National Research Initiative A Vital Competitive Grants Program in Food, Fiber, and Natural-Resources Research (2000) / Chapter Skim
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G Contributions of NRI to Major Scientific Advances in Food, Fiber, and Natural Resources
G Contributions of NRI to Major Scientific Advances in Food, Fiber, and Natural Resources
Pages 148-169
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From page 148... ...
The information presented here was supplied to the committee by the NRI staff. NRI FUNDED RESEARCH THAT HAS LED TO MAJOR SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES Biologically Safe Protection of Wheat from Take-all Disease by Using Soil Bacteria Crop rotation is the best-known practice available to farmers for management of the soilborne plant pathogens responsible for potentially devastating root diseases, wilts, stem rots, and blights of crop plants and for such cosmetic diseases as common scab of potato.
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In 1997, Weller, Thomashow, Cook, and Raaijmakers received the Ruth Allen Award; this is the highest award for research given by the American Phytopathological Society and recognizes contributions to science that have changed the direction of research. CR GO and NRI Awards to Cook and colleagues: · 1978; Biological Stress on Plants; $120,000; 3 years.
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From page 150... ...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 92:4197~201. Decreasing Milk Fever In Dairy Cows: A Major Advance Mink fever is an important metabolic disorder of dairy cows related to the onset of lactation when cows are unable to maintain normal blood concentrations of calcium.
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From page 151... ...
The stimulation of bone calcium mobilization and intestinal calcium absorption is then diminished, and normal blood calcium concentration cannot be maintained. Diets high in sodium are not commonly fed to dry cows, but potassium is a cation commonly found in high amounts in the forages included in dry-cow rations.
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antigen, the Norwalk virus capsid protein. The work, by Charles Arntzen and colleagues (Boyce Thompson Institute)
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1984. Isolation and sequence analysis of cDNAs for the major potato tuber protein, patatin.
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Major accomplishments have included the following: · Developed methods based on the use of nonradioactive- (stable-) isotope labeling to assess folate absorption, metabolism, and rate of turnover in humans and animals.
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in 1997. CRGO arid NRI Awards to First: · 1985; Ontogeny and Control of Development of Bovine Preimplantation Embryos; $161,500.
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Corn from Cells, Not from Seeds When the Competitive Research Grants Office was formed in 1978, a grant was awarded to Ronald L Phillips, of the first Genetic Mechanisms Program Panel, for tissue culture of corn.
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Kramer and collaborators have received continuous USDA competitive grant funding since 1988 to support this research and have published at least 40 papers in scientific journals since the inception of the work. Most recently, they have patented the only known insect Chitinase gene used in transgenic plants.
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From page 158... ...
The parasite is found throughout the United States and around the world. In California alone, Neospora caninum is diagnosed in 40% of aborted fetuses and costs dairy producers at least $35 million a year.
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From page 159... ...
The research team successfully completed its stated goal of discovering a definitive host for Neospora caninum. The information is being widely disseminated in the popular press (Multiple press releases, Colorado Dairy News, Hoard's Dairyman, Parasitology Today, and so on)
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1997. Separation and cryopreservation of Neospora caninum tissue cysts from marine brain.
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Although it is true that the same cold-tolerant genes and a single transcription factor might not work in plants other than Arabidopsis, this is a first step in understanding how to control cold tolerance in plants. NRI Awards (directly related to this research9: 1988; Plant Responses to the Environment Program; $140,000; 2 years.
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These researchers discovered that a mutant that produces a modified lignin exists naturally in loblolly pine populations. The mutant appears to change the composition and structure of lignin by blocking the enzyme, cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase.
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The release could lead to a decrease in the overall effectiveness of the herbicide against weeds and create "superweeds". Henry Daniell and colleagues, at Auburn University, with the support of NRI funding have found a solution to the problem by using genetic material in the chloroplast to genetically engineer glyphosate-resistant tobacco.
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From page 164... ...
Useful agricultural applications of these compounds have been found, such as increasing yield and improving stress resistance of several major crop plants. Despite extensive research, mostly in the 1970s and 1980s, definitive proof that BRs are essential for normal plant growth had been lacking until recently.
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From page 165... ...
She has also received funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for studies on light-regulated gene expression and light signal transduction. Signal-Transduction Pathway of the Plant Hormone Ethylene The gaseous plant hormone ethylene has profound effects on plant growth and development.
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From page 166... ...
Until recently, the ability to use plants to produce large quantities of proteins has been hampered by the existence of a process in plants called gene silencing, which normally protects the plants from viral pathogens. As the name implies, gene silencing stops the production of proteins that would otherwise be produced at very high levels, such as viral proteins or proteins produced by "transgenes" in plants grown as protein factories.
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From page 167... ...
Numerous companies have expressed interest in licensing the patent. Work aimed at understanding how the viral protein interferes with gene silencing continues to be supported through the NRI (award 98-35301-6078 made to Vance by the NRI's Plant Genetic Mechanisms Program and award 9835303-6485 made to Carrington by the NRl's Plant Pathology Program)
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From page 168... ...
Since the development of BIBAC technology, several groups have requested the virulence helper plasmids that made technology a success, not because they needed BIBAC technology itself, but because they were interested in improving the transformation efficiency for their plant system of interest. In general, this is a more common problem for agronomic crops than for model plants used for basic research.
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From page 169... ...
NRI Award: 1995; Evalustion and Applicaton of a New BAC Library Vector Designed for Transfer of Large DNA Inserts; 3 years. Patent: March 31, 1998; C
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