota; Paul Yeske, DVM, MS, Swine Vet Center, St. Peter, Minn.; and Mark Wagner, DVM, Fairmont Veterinary Clinic, Fairmont, Minn.
To participate in the research program, submit a proposal, cover sheet, curriculum vitae and two letters of recommendation by Jan. 1, 2011, to:
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc.
Attn: Trudy LutherThe Advancement in PRRS Research Award
5506 Corporate Dr. Suite 1600
St. Joseph, MO 64507-7752

Newsletter covers policy updates

WATT, in cooperation with Informa Economics, has launched a weekly newsletter delivering the latest in policy and regulatory updates from Washington, DC. Prepared by the staff of Informa Economics and WATT, the newsletter will be e-mailed to subscribers every Monday morning.
You can access the stories from this week's issue by clicking on the headlines to the left. A story with a key next to the headline is locked, and requires subscribing to the newsletter to read. To receive a trial subscription, you must register as a user of WATTAgNet, then select Animal Agribusiness Policy Report in the Manage Subscriptions area. For more detail, see the story, "How to subscribe."

Researchers: Fertile topsoil could disappear within a century

The world may have only enough fertile topsoil to last 60 years, according to research presented at the Carbon Farming conference in Australia. The globe loses 75 billion tonnes of soil annually, according to research from the University of Sydney.
Soil mismanagement has led China to lose fertile topsoil at 57 times the rate that nature can replenish it, Europe to lose it at 17 times the rate, America at 10 times the rate and Australia at five times the rate, The (UK) Daily Telegraph reported.
If soil is not conserved, a rise in food prices and rampant shortages could result, researchers said.

Kansas State to build new feed mill

Kansas State University reports that it will have a new feed research mill by the end of 2011. Work on the new mill is set to begin in late 2010 and should be completed in about a year, according to Keith Behnke, a professor in Kansas State's department of grain science and industry.
The $12.5M facility, to be named after the founder of O.H. Kruse Grain & Milling thanks to a $2M lead gift from the Kruse family, will replace outdated feed mills belonging to the grain science and animal science departments. It will serve as the new home of the feed science and management program, which has produced about 700 graduates over its nearly 60 years.
The facility will include a modern, automated 5-ton-per-hour feed mill, a liquid feed research facility, and a Bio-Safety Level 2 teaching and research feed mill. The mill is designed in such a way that scientists will be able to safely work with low virulence pathogens such as salmonella in feeds, but also use the facility for other research, teaching and outreach activities when not used in the Bio-Safety Level 2 mode. "The new mill is designed to accommodate nearly any type of processing research and data acquisition that is needed by an industrial client or university scientist," said Behnke.
Part of the impetus for the new feed mill is the selection of the old Kansas State animal science feed mill site as the location for the new $650 million National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) laboratory to be built by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. NBAF will replace an aging Bio-Safety Level 3 facility on Plum Island, New York.
"With the new mill just across the street from NBAF, K-State can provide specialty livestock diets to support infectious disease experiments, oral vaccine studies and other trials under high level bio-safety controlled conditions. This work cannot be done anywhere else in the U.S.," said Kirk Schulz, the university's president.
The preliminary design and cost estimate of the feed mill was provided by Younglove Construction, Sioux City, Iowa. In addition to the processing operations, the facility will contain corrugated grain bins for conducting large-scale grain storage and grain quality preservation research.
The Buhler Corporation has agreed to install a vertical shaft hammer mill for research and teaching, said Dirk Maier, head of the department of grain science and industry. "In addition to a traditional pellet mill, we will have a Kahl 'flat-bed' pellet mill that will be a technology platform for pelleting biomass for cellulosic biofuels research. Several devices, such as a Kahl expander and a CPM Hygenizer, will be available to conduct feed sterilization and sanitation research." Maier said he expects that the feed industry will be required to consider feed sterilization in the near future to satisfy new food/feed safety laws that are under consideration in the U.S. Congress.
Because of long term interests in biofuels from cellulosic materials, there will be space in the new mill for a "semi-works" scale biorefinery that can use nearly any biomass as raw material. The facility is also expected to include pilot-scale oilseed crushing and processing equipment.
The state of Kansas has committed to providing about half of the funding required for the new mill to replace the existing feed mill. Additional cash and in-kind equipment donations are to provide the remaining resources needed for construction.

Bush, Clinton to speak at biotechnology conference

Reports say former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will appear together next spring to discuss biotechnology in Chicago. The talk will take place at the Biotechnology Industry Organization's annual meeting, May 4, 2010.
After their opening remarks, the two former presidents will take questions submitted by BIO President Jim Greenwood.