Food Science, Agriculture, and Nutraceutical Technologies
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Technologies to enhance the quality of production and processing of food, dairy, and agriculture. Nutraceuticals, whey and soy proteins, fruit and vegetable lines, and dairy products.
Organization: Yet2.Com Inc
Organization: NDSU Research Foundation
North Dakota State University has made a name for itself as an agricultural powerhouse. Not only are many of its engineering and chemistry technologies based in part or in whole on agricultural or bio-based components, but NDSU is a leader in the areas of horticulture and breeding new plant varieties.
Horticulture involves intensive cropping technology, including the development, production, distribution and utilization of vegetables, fruits, woody landscape, and greenhouse plants. Horticulture is an industry, profession, business, ...
Mizzou Advantage: Food for the Future
Organization: University of Missouri Columbia
MU has 21 research farms, research centers and forests, covering more than 14,500 acres.
Mizzou researchers are creating healthy new food products, including a soy chicken substitute and ice cream with nutrients, such as fiber, antioxidants and pro-biotics.
As of 2011, 17 members of MU’s interdisciplinary plant group have been named fellows to the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science. The group brings together scientists in molecular biology, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, biotechnology, evolution, ...
Organization: University of Mississippi
http://www.research.olemiss.edu/sites/default/files/Botanicals.pdf
Introduction
The Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (RIPS), within the School of Pharmacy, was established in 1964 to discover and disseminate knowledge of natural drug products, develop and commercialize new products, improve public health and stimulate the economy. The major research component of RIPS is the National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR). The NCNPR is located in the Thad Cochran Research Center and is the nation's only ...
Progesterone Receptor Gene Is Associated with Increase in Conception Rate and Embyronic Survival
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Reproductive performance in high-producing dairy cows is declining. The decrease in fertility and early embryonic survival rate is a worldwide problem. It likely is caused by both genetic and environmental factors, although identifying specific genes associated with reproductive performance has been challenging. Because embryonic survival is a major contributor to cow fertility, identification of genes associated with this trait would facilitate genetic testing to enable quick and accurate evaluation of fertility in dairy ...
Heat Shock Proteins Are Associated with Reproductive Performance in Cattle
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Reproductive performance in high-producing dairy cows is declining. Fertility and embryonic survival are affected by many environmental factors that can stress an animal, decreasing the chance of conceiving and carrying an offspring to term. Genetic factors also affect fertility and embryo survival. A UW-Madison researcher previously identified several single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) that are associated with fertility and early embryo death in dairy cattle (see WARF reference numbers P06197US, P08266US, P09013US02 and P090413US02). ...
Enterotoxin-Deficient <i>Bacillus</i> Strains for Use as Biocontrol Agents
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Bacillus thuringiensis, which produces several proteins that are specifically toxic to plant pests, is used widely as an agricultural biocontrol agent. However, concern about the widespread use of B. thuringiensis on food crops is growing because B. thuringiensis is closely related to B. cereus, a known food contaminant that can cause diarrhea in humans due to the expression of enterotoxin genes. Most commercial B. thuringiensis strains also contain and express enterotoxin genes. The major difference between B. thuringiensis and B. cereus ...
Highly Stable and Potent Mosquitocidal Toxin
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Mosquito-borne diseases are becoming an increasingly worldwide problem. Current strategies use chemical and microbial agents to kill mosquito larvae, but mosquito vectors of several diseases are becoming resistant to these agents. New environmentally friendly, economical and effective means for their control are needed. UW–Madison researchers have developed an easily administered mosquitocidal lipopeptide toxin known as XLT. This toxin is produced during growth in complex and defined media by a strain of Xenorhabdus innexi bacteria. A ...
Assays for Modulators of Prolyl-4-hydroxylase
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Prolyl-4-hydroxylases (P4H) are enzymes that modify collagen to stabilize its conformation during intracellular collagen processing. Too little P4H activity leads to unstable collagen and disease symptoms such as those seen in patients suffering from scurvy, while too much P4H activity creates less pliable tissue and is associated with fibrotic diseases. There are at least two isoforms of P4H in nematodes. UW-Madison researchers have developed an assay for identification of modulators of P4H enzyme activity in the nematode Caenorhabditis ...
Alteration of Flowering Time in Plants
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
The transition between vegetative growth and flowering (reproduction) represents a major developmental shift in the plant life cycle. UW-Madison researchers have developed a unique tool for altering the timing of flowering in plants, allowing plant breeders to control the growth and development of agriculturally and horticulturally important species. The researchers characterized novel genes, the flowering locus C (FLC) gene and relatives of FLC, from Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica rapa, which play a significant role in the delay of ...
Inbred Table Beet W427A and W427B
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Wisconsin is a top producer of beets in the U.S. Most of the beets grown in Wisconsin are red, although other varieties also can be found in the state. UW-Madison researchers have developed a new line of beets. W427 is an inbred table beet line with excellent exterior smoothness and good uniformity of type. It also has multigerm seed, a round to blocky-shaped root, green foliage, rounded leaves, a small crown and a small taproot. W427A and 427B were derived from the cross [W371 x (W365 x W416)]. W416 and W365 are unreleased inbred lines, ...
Inbred Carrot Lines W279A and W279B
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
According to the USDA, Wisconsin farmers produced 73,610 tons of carrots in 2010. UW-Madison researchers have developed a new line of carrots. W279A (sterile) and W279B (maintainer) represent long Chantenay type, inbred carrot lines with medium green foliage. W279 was derived from a cross between W267, an unreleased, inbred line, and W233, an inbred line previously released by the University of Wisconsin Carrot Breeding Program.
“Freedom Russet” (W1836-3rus): A Dual Purpose Russet
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Wisconsin is the nation's third largest producer of potatoes. According to the USDA, Wisconsin’s potato farmers produced nearly 29.0 million hundredweight of potatoes in 2009. A team of UW-Madison plant breeders has created a new, dual purpose (process/fresh market) russet potato that is adapted to the short season conditions of central Wisconsin. This variety, ‘W 1836-3rus,’ has long, blocky, russet tubers with light eye spots and an attractive appearance. W 1836-3rus also has medium-late vine maturity.
Conjugated Nonadecadienoic Acid (CNA) Reduces Body Fat and Inhibits LPL Activity
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Reducing fat accumulation in adipocytes is often a desired goal in both human and veterinary medicine. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) provides numerous helpful physiological effects, including the inhibition of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity and the prevention of fat accumulation. UW-Madison researchers have developed a method of using conjugated nonadecadienoic acid (CNA) to inhibit LPL activity in humans or other animals. CNA is a 19 carbon, free fatty acid with a pair of conjugated double bonds. Its biological effects on the metabolism ...
