Tag - University of Maryland

Institution

chickens around a feeder

Mitigating costly poultry diseases

Avian diseases pose a major challenge to the nation’s $77 billion poultry industry and drastically increase the cost of poultry products for consumers. Avian diseases can also pose a health threat to other animals and humans. At the same time, there is a demand to produce poultry without antibiotics or other drugs commonly used to fight diseases. Working together, [...]

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view of tree canopy from below

Private land stewardship protects environment and communities

Practicing good stewardship of private lands is important for the health of our ecosystems and communities. Researchers, Extension professionals and educators at land-grant universities across the United States provide training, tools and other resources to help private landowners manage their land in ways that are environmentally friendly and economically sustainable. Here are a few examples of that work: Extension professionals in [...]

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ducks

Protecting biodiversity for healthy ecosystems and communities

Biodiversity supports healthy ecosystems and recreation around the world. A diverse range of species ensures stability and resilience in the face of environmental changes. Protecting biodiversity also preserves the opportunity for new discoveries, such as species that can be used as biological pest control agents or medicines. Land-grant university researchers and Extension professionals are working to protect the biodiversity [...]

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a small body of water

Protecting valuable water resources

Water resources that sustain agriculture and communities continue to face critical challenges. Land-grant universities are working to discover new ways to increase water use efficiency, reduce water use and protect water quality. Here are a few examples of that work: Researchers at Cornell University in New York engineered novel enzymes that can break down microplastics into small products that can be [...]

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an experimental setup for plant growth

Land-grant university research creates sustainable domestic products from agricultural waste and biomass

Petroleum and other nonrenewable materials are widely used for daily products, but many of these items can be made from biomass, including food and agricultural wastes. Bioproducts enhance energy, food and national security while reducing fossil fuel reliance and emissions. They also create jobs, boost the economy, provide farmers with extra income and reduce harmful disposal methods. Here are a [...]

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a group of scientists look at samples of petri dishes

Using genomics and machine learning to predict food-borne illness outbreaks

Each year about one in six Americans get sick from contaminated food. The germs that cause food-borne illnesses – like E. coli, salmonella and listeria – pop up throughout the food system. These outbreaks are hard to predict because scientists don’t yet know enough about how the germs survive and proliferate.  At the University of Maryland, researchers received funding from [...]

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covid virus

Researchers develop nasal COVID-19 vaccine in mice, hamsters

New variants cause increases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. While the updated mRNA vaccines remain effective at preventing severe illness and death, they may not be as effective in reducing infection and transmission over time. To overcome this gap, the U.S. government initiative called Project NextGen seeks to develop an effective and safe nasal vaccine for controlling the spread [...]

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