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Digging Deep into ARS Assets for Better Cookies and Cakes

April 10, 2018 Dennis O’Brien, Public Affairs Specialist, Agricultural Research Service

With a name like Fhb1, this particular gene is unlikely to ever become a household name. But it has the potential to combat a fungal disease that has been plaguing wheat farmers for years. Wheat scab can cripple a farmer’s yield and cost millions of dollars in crop losses.

Research and Science

ARS Scientists Explore Ways to Minimize Runoff from Golf Courses

June 05, 2018 Dennis O’Brien, Public Affairs Specialist, Agricultural Research Service

More than 20 million people play golf on the estimated 14,000 golf courses in the United States. As Americans head for the links this year, golf course managers and superintendents know it’s important not only to maintain the greens and fairways, but also to minimize the risk of pesticides and...

Research and Science

Antimicrobial Resistance – What does USDA Research Tell Us?

November 15, 2018 Roxann Motroni, DVM, Ph.D., ARS; Kim Cook, Ph.D., ARS; John Schmidt, Ph.D., U.S. Meat Animal Research Center

Antimicrobial Resistance or AMR occurs naturally in bacteria and AMR far predates human existence. However, AMR is a complicated issue and there are many factors that contribute to its development in agricultural environments.

Research and Science

REE Gives the Gift of Agricultural Research and Innovation in 2018

December 21, 2018 Chavonda Jacobs-Young, Acting Deputy Under Secretary, Research, Education, and Economics mission area

Like many of you, I bask in the excitement of the holidays—wrapping gifts, planning holiday dinners, and spending time with loved ones. However, this month also means the end of the year is near, ushering in a time of reflection and anticipation. In USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE)...

Research and Science

Protecting the Military from Flying Foes

May 17, 2018 Ann Perry, Agricultural Research Service

For over 75 years, USDA scientists have been developing ways to protect the U.S. military around the world from powerful adversaries—mosquitoes and other biting arthropods that cause disease. Their work began in 1942 in a small USDA field laboratory in Orlando, where scientists made key discoveries...

Research and Science

The Name, the Pin, and the Bee

December 13, 2018 Sarah Federman, Agricultural Science and AAAS Fellow, Office of the Chief Scientist

She leans over her dead subject and deftly pushes a pin through its body, securing it to the foam below. To be clear, this is not about a morgue or a serial killer. This is about taxonomy, or the science of identifying, classifying, and naming organisms. The woman in question is a scientist, and her...

Research and Science

Going Nuts for Calories!

March 23, 2018 Sharon Durham, Public Affairs Specialist, Agricultural Research Service

We all love nuts, but we’re careful not to eat too many because of the high fat calories. Now, there may be less to worry about. In a series of studies, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) physiologists David Baer and Janet Novotny looked at how many calories of almonds, walnuts, and...

Research and Science

USDA’s Role in Combatting Antimicrobial Resistance

November 13, 2018 Roxann Motron and Kim Cook, USDA Agricultural Research Service; Uday Dessai and Sheryl Shaw, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Scientists from USDA developed the tools to mass produce penicillin, which was used for treating wounded soldiers over 70 years ago during World War II. Antibiotics are still important in treating microbial infection in humans, animals, and plants. However, microbes can develop resistance to some...

Animals Health and Safety Research and Science

The Makings of a Good Sweet Potato

November 06, 2018 Sandra Avant, Public Affairs Specialist, Agricultural Research Service

Sweet potatoes, which are native to the Americas, sustained our founding pioneers with beneficial nutrients like beta carotene, calcium, fiber, and a host of vitamins. No wonder it’s a holiday favorite, especially during Thanksgiving. But what makes a good sweet potato?

Research and Science

A Less Allergenic Peanut Extract for Use in Allergy Treatment

May 01, 2018 Sandra Avant, Public Affairs Specialist, Agricultural Research Service

As baseball season gets into full swing, many fans enjoy traditional ballpark favorites like peanuts. But not everyone can safely savor this popular treat. Peanuts induce an allergic reaction in millions of Americans.

Research and Science