"White Pearl" (W-1355-1), a Chipping Potato for Cold Storage Conditions
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Wisconsin is the nation's third largest producer of potatoes. According to the USDA, Wisconsin’s potato farmers produced nearly 29.0 million hundredweight of potatoes in 2009. UW-Madison researchers have developed a new potato line for chipping, called "White Pearl," which holds outstanding potential for long-term storage at temperatures below the current industry level. Chipping quality can be maintained during storage for up to nine months at 42 degrees Fahrenheit. Tubers have light netted skin and white flesh and are very uniform with a ...
Inbred Table Beet W434A and W434B
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Wisconsin is a top producer of beets in the U.S. Most of the beets grown in Wisconsin are red, although other varieties also can be found in the state. UW-Madison researchers have developed a new line of beets. W434 is an inbred table beet line with multigerm seed, a cylindrical root, green/red foliage, intermediate leaves (partially rounded and partially strap-shaped), a small crown, a slightly tapered taproot, good smoothness and uniformity of type. W434A and W434B were obtained from the cross [Forono x (W330 x W416)]; W330 and W416 are ...
Inbred Table Beet W443A and W443B
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Wisconsin is a top producer of beets in the U.S. Most of the beets grown in Wisconsin are red, although other varieties also can be found in the state. UW-Madison researchers have developed a new line of beets. W443 is an inbred table beet line possessing excellent exterior smoothness and very good uniformity of type. In addition, W443 has mostly multigerm seed with a small portion of duogerm, a round root, green foliage and a good crown. It was derived from the cross W429 x W364. W364 is an inbred line previously released by the ...
Inbred Table Beet W446A and W446B
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Wisconsin is a top producer of beets in the U.S. Most of the beets grown in Wisconsin are red, although other varieties also can be found in the state. UW-Madison researchers have developed a new line of beets. W446 is an inbred table beet line with a good exterior and uniformity of type. It also possesses multigerm seed, a short cylindrical root, green/red foliage, and a small crown. W446A and 446B were derived from the cross [W364 x (Forono x (W416 x W395))]. W416 and W395 are unreleased inbred lines, while W364 is a multigerm line that ...
Inbred Carrot Lines W280A and W280B
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
According to the USDA, Wisconsin farmers produced 73,610 tons of carrots in 2010. UW-Madison researchers have developed a new line of carrots. Inbred carrot line W280 is a long Danvers type with a tapered root and light green foliage. W280 was derived from a cross between the unreleased inbred lines, W261 and W262. W280A is a green petaloid sterile and W280B is the maintainer genotype.
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
According to the USDA, Wisconsin farmers produced 73,610 tons of carrots in 2010. UW-Madison researchers have developed a new line of carrots. Inbred carrot line W281C is a long Nantes type with excellent color and canned product quality. It was derived from the cross [(W267 x W259) x (W259 x W267)]. W267 is an unreleased inbred line, while W259 is an inbred line previously released by the University of Wisconsin Carrot Breeding Program that possesses exceptional color and flavor. Based on pedigree, W281C is very similar to W259, but has ...
Inbred Carrot Lines WAY274A and WAY274B
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
According to the USDA, Wisconsin farmers produced 73,610 tons of carrots in 2010. UW-Madison researchers have developed a new line of carrots. WAY274A (green petaloid sterile) and WAY274B (maintainer) are inbred, carrot lines possessing superior resistance to the plant disease aster yellows, which is caused by a mycoplasma-like organism and spread by the aster leafhopper, Macrosteles fascifrons stal. During three years of field trials, less than 8% of WAY274 plants per plot were infected with aster yellows, compared with an average of 24% ...
Dwarfism Genes and Dwarf Plants
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Compact or dwarf crop plants have many advantages in agriculture, including denser growth, increased resistance to storm damage and reduced loss during harvesting. In horticulture, dwarf varieties are often more desirable as bedding plants. Levels of gibberellins (GAs), a group of tetracyclic, diterpene carboxylic acids involved in a variety of developmental processes, are commonly modified to alter plant size. UW-Madison researchers have identified the function, cDNA sequences and expressed amino acid sequences of a gene that affects ...
Red Kidney Bean Germplasm and Varieties
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Dark red kidney beans are a $25 million industry in Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota. A team of researchers has now developed two new varieties of red kidney beans. Both varieties are resistant to the root rot pathogens Aphanomyces and Pythium. The varieties produce upright plants with long pods and dark-red beans of the proper size, shape and color for canning. These varieties are superior to others both in terms of yield and canning quality.
Soybean Lines with Superior Resistance to Sclerotinia Stem Rot
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Sclerotinia stem rot, caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is a major disease of crop plants in the north-central United States and southern Canada. Although soybean cultivars have been identified that show partial resistance to Sclerotinia infection, resistance among commercial varieties is limited. A team of UW-Madison plant pathologists has now selected and developed several soybean lines with high resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot. The team used a highly efficient petiole inoculation technique to evaluate soybean germplasm for ...
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Currently, there are several techniques for maintaining the health of food-producing animals, which in turn decreases cost and increases the animal's growth. One method involves adding ionophore antibiotics to animal feed. However, this is not desirable for animals raised for foods because antibiotic residues may remain in the food. A UW-Madison researcher has developed a method for reducing gastric inflammation in animals to improve feeding efficiency and enhance animal growth. The method uses antibodies against phospholipase A2 to ...
Disease Resistant Alfalfa Populations
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Overall yields of alfalfa, a primary forage crop in Wisconsin, have declined steadily due to a variety of major pathogens, including Verticillium, Phytophthora and Aphanomyces. Aphanomyces and Phytophthora are both soil fungi that cause root rot. A UW-Madison researcher has now developed several populations of alfalfa that exhibit a high level of resistance to Aphanomyces Race 1 and Race 2 and Phytophthora medicaginis. The populations have been selected for several traits related to disease resistance and plant longevity. Two of the ...
System for Accurately Forecasting Prices and Other Attributes of Agricultural Commodities
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Industries using, producing, or trading in agricultural commodities require accurate forecast information to aid their management and procurement decisions. UW-Madison researchers have developed a method and system for forecasting agricultural commodity prices and amounts of consumption, production and trade flows across regions, under a variety of scenarios. The method involves use of a general-purpose computer and employs a multi-component spatial equilibrium function that approximates an inter-regional market in agricultural commodities. ...
Method for Heat-Stabilizing Proteins to Protect Their Specific Binding Activities
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Proteins that bind to specific target molecules can be added to food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products to achieve beneficial effects; however, the use of such proteins has been limited because many manufacturing processes involve a heating step that destroys the proteins’ specific binding activities. For example, various antibodies that promote growth and feed efficiency when added to animal feed can’t be included in the preferred pelleted form of the feed because the antibodies don’t survive the high temperatures of the ...
