News Stories - Page 20

Three Georgia counties are healthier and happier thanks to five years of collaboration with University of Georgia Cooperative Extension to expand access to health and wellness programming through the Well Connected Communities initiative. The program awarded grants in 2018 to Washington, Colquitt, and Calhoun counties to establish programming for residents through collaboration with local schools, organizations, government entities, youth and adults over the five-year grant period.

University of Georgia researchers in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are part of a $3.5 million grant designed to assist organic producers in meeting both National Organic Program standards and food safety requirements. UGA food scientists will survey farms in the Southeast to determine the risk of contamination in organic crops by different environmental pathogens.

For many veterans, returning to civilian life is a stark shift from their fast-paced and service-based military life. When you combine this with the more than 4.7 million veterans who have service-based disabilities, the challenges of re-entry compound. The University of Georgia is working to assist Georgia’s veterans with this transition through its dynamic farming program, Farm Again.

Jim Gratzek, director of the University of Georgia’s Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center, earned his doctorate in food process engineering from UGA’s Department of Food Science and Technology. He returned to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 2022 after nearly 30 years in the commercial food industry, bringing a new perspective. In his experience, the biggest hurdle for new food entrepreneurs who don’t yet have sufficient working capital or manufacturing facilities is moving a product from concept to consumer.

As students filter into Julie Campbell’s Tuesday morning lab, they are greeted by bins of sharp tools lining cold, stainless steel tables. It’s dissection day, but not the kind you may expect. This is “Floral Design and Management,” or HORT 3030, and today’s lesson is the anatomy of a flower. Students pass pale pink carnations and delicate yellow-and-orange Alstroemeria around the room as Campbell, assistant professor in the University of Georgia Department of Horticulture, begins a lecture on plant morphology.

From beetles to butterflies, pollinators are a beautiful and integral part of nature. However, these tiny creatures may be more economically important to agricultural and ecological systems than previously thought. In a recent project by the Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development at the University of Georgia, economist Sharon Kane and plant protection expert Becky Griffin have put together a powerful map displaying the economic importance of pollinators across Georgia.  

Cold brew coffee’s smooth taste, rich flavor and low acidity have made this trendy drink a global favorite no matter the weather. New research from the University of Georgia funded by the UGA Center for Food Safety looks into the possibility of cold brew coffee to pose a food safety hazard when it is contaminated with foodborne pathogens.

The University of Georgia’s economic impact on the state surged to a record $8.1 billion in 2023, according to a new study that measures the value of the university’s teaching, research and public service. Growth in the number of alumni at the undergraduate and graduate levels, a thriving research and innovation ecosystem and award-winning public service and outreach programs all contributed to the record level of impact by Georgia’s flagship institution of higher education.

A new therapeutic for stroke based on University of Georgia research will soon enter clinical trials. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the new drug, known as AB126, to enter a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial, which is expected to begin in the first half of 2024 and will require significant funds to complete. This is the first stage of the trial and will test the safety and efficacy of the therapeutic in ischemic stroke patients.