UF Scientists See Bright Future As They Seek Savory Strawberries – And High Yield
In a newly published paper, led by Mark Porter and co-authored by UF Innovate inventor Vance Whitaker, is helping outline the past, present and potential future of breeding flavor into strawberries.
Silver Nanoparticles Show Promise in Fighting Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
In a new study, scientists with the University of Florida found that a combination of silver nanoparticles and antibiotics was effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The researchers hope to turn this discovery into viable treatment for some types of antibiotic-resistant infections. Antibiotic-resistant infections kill more than a million people globally each year.
UF/IFAS Helps Floridians Launch Food Business Dreams
After 10 years as an educator, Smith wanted a new adventure.
“I thought of what I enjoyed doing, but none of those things were appealing to me to do as a business,” she said. “Except for making fried lentils. For me, making lentils was very relaxing. Not only that, but everybody loved my lentils. It’s a favorite family snack.”
At first, Smith put the idea on the backburner, thinking it might not be feasible.
“I thought that I would immediately have to get my product in stores, and I had no idea how to do that,” she said. “I didn’t even originally attend the Extension cottage food course with the intention of starting my own business. It was to support someone else. But once there, a lightbulb went off. I realized I could do this.”
UF AI Center To Push Boundaries of Ag Research
AI will create a fourth agricultural revolution, achieving huge gains in farm productivity the way the introduction of tractors, synthetic fertilizers and genetics did in previous eras. The speed and success of that revolution depends on how well land-grant university innovators.
The groundwork for the revolution has been laid by more than a century of UF/IFAS establishing credibility through its citrus science. Working with a UF/IFAS faculty member comes with assurance that growers’ data will be protected.
Orange County Hands Out Thousands of Free Mosquito Traps
Last month, Orange County Mosquito Control identified approximately 93,000 acres that are seeing more mosquitoes. Because of that influx, the county and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are handing out free mosquito traps.
The traps were invented in a UF lab. And the company that now sells them, Inzecto Mosquito Trap, donated 100,000 traps to hard-hit communities impacted by hurricane Ian. 9,000 of those traps went to Orange County.
UF Start-Up Helps Fight Mosquitoes in Areas Hit Hardest by Hurricane Ian
A product developed in a University of Florida lab designed to protect American soldiers from insect-borne diseases is helping wage war against the surge of mosquitoes in areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ian.
The Inzecto Mosquito Trap, co-created by Phil Koehler, a UF distinguished professor in the department of entomology and nematology, is an easy-to-use, environmentally friendly, and effective mosquito-killing device. The Gainesville-based company donated 100,000 traps this week to communities struggling with large populations of mosquitoes due to the floodwaters left behind by the hurricane’s rain and storm surges.
Here’s How AI Could Bring Better Fruit to Your Table
Researchers at the University of Florida envision a quicker method: exploring the natural variations in plant genetics using artificial intelligence. The applications extend far beyond blueberries, a growing sector of Florida’s $182.6 billion agriculture industry. Their brainchild, the AI Connoisseur, would not only give Florida farms an edge, but make healthy food more palatable to more people, bringing varieties with heirloom-quality flavor within everyone’s reach. All they’d have to do is teach a computer to taste.
UF Researchers Find New Sugar Substitutes in Citrus That Could Change Food and Beverage Industry
Finding natural, non-caloric sugar substitutes is desirable but challenging. However, researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have made a breakthrough — discovering new, natural sweeteners in citrus for the first time.
UF Research Shows a Step Toward Restoring Sea Urchins: ‘The Lawnmowers of Reefs’
Coral reef ecosystems are severely threatened by pollution, disease, overharvesting, and other factors. For thousands of years, long-spined sea urchins helped keep reefs intact. They eat seaweed, which can kill or seriously damage coral. Now with the urchin population diminishing, UF scientists are stepping up their efforts to enhance urchin populations.
UF Researchers Find Genes Responsible for Several Flavor Compounds in Strawberries
In their quest to improve strawberry flavor, University of Florida scientists have found the genes behind several aromatic chemicals that enhance the fruit’s taste.