Early-Maturing Oat Variety Called "Moraine"
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
In 2009, Wisconsin was the highest-producing state for oats with 13.3 million bushels. Wisconsin researchers are continually developing new varieties of oats suitable for the Upper Midwest. UW-Madison researchers have developed a new oat variety, called Moraine. Moraine is an early-maturity line designed for the early maturing oat growing areas of the Upper Midwest. The plants are intermediate to tall in height, with leaves of medium length. The kernels are well filled, yellow and non-fluorescent.
Method to Increase Feed Efficiency by Reducing Endotoxin-Induced GI Tract Inflammation
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Pathogenic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract can induce inflammatory responses that negatively affect the ability of animals to efficiently digest food and absorb nutrients. Endotoxin, a characteristic outer membrane component of Gram-negative bacteria, likely induces inflammatory responses by binding to cellular receptors in an animal’s gastrointestinal tract and forming a signal transduction complex with the toll-like receptor (TLR4) and CD14. UW-Madison researchers have developed a method for improving feed efficiency in ...
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Corn silage, the moist fermented fodder that employs the whole plant, has many uses in agriculture including feed for cud-chewing ruminants like cattle and sheep. Assessing silage’s nourishing content, including crude protein and fiber, is critical to the development of new corn varieties by seed companies. The process, however, is expensive and time-consuming when conducted by traditional wet lab analysis. A new method that does not require laborious sample preparation and that provides immediate evaluation is essential. UW–Madison ...
Method to Detect Antibodies Specific for Type-2 Turkey Astrovirus
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Turkey astrovirus-2 (TAstV-2) is associated with poultry enteritis and mortality syndrome (PEMS), a highly infectious emerging disease that affects young turkeys. Current methods for detecting animals infected with TAstV-2 require ongoing infection in the turkeys, as well as diagnostic facilities capable of performing molecular biology techniques. Results can also be greatly affected by sampling methods. UW-Madison researchers have developed an improved method for identifying animals exposed to turkey astrovirus-2. In the method, a ...
Dominant Gene That Delays Flowering
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
The transition between vegetative growth and flowering (reproduction) represents a major developmental shift in the plant life cycle. UW-Madison researchers have developed a powerful tool for delaying flowering in plants, allowing plant breeders to control the growth and development of agriculturally and horticulturally important species. They isolated a gene from Arabidopsis thaliana that when expressed at higher than normal levels causes a substantial delay in flowering. Overexpression of this gene also appears to render the plant ...
Vernalization-Related Molecules and Methods for Inducing Permanent Changes in Plant Gene Expression
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Vernalization is a process through which plants become competent to flower following exposure to long periods of cold. Plants do not necessarily begin to flower after vernalization, but acquire the ability to do so. UW-Madison researchers have identified a novel polypeptide, VIN3, that plays a role in vernalization. During exposure to cold, VIN3 represses FLC, one of the two main genes responsible for flowering in plants. High FLC expression levels inhibit flowering; thus, by repressing FLC, VIN3 helps promote flowering. During ...
Method to Increase Body Weight Uniformity and Carcass Yield in Animals
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Prostaglandins and leukotrienes are believed to cause gastrointestinal inflammation that negatively affects the ability of animals to convert feed into body weight. Reducing the bioavailability of prostaglandin or leukotriene precursors can enhance animal growth and improve feed efficiency. UW-Madison researchers have now shown that reducing the bioavailability of prostaglandin or leukotriene precursors also improves the uniformity of body weight among a group of animals and increases animal carcass yield. To reduce the bioavailability of ...
Variants of the Sweet Protein Brazzein with Improved Characteristics
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
The consumption of sugar, the most widely-used sweetener, can lead to significant problems such as undesirable weight gain due to its high calorie content. Most other sweeteners either have unwanted side effects or temporal sweetness profiles that do not adequately match that of sugar. Brazzein is a naturally-occurring sweet protein that was originally developed as a sugar alternative by UW-Madison researchers Göran Hellekant and Ding Ming (see link below). UW-Madison researchers have now developed new variants of the natural brazzein ...
Plasma-Assisted Disinfection of Milking Machine Liners
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Mastitis is an inflammation of a cow’s mammary glands that is most commonly caused by bacterial infection. Cows become infected with mastitis-causing microbes in several ways, not the least of which is the transfer of bacteria from contaminated milking equipment. Dairy producers typically sanitize their milking machines several times per day; however, milking systems are rarely sanitized between the milking of individual cows. One system for doing so, called a backflush rinsing system, has not been widely adopted due to its expense ...
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
The lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L) is a low-growing, woody, evergreen shrub widely distributed in the temperate, boreal and arctic regions of the northern hemisphere. The American cranberry (V. macrocarpon Ait.) is native to eastern North America and is grown commercially for berry production. Lingonberry, and to a lesser extent cranberry, are also used as ornamental plants in landscaping. A UW-Madison plant breeder has made a novel cross between a selected wild lingonberry and the ‘HyRed’ cranberry cultivar (see WARF ...
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Beets are generally available in two colors: red and golden. Beet color is determined by a class of antioxidant pigments known as betalains, which consists of red-violet betacyanins and yellow betaxanthins. While beets with elevated levels of betacyanins have been produced, no commercially available varieties are high in betaxanthins without also having a high concentration of betacyanins. The only gold-colored beet variety currently available in the U.S. lacks high levels of betaxanthins, has poor seed quality and is not very ...
Sterol Carrier Protein-2 from the Mosquito, <i>Aedes aegypti</i>
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Safe and effective insecticides are in great demand because insects transmit diseases and are important agricultural pests. Fat metabolism is a major target of new insecticides because insects must obtain cholesterol from their diet, unlike vertebrates, which synthesize cholesterol de novo. UW-Madison researchers have developed polypeptides and polynucleotides from AeSCP-2, a sterol carrier protein that can transport cholesterol in mosquitoes. AeSCP-2 is developmentally regulated and highly expressed in the gut. These AeSCP-2 sequences may ...
High-Yielding Oat Variety Called "Esker"
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
In 2009, Wisconsin was the highest-producing state for oats with 13.3 million bushels. Wisconsin researchers are continually developing new varieties of oats suitable for the Upper Midwest. A team of UW-Madison researchers has developed a new, high-yielding oat variety with improved disease resistance, agronomic and grain quality traits. This variety, named “Esker”, has kernels that are well-filled, yellow and non-fluorescent. Plants are intermediate in height with medium length leaves. Esker matures midseason and has ...
Calcium-Rich Snap Bean Genotype
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Increased calcium intake is recommended for pregnant women, senior citizens and adolescents. UW-Madison researchers have now developed a snap bean cultivar with high calcium content in the pods. Snap bean pods from this line contain approximately 20 percent more calcium than other common snap bean cultivars.
