June 15, 2022 Newsletter

June 15, 2022

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Research News

ABE Research Using Ultraviolet Light Produces Safer, Cleaner Air That ‘Smells Like Toothpaste’

Breathing cleaner air has become more relevant than ever in the last few years. For Iowa State Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Professor Jacek Koziel, studying how to have clean air and reduce odor is nothing new. He has been in pursuit of healthy air quality for the last 15 years, using ultraviolet light to filter out airborne pathogens and produce air that ends up smelling like toothpaste. Read more…

Iowa State Student Named Truman Scholar

Natalia Ríos Martínez, a senior in political science, international studies and public relations, has been announced as a 2022 Truman Scholar. She was selected from 705 candidates nominated by universities across the U.S. to receive the premier graduate fellowship in the U.S. for those pursuing careers as public service leaders. She is currently conducting research into legal deserts as a research assistant with the Iowa State sociology department. Read more…

Breeding Transforms Sorghum’s Potential as Biofuel of the Future for Northern Latitudes

The biofuel of the future may well be sorghum-based, thanks to new inbred lines that are significantly more productive and cold-hardy than sorghum plants of the past. Maria Salas-Fernandez, associate professor of agronomy, developed the lines, recently released through Iowa State, with improved genetics capable of producing hybrids that deliver high biomass yields adapted to northern latitudes. Read more…

Iowa State Dedicates Stanley L. Balloun Turkey Teaching and Research Facility

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences recently dedicated the new Stanley L. Balloun Turkey Teaching and Research Facility, the only facility of its kind focused on turkey production at a major university. The university’s first-ever dedicated turkey teaching and research facility provides state-of-the-art equipment for research that addresses current challenges and helps advance Iowa’s turkey industry. Read more…

Internal Funding Opportunities

Digital and Precision Agriculture Seed Grants

Applications are now being accepted for Digital and Precision Agriculture Seed Grants. This opportunity focuses on seeding Digital and Precision Agriculture platform opportunities. Project duration is expected to be six to 12 months with a maximum of $50,000 in funding available per project. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis.

Digital and Precision Agriculture Commercialization Grants

Applications are now being accepted for Digital and Precision Agriculture Commercialization grants. This opportunity focuses on Digital and Precision Agriculture platform initiatives with a well-defined path to commercialization. The project duration is expected to be six to 12 months with a maximum of $100,000 in funding available per project. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis.

Digital and Precision Agriculture Fellowship Program

Applications are currently being accepted for the Digital and Precision Agriculture Fellowship Program. The program focuses on Digital and Precision Agriculture platform opportunities specifically aimed at supporting Iowa State University PIs strengthening the expertise of companies developing digital agriculture solutions. Project duration is expected to be 12 months with a maximum of $50,000 in funding available per project. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis.

Digital and Precision Agriculture Demonstration Funds

Applications are currently being accepted for Digital and Precision Agriculture Demonstration funds. This opportunity focuses on Digital and Precision Agriculture platform initiatives that specifically include product testing of a digital agriculture product. Project duration is expected to be six to 12 months with a maximum of $50,000 in funding available per project. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis.

Voices in Research

“While we found some dietary improvements with both groups, the changes in reduced frequency of sugar-sweetened beverages, french fries, and fast food and increased vegetable consumption were much larger for youth who participated in the educational intervention, Abriendo Caminos, compared to youth whose families just received the printed material.”

Kimberly Greder, professor, Human Development and Family Studies

“There are a lot of success stories in major U.S. cities where economists and policymakers worked together to improve school choice. The algorithm we introduced builds on that and could give school groups some degree of coordination and significantly increase overall student welfare in situations where there’s a lot of competition to get into certain schools.”

Bertan Turhan, assistant professor, Economics

“One of the interesting pieces that we found in this study is tillage intensity has shifted from a declining trend to an increasing trend since 2008. Our regression analysis suggests this trend is correlated to the wide adoption of herbicide-tolerant crops before 2008 and emerging weed resistance after 2008. We can’t assert a strict causal relationship, but regression analysis reveals a strong relationship between them.”

Chaoqun Lu, associate professor, Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology