An international team has conducted a comprehensive analysis of coral genes, focusing on how their evolution has allowed corals to interact with and adapt to the environment. Professors Debashish Bhattacharya and Paul Falkowski led a coral gene database study that was published in the journal eLife. The study stems from an international coral genomics symposium […]
International
Tropical Plant Called Moringa Shows Promise in Health, Anti-Aging Products
Ilya Raskin, distinguished professor in the Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, and his lab study the health benefits of crops and medicinal plants around the world, including the tropical plant, Moringa oleifera, also known as the horseradish tree, which is showing promise in helping revitalize aging skin. Raskin and his team are researching healthful […]
Historic Achievement for Rutgers Oceanographers as First Autonomous Underwater Robot Circumnavigates Ocean Basin
After a historic circumnavigation of an ocean basin by the Rutgers “Challenger” glider, it was recovered on March 31 by an international team anchored by faculty and student oceanographers from Rutgers, and international partners that include the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, University of Sao Paulo, University of Cape Town, and the South […]
Beyond Words: Carl Safina, GSNB’82,’87
Note: This article first appeared in the Winter 2016 issue of Rutgers Magazine. Years of studying animals at sea and on land convinced scientist Carl Safina that many creatures in nature think, express emotion and communicate. In his new book, Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel (Henry Holt and Company, 2015), Safina GSNB ’82, ’87 couples personal […]
China hates GMOs. Problem is, China really needs GMOs
China has a fifth of the world’s people, but only about 7 percent of its arable land. Food security is a national obsession – so it only seemed natural when, earlier this month, state-owned ChemChina announced its bid to buy the pesticide- and seed-producing giant Syngenta, in what is likely to be the biggest acquisition in the country’s history. Technology, the Party seemed to say, and especially genetically modified crops, are the key to a sustainable future. “There was a widespread public fear that, ‘Oh, maybe they’re trying to sneak this through too!'” says Carl Pray, an economist at Rutgers who has researched Chinese attitudes toward GMOs.
Do Pathogens Hold The Key to Understanding the Origin of Eukaryotes?
A new paper in Science, co-authored by evolutionary biologist Debashish Bhattacharya, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, helps to answer the question. A major turning point in the history of life on Earth occurred about two billion years ago – the evolution of complex cells, the so-called eukaryotes. This was the foundational lineage that […]
Prof. Benjamin Horton Wins European Geosciences Union Award
Benjamin Horton, professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, was named the winner of the Plinius Medal by the European Geosciences Union (EGU). The award, which honors scientists for their important contributions to the Earth, planetary and space sciences, will be presented at the EGU 2016 General Assembly to be held in Vienna […]
With China’s GMO Sector in Limbo, Local Seed Firm Targets U.S.
A Chinese biotech seed firm is aiming to launch the country’s first genetically modified corn products overseas on the home turf of the world’s top agricultural companies, as Beijing’s reticence over GMO food keeps the domestic market off limits… The plan by Beijing-based Origin Agritech to test its technology in the United States, which has dominated the sector with GMO giants such as Monsanto, is the latest effort by a Chinese firm to enter the global industry… “The only way they might be able to break into the market is if their technology fees are going to be cheaper than Monsanto,” said Carl Pray, professor at Rutgers University’s agricultural, food and resource economics department… Referring to seed firm Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group’s agreement to test its technology in Argentina, Pray said competition was tougher in the United States. “It’s one thing to do this in Argentina, and another to go into the U.S.”
Technology Comes to the Aid of Famed Kashmiri Apples
Imagine Kashmiri apple with an American twist! Jammu and Kashmir government is starting a trial test of a US patented technology to increase the shelf life of the apples in the non-controlled room temperature environment… Jammu and Kashmir is targeti…
Brittany Graf (GSNB ’14) Will Host RUAA Tour of Cuban Natural Medicine Research Facility
Now that diplomatic relations have been restored between the United States and Cuba, Rutgers University Alumni Association is planning to explore the mystique of the island nation, with two trips planned for 2016. Among the many activities on the agenda, travelers will visit Cuba’s natural medicine research facility, managed by Fulbright scholar Brittany Graf GSNB’14 […]