Nutrient, Antibody Pellets for Improved Animal Growth
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Disease-free animals grow faster and more efficiently convert feed into body tissue such as muscle. Preventing animals, especially those raised for meat and food, from contracting diseases is economically critical. Antibiotics can be used to keep animals healthy but may leave residues in food. Antibody powders are readily incorporated into feed but have been show to degrade during pellet-making and granulation processes. Another feed immunization option should be pursued that promotes efficient tissue development and protects animals from ...
Better Meat from Animals Fed with Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Americans’ growing preference for lower calorie fats has resulted in restaurant greases and genetically altered crops that are increasingly unsaturated. These oils and spent greases often are used to feed meat animals, including pigs. Animals that consume more unsaturated oils develop softer fat and tissue, however, and in turn produce less valuable slicing meats, like bacon. Additionally, meat processed from such animals is more susceptible to rancid odors and flavors when exposed to air. Recognizing the trend in animal diets, it would be ...
Four New Sweet Corn Inbreds Containing the sh2 Allele
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Sweet corn results from a mutation at the sugary locus (su), which causes the endosperm of the seed to accumulate twice as much sugar as field corn. New mutants (sh2 and se) have been developed to improve sweet corn’s sweetness and other qualities. A UW-Madison researcher has now developed several new sweet corn inbreds carrying the sh2 mutation. Three of the inbreds have been tested in hybrid combinations for at least three seasons and yield hybrids with good to excellent quality. These inbreds have yellow germplasm. A fourth inbred ...
Efficient Weight Gain in Animals and Humans by Countering Appetite-Curbing Protein
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Bringing meat animals like poultry, swine and cattle up to market weight is a standard, if costly, process. The efficiency with which food is converted into weight as well as its movement through the digestion system (gastrointestinal motility) are important factors in how much weight an animal gains and how quickly. Antibiotics currently in use to increase weight gain can leave unsafe residues and lead to drug resistant microorganisms. Manipulating the immune system to counter growth-adverse proteins represents an alternate approach. One ...
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Beets are generally available in two colors: red and golden. Beet color is determined by a class of antioxidant pigments known as betalains, which consists of red-violet betacyanins and yellow betaxanthins. While beets with elevated levels of betacyanins have been produced, no commercially available varieties are high in betaxanthins without also having a high concentration of betacyanins. The only gold-colored beet variety currently available in the U.S. lacks high levels of betaxanthins, has poor seed quality and is not very ...
Dairy Cattle Breeding for Improved Milk Production Traits in Cattle
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Traditional selection techniques in dairy cattle take many years and do not efficiently take into account all sources of genetic variability. Marker-assisted selection is an alternative that could lower the high cost of progeny testing used in traditional breeding methods; however, marker-assisted selection requires genetic markers for superior milk production, health and longevity. A UW-Madison researcher has identified genetic markers for improved production traits, including fat content, fat percentage, protein percentage, somatic cell ...
An Inbred Table Beet with a Root Suitable for Slicing
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
The table beet, a popular garden vegetable throughout the United States, is rich in folate, soluble and insoluble fiber, and vitamins A and C. UW-Madison researchers have developed a new beet variety, called W433, with a cylindrical, straight root that is well suited for slicing. W433 A is the sterile cytoplasm, while W433 B is the fertile maintainer that can be used in hybrid production. Hybrids could be used for both processing and fresh markets.
A Monogerm Round-Type Inbred Table Beet
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
The table beet, a popular garden vegetable throughout the United States, is rich in folate, soluble and insoluble fiber, and vitamins A and C. Monogerm beets produce a single flower, while multigerm beets give rise to clusters of two or more flowers. UW-Madison researchers have developed a monogerm inbred table beet called W448. This variety results in a round-type beet and is similar to a popular variety available only as a multigerm. W448 A is the sterile cytoplasm, while W448 B is the fertile cytoplasm maintainer to be used in hybrid ...
Plants and Seeds of Corn Comprising <i>Brown Midrib</i> and <i>gt1</i> Genes
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Corn plants containing a brown midrib gene have less lignin in their cell walls, making forage from those plants more digestible. The independent grassy-tiller1 gene (gt1) enhances the regrowth of corn after cutting, producing multiple stalks and thus extra forage, and even enabling a second harvest in some latitudes. UW-Madison researchers have developed lines of corn that are homozygous for brown midrib and grassy-tiller1 genes. Corn including these two genes is bred for vigorous growth, uniformity and phenotypic stability. The enhanced ...
"Villetta Rose" (W2275-3R), a Red Skin Potato Line for Fresh Market and Canning
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Wisconsin is the nation's third largest producer of potatoes. According to the USDA, Wisconsin’s potato farmers produced nearly 29.0 million hundredweight of potatoes in 2009. A team of UW-Madison researchers has developed a new red skin potato line, called "Villetta Rose," for fresh market, canning and gourmet use (steamers). This variety has medium-late maturity and is particularly well-suited for canning. It has high tuber set; a uniform, round tuber shape; smooth, shallow eyes; uniform tuber size; good skin set; dark-red color at ...
Peptide Extension for Enhancement of Transgene Expression in Chloroplasts
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Transgenic plants are potential “chemical factories” for the production of industrially useful proteins, including pharmaceuticals. Conventionally, all parts of a transgenic plant contain the transgene. As an alternative, just the plant chloroplasts, the organelles responsible for photosynthesis, can be made transgenic. This offers several important advantages, including high levels of transgene expression and foreign protein accumulation. In addition, chloroplasts are not generally present in pollen, so genetically engineered ...
A Multiple-Eared Inbred Line of Corn for Production of “Baby Corn”
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Baby corn is produced by harvesting immature ears of corn just after the silks develop. Generally, corn plants produce from one to three ears per plant. UW-Madison researchers have developed a variety of corn that produces a high yield of baby corn. This homozygous, phenotypically stable variety, called W701BC, produces 15 or more ears per plant in good conditions. Additionally, at approximately three feet tall, this variety is relatively short and therefore easier to harvest by hand.
W1386: A High-Yield Chipstock Potato with Excellent Specific Gravity and Long-Term Storage Potential
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
The average American eats five to six pounds of potato chips each year. UW-Madison researchers have developed W1386, a potato variety well suited for potato chip processing. W1386 is a round/oval, white-skinned potato.
Singlet Oxygen-Resistant Technologies
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Rhodobacter sphaeroides is a photosynthetic bacterium that is a useful model system for photosynthesis. Singlet oxygen (1O2) is a toxic byproduct of photosynthesis and other biological pathways that can destroy the integrity of membranes, abolish the function of biomolecules, harm the photosynthetic machinery and kill cells. R. sphaeroides responds to 1O2 by using a transcription factor, σE, which turns on the expression of several genes that mediate the response to and ensure viability in the presence of 1O2. UW-Madison researchers ...
