News

Antibiotics are commonplace — used to treat minor and major infections, prevent infection post-surgery, and treat our pets and livestock. But what happens if these life-saving drugs lose their efficacy? Issmat Kassem, assistant professor at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has asked this question for nearly two decades.

The future of farming depends on the health and success of farmers. The public needs farmers and farmers need support from the public — it's a mutual relationship essential to the long-term health of agriculture and humanity. This is the principle that drew doctoral student Elizabeth Abati to the University of Georgia to advocate for farmer well-being alongside Anna Scheyett, a professor in UGA's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

The National Academy of Inventors has selected eight University of Georgia researchers as 2025 NAI Senior Members, surpassing its own record of five inductees set last year. UGA now has 24 Senior Members overall. “We are thrilled to celebrate these latest UGA elections to the country’s leading organization for groundbreaking inventors and innovators,” said Chris King, interim vice president for research. “Their dedication to translating research into tangible impact embodies the university’s land-grant mission and our commitment to serving society through innovation.”

New research on using controlled environment agriculture to grow plants with medicinal properties could lead to production methods that will increase one anti-cancer compound naturally produced by certain species of plants. The study, led by doctoral student Rebekah Maynard, was designed to identify crops used in medical treatments and develop CEA production strategies that will increase the concentration of an anti-cancer compound produced by the plants.

Many of the flowers lining store shelves for Valentine’s Day have been gifted at romantic dinners. But what happens to the flowers that went unsold? A new study from the University of Georgia explores how flowers can be repurposed as food ingredients, offering a more sustainable way to use blooms that might otherwise be discarded. “We are looking at what happens the day after Valentine’s Day to those flowers,” said UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences researcher Anand Mohan.

The University of Georgia contributed $8.4 billion to the state’s economy in fiscal year 2024, an increase of $300 million from the previous year and a record for the state’s flagship university. The increased economic impact was powered by growth in the number of degrees conferred at the graduate and undergraduate levels, an increase in externally funded research and the positive effects of UGA’s public service and outreach efforts across the state.

For the first time in its history, the University of Georgia topped $600 million in research and development expenditures in fiscal year 2024. Its $628.1 million in expenditures represents a 10% increase year over year and yet another record high in R&D activity, marking the sixth consecutive year of growth for the university. “The University of Georgia is embracing its role as one of America’s top public research universities, and I am grateful to everyone who is helping us advance this vital mission,” said President Jere W. Morehead.

In April, the Environmental Protection Agency announced the nation’s first drinking water standard for “forever chemicals,” a group of persistent, human-made chemicals that can pose a health risk to people at even the smallest detectable levels of exposure. The new rules are part of efforts to limit pollution from these per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which can persist in the environment for centuries. Supported by a nearly $1.6 million grant from the EPA, researchers from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are developing improved, cost-effective treatment systems with advanced technologies for removing PFAS.

A new cohort has been selected for the Rural Engagement Workshop for Academic Faculty. The award-winning interdisciplinary program leverages the community engagement experience of UGA’s public service and extension faculty to support collaborative academic research that benefits rural Georgia. The primary aim is to enhance partnerships with communities throughout Georgia by fostering collaborative, rural-focused research and scholarship.