Following are highlights from progress reports on projects selected to meet the C-FAR research focus: Develop and advance technologies to expand markets for agricultural products and employment in the agricultural and food sector in Illinois.
Soy Oil Based Non-caloric Fat Substitute
Researchers are testing a non-caloric, heat-stable fat substitute from soybean oil to increase the market for Illinois soybean oil. Health conscious consumers might find this product especially desirable. In preliminary tests, a modified soybean oil held up under heat treatments and retained flavor.
William E. Artz and Edward G. Perkins,
Food Science and Human Nutrition
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Increasing Tryptophan Levels in Corn and Soybean
By increasing tryptophan levels in corn and soybeans, researchers also will increase the nutritional and market values of these crops. Working with tobacco plants, researchers found a gene for an enzyme that appears to affect synthesis of tryptophan. They cloned the gene and will begin research to insert it into corn and soybean plants to see whether it will increase tryptophan levels in these crops.
Jack M. Widholm Crop Sciences
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Electronic Communications and the Internet
Two new Internet-based home pages were developed. PorkLift serves the Illinois swine industry (http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/~pork/). Mexican Soy, or Soya Noticias, is a bilin- gual resource designed to link potential Mexican soybean users with U.S. market and supplier information (http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/~mexsoy/). Researchers will use these two working prototypes of home pages to explore and accelerate the effective use of electronic communication technologies by the food and agricultural sector.
Steve Sonka,
Agricultural and Consumer Economics
Dan Cotton,
Office of Computer Coordination
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Production of Tilapia Fish
Several methods for quick and practical production of male Tilapia were evaluated. The development of alternative methods will be ongoing and an alternative project direction has evolved. This involves the in vitro fertilization parameters that can provide producers with the optimal conditions for improved fertilization and hatchling development rates.
Robert Knox,
Department of Agriculture
Illinois State University
Nutrient Analysis Tool on the Internet
Researchers developed a Nutrient Analysis Tool for use by anyone with access to the World Wide Web (http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~food-lab/). The NAT allows individuals to analyze diets for 21 important nutrients of foods in the USDA database. Users can click on the nutrient for an explanation of what the nutrient is, what it does in the body and some common foods in which the nutrient is found. Users also can build a personal diet list, including serving sizes of each food. The program then will analyze the list for the nutrients users select. Researchers plan for this site to evolve. In the future, it may include analysis of more nutrients and foods and analysis of other diet concerns, such as energy from food.
Jim Painter,
Food Science and Human Nutrition
Dan Cotton,
Office of Computer Coordination
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
External Competitive Grant Program
Isolation of Novel Bacteria for Biofuels Production
The conversion of plant material to biofuels using enzymes is more environmentally friendly than the industrial process where concentrated acids are used. Researchers looking for microorganisms to convert corn stalks and other plant material to a biofuel such as ethanol have identified Strain KMTHCJ as a novel microorganism with promise. Preliminary data indicate the production of this enzyme for potential industrial application could be easily achieved in an easily culturable and rapidly growing bacterium such as Escherichia coli. Ongoing studies will provide information on the effects of such factors as temperature, pH and metals on the potency (activity) of this enzyme. In addition, researchers continue to isolate other unique thermophilic bacteria which will produce solvents from cracked corn and glucose and have isolated another thermophilic bacterium which is closely related to Strain KMTHCJ. A new genus for these bacteria will be created.
R. Mackie, B. White, Animal Sciences
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Composites from Recycled Plastics and Agricultural Fibers
Researchers developed a chemical process to loosen non-woody plants, such as corn, into individual fibers. The preliminary analysis of fiber dimension properties of corn residues is promising. Corn stems have longer fibers and a higher length to width ratio than some hardwood residues. Fibers in the outer layers vary in length along the stem, but fibers in the core seem uniform throughout. Corn residues and waste plastic materials will be analyzed by the end of the year. Researchers then will make experimental boards from corn residues and mixtures of residues and recycled plastics.
P. Chow, R. Meimban,
Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
J. Youngquist,
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Increasing Corn Wet Milling Efficiencies
Wet milling of corn, a process used on more than 40 percent of the Illinois crop, is energy and capital intensive. Researchers are creating a computer-controlled battery of steep tanks for laboratory simulation of the steeping process. They will attempt to develop a more efficient and lower-cost method, which also could lead to new commercial products.
S. Eckhoff, Agricultural Engineering
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Value-added Products from Apples
Researchers are developing an apple that can be used as an "edible" human vaccine. Significant progress has been made toward developing an efficient apple gene transfer system, an important first step. In other experiments, researchers are using the gene transfer system on shoot tips of various apple cultivars grown in tissue culture.
S. Korban, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Illinois State University researchers are developing quick, practical methods for farm production of Tilapia fish. (Drawing provided by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant.)