Vaccine Candidates Against Johne's Disease
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Johne’s disease is a contagious, chronic and usually fatal wasting disease that primarily affects the small intestine of ruminants. It is a worldwide problem with no known treatment and infects 25 to 50 percent of dairy cattle in the United States. Although a vaccine for Johne’s disease exists, it does not protect against severe infection or transmission of the disease. A UW-Madison researcher has developed potential vaccine candidates for Johne’s disease. The disease is caused by the slow-growing bacterium ...
White Mold & Root Rot Resistant Dark Red Kidney Bean with Superior Agronomic & Processing Qualities
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Although white mold is the most economically damaging disease of legumes, resistance to white mold is not currently available in dark red kidney bean cultivars. Fungicides must be applied at flowering to prevent disease occurrence. UW-Madison researchers have developed several high yielding kidney bean lines that are resistant to white mold and root rot. The lines were created by crossing kidney bean lines with intermediate white mold resistance to root rot-resistant lines and selecting for plants that are highly resistant to white mold. ...
Increasing Production of Egg Antibodies
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Powdered egg containing antibodies has many commercial applications. It is used in immunological assays, and may be incorporated into animal feed as an alternative to antibiotics that are used to enhance weight gain. UW-Madison researchers have developed a method of increasing the production of antibodies in an egg. Enriched eggs currently are formed by feeding or injecting chickens with antigens and various other components. The inventors discovered that adding different molecular components of a compound present in all Gram-positive ...
Method for Optimizing Health and Productivity of Milk Producing Animals
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Most disease in dairy cows occurs during the transition period, which spans from about three weeks before calving to about one month after. Managing lactating dairy cows during this period is important because animals that perform well during transition exhibit better overall health and productivity during the remainder of the lactation. But the methods available for evaluating transition performance do not provide unbiased and objective measures of performance for individual animals, and the ability to monitor change and evaluate the success ...
Use of <i>Streptococcus Suis</i> 38 kDa Polypeptide as an Immunogen
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Streptococcus suis is a swine pathogen that causes diseases such as arthritis, endocarditis, meningitis, pneumonia and septicemia. It can also cause meningitis, endocarditis and septic shock in humans who come into contact with infected swine or their byproducts. However, the only vaccines that have been developed for S. suis are serotype or strain dependent. A UW-Madison researcher has developed a recombinant protein from S. suis that may be useful in the development of a broadly protective vaccine. Thirty one of the 35 known S. suis ...
Root Rot Resistant Snap Bean Cultivars
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Root rot caused by soil borne fungi limits the production of garden (snap) beans. Currently, a crop rotation of three to five years is the most effective management strategy used to control this disease. There is a need in the marketplace for commercial cultivars with good root rot resistance. UW-Madison researchers have developed root rot resistant snap bean cultivars. They crossed and backcrossed a root rot resistant Mexican landrace with commercial cultivars to develop lines that combine root rot resistance with improved pod and plant ...
Root Rot Resistant Snap Bean Cultivars
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Root rot caused by soil borne fungi limits the production of garden (snap) beans. Currently, a crop rotation of three to five years is the most effective management strategy used to control this disease. There is a need in the marketplace for commercial cultivars with good root rot resistance. UW-Madison researchers have developed root rot resistant snap bean cultivars. They crossed and backcrossed a root rot resistant Mexican landrace with commercial cultivars to develop lines that combine root rot resistance with improved pod and plant ...
Root Rot Resistant Snap Bean Cultivars
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Root rot caused by soil borne fungi limits the production of garden (snap) beans. Currently, a crop rotation of three to five years is the most effective management strategy used to control this disease. There is a need in the marketplace for commercial cultivars with good root rot resistance. UW-Madison researchers have developed root rot resistant snap bean cultivars. They crossed and backcrossed a root rot resistant Mexican landrace with commercial cultivars to develop lines that combine root rot resistance with improved pod and plant ...
Root Rot Resistant Snap Bean Cultivars
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Root rot caused by soil borne fungi limits the production of garden (snap) beans. Currently, a crop rotation of three to five years is the most effective management strategy used to control this disease. There is a need in the marketplace for commercial cultivars with good root rot resistance. UW-Madison researchers have developed root rot resistant snap bean cultivars. They crossed and backcrossed a root rot resistant Mexican landrace with commercial cultivars to develop lines that combine root rot resistance with improved pod and plant ...
Late Blight Resistance Gene from Wild Potato
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Potato late blight, which is caused by the pathogen Phytophthora infestans, is one of the most devastating plant diseases known. It has been a persistent problem for more than 150 years and was the cause of the Great Irish Potato Famine of 1845. Efforts to eradicate this disease have focused on applying fungicides and identifying resistance genes that can be crossed into commercial potato varieties. The fungicide approach has failed repeatedly because P. infestans acquires resistance. Disease resistance genes from wild potato species have ...
Two Novel Soybean Cyst Nematode and Brown Stem Rot Resistant Soybean Lines
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Brown stem rot and the soybean cyst nematode are two major afflictions that affect soybeans. The fungus responsible for brown stem rot infects the roots of the plant and then moves to the stem, causing it to rot. Yield losses of 10 to 30 percent are common following infection. The soybean cyst nematode is a small, parasitic round worm that attacks the roots of soybeans. This nematode can be transferred from plant to plant or through infected soil and is almost impossible to eradicate. UW-Madison researchers have developed two soybean lines ...
Precisely Estimating Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestibilty of Biomass for Feed or Ethanol Production
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
The amount of energy a particular type of forage contributes to a ruminant diet is a key factor in predicting animal performance. Animals fed high-energy forages gain weight faster and produce more milk. The digestibility of the fiber in a forage is a critical factor in determining energy content, but the digestibility of fiber can vary widely. Neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) is used to estimate how digestible plant fiber is in a living animal. In vitro NDFD is determined by incubating a weighed forage ...
Improved Methods and Materials for Transforming Plant Cells
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
RNA viruses are commonly used to transform targeted plant cells by introducing a foreign nucleic acid into a cell to permanently alter it. Current methods of inoculating a cell with modified RNA viruses involve the in vitro transcription of a particular strand, followed by the introduction of the resulting RNA transcripts into the host cell. However, preparing in vitro RNA transcripts is expensive and time consuming, and the RNA degrades rapidly, causing a low efficiency of infection. In addition, existing RNA virus-based vectors can spread ...
Simple, Rapid and Inexpensive Process for Making Glue from Slaughterhouse Animal Blood
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Slaughterhouse blood is a waste product that must be disposed. Currently, the main use of this blood is for blood meal in animal feed. Another option is to use the blood in glue. However, while techniques have been developed for making glue from waste animal blood, these techniques generally require drying the blood prior to use, an expensive and energy-consuming step. New methods for generating a consistent, strong and high-quality glue without first dehydrating the blood are needed. UW-Madison researchers have developed a novel and simple ...
