Toxicologist Pioneers New Research Method
Robert Tanguay, in Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, has pioneered the use of zebrafish to test the effects of commerical chemicals on biological development, on account of the minnows’ rapid growth rate. He is part of one of the largest toxicology studies ever conducted on living organisms, screening 1,060 different compounds for 22 possible effects, using zebrafish.
Toxicologist Designs Wristband Sampling Device
OSU toxicologist Kim Anderson has designed a wristband sensor that passively abosrbs chemicals in air and water, which can late be analyzed in a lab for over 1200 chemicals. Her team of researchers has also been working in Ohio with larger-scale environmental monitors to measure the impact fracking might have on air quality. Anderson has used these passive samplers with farmers in Africa and in the Gulf of Mexico where the effects of the 2010 oil spill continue to percolate through the environment.
Dan Arp, Dean of CAS, commissioned a series of white papers to explore issues surrounding genetically engineered (GE) organisms, a more precise term than GMOs. The papers, drafted by CAS faculty, are intended to provide the public with information form multiple scientific perspectives.
http://oregonprogress.oregonstate.edu/winter-2015/examining-genetically-engineered-crops-many-angles
The newsletters include stories about grants, awards, and funding, as well as international connections and faculty spotlights. The link is the CAS comprehensive list of 2015 Departmental newsletters:
http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/main/newsletters
A succulent chicken-bacon-ranch sausage created by animal science student Claire Logue won a Reserve Grand Champion award at the 2015 Northwest Meat Processors Association convention in Seaside. Logue’s creation joins the award-winning hams, bacons, and sausages made and sold by OSU’s meat science students at the student-run Clark Meat Center, where students gain hands-on experience in every phase of meat processing, from slaughtering to crafting value-added products like bacon and sausage.
http://oregonprogress.oregonstate.edu/summer-2015/student-entrepreneurs
http://anrs.oregonstate.edu/system/files/Spring%202015%20Newsletter_1.pdf
At last summer’s American Cheese Society competition, the mozzarella variety of Beaver Classic Cheese—made and marketed by AgSci students—won first place in its category, beating out commercial entries from all over the United States.
http://oregonprogress.oregonstate.edu/summer-2015/student-entrepreneurs
Lauren Gwin, a food systems specialist with Extension’s Small Farms Program, helps ranchers assess economic viability and navigate regulations for small-scale meat production. Gwin co-founded the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network, which now connects more than 1,000 members. Gwin served as a technical liason to lawmakers and the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) concerning a poultry production bill, and wrote a guide on best practices for open-air poultry slaughtering. She also helped the ODA’s food safety division adopt federal regulations that make it easier for small-scale farmers to process poultry in licensed facilities.
http://oregonprogress.oregonstate.edu/summer-2015/getting-meat
Christina DeWitt, director of the Seafood Lab at OSU’s Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station (COMES), mediated a dispute between federal regulators and fishermen over handling procedures of freshly caught tuna. DeWitt traveled to Washington, D.C. and met with the FDA’s Office of Seafood Safety, ultimately drafting a set of handling guidelines that satisfied safety concerns, without being economically burdensome on fishermen.
http://oregonprogress.oregonstate.edu/summer-2015/ensuring-safety-fast-paced-fishery
In 2014, the College completely revamped the OSU Dairy to reflect contemporary management and research relevant to Oregon’s 3rd largest agricultural industry. AgSci maintains campus-based living laboratories for research in horticulture, crops, botany and plant pathology, and animal sciences.
http://oregonprogress.oregonstate.edu/summer-2015/things-are-moooo-ving-osu-dairy
Over 140 people in southern Oregon have completed the training
Oregon’s Rogue Valley is an attractive spot for newcomers looking to enjoy rural life. It’s also home to a large retired population, some of whom are passing their land to the next generation. These heirs and new residents, however, don’t necessarily have experience owning land.
With this in mind, the OSU Extension Service created the Land Steward Program. Offered in Jackson and Josephine counties, the six- to 10-week training teaches landowners how to create a healthy environment on their property. Participants tour other properties and see how landowners control weeds, care for their trees, enhance wildlife habitat, and safeguard their premises from wildfires. Graduates are required to spend 20 hours sharing their new knowledge with the public.
More than 140 people on about 5,000 acres of land have completed the program since it started in 2009. A survey of four years’ worth of participants found that 85 percent had implemented at least five projects that they planned in class.
To learn more, watch this video of how the program has helped one family in Central Point or read this story about them.
Source: Rhianna Simes, coordinator of the Land Steward Program
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