Genetic Marker for Improved Longevity and Milk Production in Cattle
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Traditional breeding techniques in dairy cattle take many years and do not efficiently take into account all sources of genetic variability. Marker-assisted selection is an alternative that could lower the high cost of progeny testing used in traditional breeding methods; however, marker-assisted selection requires genetic markers for superior milk production traits. POU1F1 may provide one such genetic marker. POU1F1 is a transcription factor that controls the expression of the genes for growth hormone and prolactin, which are important in ...
Breeding Population of Corn for Enhanced Silage Production
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Dairy cows require a lot of energy to produce milk. Corn silage is commonly fed to dairy cattle because it is a highly digestible, high energy food source. Increasing the digestibility of corn silage should increase the amount of energy dairy cows consume and thereby increase milk production. UW-Madison researchers have developed a new corn population, known as the Wisconsin Quality Synthetic-C4 (WQS C4), with superior milk production potential. Inbred corn lines derived from WQS C4 can be combined with inbred lines derived from the Stiff ...
Transgenic Plants with Altered Senescence Characteristics
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Leaf senescence is a phase of plant development during which cells undergo distinct metabolic and structural changes prior to cell death. It is an important phase in the plant life cycle that likely contributes to fitness by recycling nutrients to actively growing regions. UW-Madison researchers have developed a means to block the process of senescence in plants. It consists of a promoter from Arabidopsis thaliana that is unique to the senescence stage (SAG12), linked to a gene encoding the cytokinin-synthesis enzyme isopentenyl ...
Protective Encapsulation of Micronutrients for Ingestion by Avian Species
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Field corn, pea and alfalfa-based silage provides a less expensive alternative to commercial poultry feed. However, raw silage does not contain sufficient nutrients for poultry, and in contrast to cattle, avian species do not have microbes in their digestive tract that allow them to synthesize the missing nutrients. Adding supplement nutrients to silage is not feasible because the silo environment and silage pH rapidly degrades the nutrients. One option would be encapsulate the nutrients, but currently available coatings will not protect ...
Zwittermicin Resistance Gene and Biocontrol Bacteria with the Gene
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Certain plants, including alfalfa and soybeans, suffer from disease symptoms known as “damping off” and “root rot,” which are caused by a fungal infection and can lead to crop loss. One option for controlling damping off and root rot is biological control. Specifically, a toxin produced by one bacterial species may be used to inhibit the fungus that causes the infection. UW–Madison researchers have characterized a new gene from Bacillus cereus, which codes for a protein conferring resistance to the antibiotic zwittermicin A produced by some ...
A New Method for Creating Transgenic Animals
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
The ability to alter the genetic makeup of animals such as cows, pigs and sheep allows a number of commercial applications. These applications include the production of animals that express large quantities of exogenous proteins in their milk, are resistant to infection or have enhanced growth rates. The most widely used method for the production of transgenic animals is microinjection of DNA into the pronuclei of fertilized embryos. However, while this method works well for the production of transgenic mice, it is much less efficient for the ...
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Beet pigments (betalains) provide a natural source of color for certain foods. Betalain pigments include the red-violet betacyanins and the yellow betaxanthins, which, when combined, produce a red hue. Garden beets are a readily available source of betalains; however, the concentration of pigment in these beets is low. Beets with higher pigment concentration would make the preparation of natural red colorants easier and less costly. UW–Madison researchers have developed novel high pigment beet varieties. These varieties ...
Potato Line W1100-R ("Red Companion")
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
The fresh red potato market represents 10 to 15 percent of the total Wisconsin potato market. UW-Madison researchers have developed a new fresh market red potato variety, called W1100-R or “Red Companion.” This line yields tubers that are large, red-skinned, white-fleshed and round-oval in shape. Red Companion shows better yield, fewer internal defects, better chip color, higher solids (allowing frying and baking) and greater resistance to blight than the most similar current variety, Dark Red Norland.
Method for Improving the Efficiency of Feed Conversion by Animals
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Healthy, disease-free animals grow faster and are more able to efficiently convert their feed into body tissue than sick or immune-challenged animals. One approach to keeping animals healthy is to give them antibiotics; however, this is not desirable because it can lead to antibiotic residues in food. Another approach is to immunize animals either through vaccination or by administering antibodies. UW–Madison researchers have developed a method of improving the efficiency of an animal to convert feed into desirable body tissue. The method ...
Methods and Compositions for Treating Animals to Maintain or Enhance Bone Mineral Content
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Many animals, including humans, lose bone minerals as they age or if they are afflicted with certain diseases. Loss of calcium in bone can cause osteoporosis. However, most of the current compounds known to maintain or increase bone calcium are potent biological agents with significant side effects. UW–Madison researchers have developed a method of treating an animal to maintain or enhance the mineral content of the bones of the animal. The method consists of administering to the animal a safe and effective amount of conjugated linoleic acid ...
Method and Compositions for Controlling Body Fat and Weight in Animals
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Many people are concerned about the saturated fat content of meat because of its alleged relationship to blood cholesterol. Most consumers would prefer to eat meat with lower amounts of both total and saturated fat. UW–Madison researchers have developed methods of inhibiting lipoprotein lipase and controlling the body fat and the body weight of an animal. The methods involved administering an effective amount of at least one 20-carbon, conjugated, unsaturated fatty acid to the animal.
Carrot Variety That Synthesizes Vitamin E in Its Root
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) cannot be synthesized by the body and is often lacking in the U.S. diet. Vitamin E can be obtained from foods such as apples, nuts and certain oils; however, its presence has not been recorded in carrots. UW-Madison researchers have developed a carrot plant that synthesizes alpha-tocopherol in its root. The ability of this carrot variety to synthesize vitamin E is linked to its being homozygous for the recessive reduced pigment gene (rp). Carrots homozygous for the reduced pigment gene generally have a ...
AGL15 Sequences in Transgenic Plants
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Senescence is a phase of plant development during which cells undergo distinct metabolic and structural changes prior to cell death. Human enjoyment of ornamental flowering plants and cut flowers could be enhanced by delaying senescence, thereby extending the longevity of the flowers. Additionaly, delaying senescence potentially could increase plant yields. UW-Madison researchers have identified a gene sequence, designated AGL15, that when expressed in a transgenic plant produces a number of advantageous phenotypes, including ...
Disease Suppression by Novel Bacillus Strain SOY130
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Biological control agents provide an attractive alternative to chemical pesticides for suppressing plant pests and enhancing plant growth. UW-Madison researchers have developed a novel strain of Bacillus cereus that can be used as a biocontrol agent to combat damping off disease in crop plants. The strain, SOY130, naturally synthesizes an antibiotic toxin known as zwittermicin A. SOY130 is distinguished from other zwittermicin-producing Bacillus cereus strains by resistance to streptomycin and neomycin. To control fungi or oomycetes that ...
Method and Apparatus for Macerating Plant Material
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
During the process of producing and harvesting hay, plant drying rate can be enhanced by macerating the stems so they are severely crushed and fiberized. This extreme conditioning also increases digestibility. Machines that macerate forage crop material by cutting standing crop, feeding the cut material to a pair of crushing rollers and then impacting the crushed plant material are currently in use. UW-Madison researchers have improved known methods and equipment for macerating plant material by diverting crushed material back into the ...
Identifying Senescence-Specific Promoters from Plants
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Leaf senescence is a phase of plant development during which cells undergo distinct metabolic and structural changes prior to cell death. Although physiological and genetic studies indicate that senescence is a highly regulated process, little is understood of how the changes in gene expression that accompany senescence are regulated. UW-Madison researchers have identified promoters that are unique to the senescence stage of the life cycle in plants. Specifically, the researchers used information from a senescence-specific promoter from ...
Hybrid, Spring <i>Brassica napus</i> with Winter Germplasm Introgression
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Brassica napus, the most productive oilseed rape (canola) species, can be divided into two main groups: winter lines, which are robust enough to overwinter in Europe and China, and spring lines, which are grown in northern Europe, Canada, and the northern tier of the United States only during the spring and summer. Although winter lines generally produce higher yields, existing winter varieties are not sufficiently hardy to endure the harsh, winter climates of the northern United States and Canada. Thus, these areas typically only grow ...
Trans-Dominant Inhibition of Geminiviral DNA Replication by Geminivirus Rep Gene Mutants
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Geminiviruses, which are single stranded DNA viruses, cause major losses in important crops throughout the world. No known natural resistance to geminiviruses exists in most crops, making engineering of resistance an attractive option. UW-Madison researchers have developed a genetic construct that when inserted into a plant cell, is able to dramatically reduce replication of geminivirus. The construct contains a plant promoter operably connected to a trans-dominant inhibitor of the geminiviral rep gene. The inhibitor is a mutant rep ...
Cultivar Specificity Gene from the Rice Pathogen <i>Magnaporthe grisea</i>
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Rice blast is a devastating fungal disease that can cause significant crop losses in rice, a worldwide staple food. The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea has emerged as a model system for understanding fungal-plant interactions. UW-Madison researchers have cloned a novel avirulence gene from M. grisea, termed AVR1-CO39. This gene encodes a signal that triggers a strong defense response in rice cultivar CO39, which carries the corresponding resistance gene. Open reading frame 3 (ORF 3) of the AVR1-CO39 avirulence gene appears to play a key ...
Feed Additive Increases Availability of Butyric Acid and Non-Digestible Oligosaccharides in GI Tract
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Butyric acid is a source of energy for the intestinal mucosa of monogastric animals. When the intestinal concentration of butyric acid increases, mucosa have a greater ability to absorb nutrients from the contents of the intestine. UW-Madison researchers have developed a feed additive that increases the availability of butyric acid to intestinal mucosa and encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in the lower intestine. The feed additive consists of tributyrin and a pre-biotic, preferably a non-digestible oligosaccharide (NDO) such as ...
MDR-Like ABC Transporter Gene from Plants
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Environmental stress resulting from pollutants, such as herbicides, pesticides, and other toxins, is a major limitation on plant productivity. In order to survive in harsh environments, plants have evolved mechanisms to detoxify pollutants, such as xenobiotics, which are foreign chemicals not naturally found in organisms. UW-Madison researchers have discovered a plant gene that may be involved in detoxification of certain xenobiotics, thus protecting plants from the detrimental effects of these compounds. The gene is a new plant homolog of ...
Enterotoxin-Deficient Bacillus
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Biological control agents provide an attractive alternative to chemical pesticides for suppressing plant pests and enhancing plant growth. However, some biocontrol organisms such as Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis contain genes associated with unwanted activities. Many strains of these bacteria produce an enterotoxin, HBL, which is toxic to mammals. UW-Madison researchers have developed enterotoxin-deficient mutant Bacillus strains. Mutants are obtained by altering at least one of the three polynucleotide sequences that encode a ...
A Saturating Population of Insertionally Mutagenized <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> Plants
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Functional genomics involves identifying the function of all genes within a sequenced genome. Knockout mutants may be used to identify the in situ function of any gene, without making assumptions about the presumed catalytic activity or location of the encoded protein. Ideally, a large population of mutants with small starting pools and only one insertional mutation per plant would be available for identification of knockouts; however, currently available collections involve large starting pools of 100-150 lines and may have up to four ...
Floral Induction Gene Affects Flowering Time and Plant Production
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
The timing of flowering is a major developmental step in the plant life cycle and is of great importance in both agricultural and horticultural crops. Many genes affecting flowering time have been identified in Arabidopsis and physiological analyses have suggested that multiple pathways control flowering. UW-Madison researchers have identified an Arabidopsis gene, FPA, which can be manipulated to affect flowering time. An FPA polynucleotide sequence capable of up-regulating or down-regulating FPA activity is introduced into the genome of a ...
"Millennium Russet" (W1348), a Long Russet Potato Line
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
A dual-purpose potato superior to Russet Burbank would be valuable to the fresh potato and french fry markets. UW-Madison researchers have now developed a line of dual-purpose potatoes, called "Millennium Russet," which results in a long russet potato. Under Wisconsin conditions, this new line represents a significant improvement over the Russet Burbank variety. The line yields long, russet-skinned and white-fleshed tubers with medium-late maturity.
Methods for Enhancing Plant Health Using Lysophospholipids
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Lysophospholipids, such as lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) and lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI), are derived from membrane phospholipids by the action of the enzyme phospholipase A2 and naturally occur in many plant and animal tissues, including egg yolk and soybeans. Drs. Palta and Farag previously exploited the properties of these compounds to accelerate fruit ripening, enhance fruit stability during storage and increase the shelf life of vegetables by retarding senescence. UW-Madison researchers now have discovered that these compounds ...
Superior Winter-Hardy Plum Cultivars
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
There is a demand to grow high quality plums and other fruits in northern climates where they have not been cultivated in the past. Increasing the range of these fruits can be economically promising because of increase of fruit production and the possibility of less transportation to bring the fruit to the place of sale. These more hardy plant varieties are produced by combining previously established plant varieties known for specific traits (i.e. fruit color, taste, hardiness, etc.). BlackIce™ Plum is the result of a cross between the ...
Plant Growth Media for Home Gardens and Nurseries
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Most plant growth media currently on the market uses imported peat moss as the primary ingredient. There is a need to supply a novel growth media formulation using domestic materials that out performs what is currently on the market. One promising source of organic materials to serve this purpose is manure digesters that are present across the United States on many farms with populations of domesticated animals. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville are developing a soil amendment that is an ideal replacement for imported ...
Using Corticosteroids to Increase Egg Antibody Titer
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Eggs are used to produce antibodies for use as an alternative to antibiotics in animal feed supplements, as diagnostic reagents in clinical and research laboratory settings or as active and passive vaccines. Antibody production generally involves immunizing an egg-laying animal with an antigen. Then antibodies to the antigen accumulate in the eggs, particularly the egg yolks. UW-Madison researchers have developed a method of increasing egg antibody titer by more than two-fold. Increasing antibody titer significantly reduces ...
Inbred Corn Lines for Developing Silage Hybrids
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Corn silage is a high quality forage crop used on many dairy and cattle farms. The goal of making silage is to preserve the harvested crop by anaerobic fermentation, where bacteria convert soluble carbohydrates into acetic and lactic acid. To obtain high quality silage, it's important to start with a crop variety that has high grain and high forage yield. A team of UW-Madison researchers has developed several inbred lines of corn that are useful for producing silage hybrids. The lines have been tested extensively and detailed yield and ...
Genetic Marker for Improved Milk Production and Longevity in Dairy Cattle
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Traditional breeding techniques in dairy cattle take many years and do not efficiently take into account all sources of genetic variability. Marker-assisted selection is an alternative that could lower the high cost of progeny testing used in traditional breeding methods; however, marker-assisted selection requires genetic markers for superior milk production traits. A UW-Madison researcher has developed a genetic marker for improved milk production, longevity and other health traits in dairy cattle. The researcher used a ...
Overman Small Molecule Library
Organization: University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine)
The Overman laboratory at the University of California, Irvine has generated a library of ~1,200 unusually diverse small drug-like molecules. Many of these molecules are fragments of natural products. These compounds are plated out in 96 well plates with the mother plate containing ~3.5-4 mg of compound per well. A majority of the molecules are nitrogen heterocycles that represent structural fragments of natural products.
Increased Fertility via Novel Use of Lipoic Acid
Organization: NDSU Research Foundation
Lipoic acid is a naturally occurring compound that has been shown to modulate insulin sensitivity when supplemented to the diet. Elevated blood insulin concentrations have been shown to decrease progesterone catabolism in several species by modulating liver enzyme. The NDSU approach shows that the introduction of lipoic acid decreases progesterone (P4) catabolism by the liver, leading to an overall increase in fertility. During the NDSU research, ovariectomized ewes were fed an alfalfa-grass ration at 95% of ad libitum. One group of ewes was ...
Adjuvant Blend for Enhancing Efficacy of Pesticides
Organization: NDSU Research Foundation
Bio-Based Branched and Hyperbranched UV-Curable Oligomers
Organization: NDSU Research Foundation
This NDSU invention provides a high biorenewable content branched oligomer/polymer based on a plant oil or liquid component, such as soybean oil, and a cashew nutshell oil or liquid (CNSL) component. In another aspect, the invention provides a high biorenewable content hyperbranched oligomer/polymer formed from a CNSL and a hyperbranched polyol.
Soybean Oil-Based UV-Curable Coatings with High Bio-renewable Content
Organization: NDSU Research Foundation
UV-curable coating materials with high biorenewable content, performance comparable to petrochemical-based formulations, and lower cost are highly desirable. Commercialized soybean oil (SBO) derivatives, such as acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (ASBO), are important starting materials for the development of soy-based materials such as coatings, adhesives, plasticizers, inks, and lubricants. Combining monomers possessing higher acrylate functionality with ASBO is expected to produce UV-curable coatings with better crosslinking and thus ...
Natural Feed Additive Combats Gastrointestinal Infection in Livestock and Poultry
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Reaping billion dollar losses every year, coccidiosis is a common protozoan infection of agricultural animals that targets the digestive system. Its symptoms include weight loss, diarrhea and suppressed growth. Drugs have been developed to treat the disease, but are being phased out in markets in Europe and Asia due to potential hazards to both animals and humans. The emergence of resistant strains also has spurred interest in fresh tactics. Vaccines are one alternative, but they take several weeks to become effective and may undermine ...
Novel Approach to Root-Knot Nematode Resistance in Plants
Organization: University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc
Most nematodes feed on bacteria, fungi and other soil organisms, while others are parasitic, obtaining their food from animal plants. Plant-parasitic nematodes are found in association with most plants. Some are endoparasitic, living and feeding within the tissue of roots, tubers, leaves, etc. Endoparasitic root feeders include the root-knot nematodes. Root-knot nematodes form galls on infected roots, greatly reducing the yield of the plant. More specifically, these galls decrease the plant's ability to take up water and nutrients. This ...
Vaccine to Improve Phosphate Retention in Farm Animals
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
To promote growth, dietary phosphate is required to meet the animal’s dietary needs. UW–Madison researchers have focused on developing a novel technology that reduces both dietary needs and excretion of phosphate. This is important because dietary phosphate supplements can cost more than $1,000 per ton – a price that has tripled in 15 years and is expected to rise. Contamination of land and water by phosphate waste is a major concern also. The new technology can be used as an adjunct for current methods to improve phosphate bioavailability ...
Field Management Tool for Agrochemical Application
Organization: University of Missouri Columbia
Systems and Methods for the Production of Linear and Branched-Chain Hydrocarbons
Organization: University of Kentucky
Terpenes are a large and diverse class of organic compounds, and triterpenes are one type of terpenes consisting of six isoprene units and having the molecular formula C30H48. Linear, branched-chain triterpenes have direct commercial value in numerous fields. They may be used in personal health care as oil bases for cosmetics and topical skin care products and in food manufacturing as emulsifiers. Triterpene processing can also yield intermediaries of value for chemical manufacturing (i.e., nylons, oils, and plastics) and combustible fuel ...
Vault and Vault-like Carrier Molecules
Organization: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Structural analysis indicates that the molecular composition of the organelle, named Vaults, is simple and symmetric. It has a large internal cavity that can encapsulate molecular species and exists in two different forms, open and close upon induction by cellular signals. Furthermore, the researchers had shown that it is possible to incorporate short and long peptides and even medium-sized proteins into the interior of the organelle in situ. The resulting peptide or proteins were successfully translated and the function of the protein was ...
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Aova Technologies Inc. is a Wisconsin agricultural biotechnology company commercializing patented antibody products produced in chicken eggs. Product use, in simple and complex diets, has shown improved feed efficiency and enhanced growth rate of animals regardless of antibiotic usage. By implementing the company's products, animal producers and feed ingredient manufacturers gain natural products that improve their bottom line.
HyRed Gives Cranberry Growers a Competitive Edge
Organization: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Color and yield are everything if you’re a cranberry farmer. Traditionally, farmers have relied on the deep red pigment of ripe cranberries to signal that it was time for harvesting. But in cold weather states like Wisconsin, the world’s largest cranberry producer, the intense red color may not develop until late fall. That delayed ripening can damage cranberry crops if winter weather sets in. Now, after 10 years of development by University of Wisconsin-Madison plant breeders Eric Zeldin and Brent McCown, Midwest growers can better ...
