UC Blog
Transgenic goats' life-saving potential under study in Brazil
Technology developed by UC Davis animal scientist James Murray that could significantly reduce human suffering and death from diarrhea has found a home in Brazil.
Goats genetically altered to produce milk that prevents diarrhea have been in development in Murray's Davis lab for decades, according to an article in Technology Review. However, sensitivity to the idea of bioengineered animals in the United States has severely limited research funding. Currently the project is supported with a three-year, $400,000 USDA grant to assess the risks of transgenic animals.
"The only money available is to look at environmental safety. It's a backwards way of funding the research," Murray is quoted in the article. "We haven't gotten enough to move the research forward; we are four or five years behind where we should be."
In Brazil, where diarrhea is the fifth or sixth most common killer of children under five, the government has pledged $3.5 million to establish a herd of transgenic goats and initiate human trials on their milk.
"I think it's brilliant," Murray was quoted. "We want to see it used. We don't care which country does it."
The goats in Murray's lab were engineered to express large amounts of human lysozyme, a protein found in human milk, tears and saliva that destroys the cell walls of bacteria. Drinking the milk would inhibit establishment of the diarrhea organism.
The milk from transgenic goats could enter human trials in elementary school children within two years, the article said. If it proves effective, the Brazilian researchers hope they can powder the milk and export it other countries where many children are afflicted with diarrhea.
James Murray
Solano growers plan joint marketing project
Solano County growers will gather this afternoon in Fairfield to learn how they can participate in the Solano Grown direct marketing program, according to a press release distributed by the county's news office. The article was picked up by the Vacaville Reporter.
Solano Grown was initiated in February 2010 by the Solano County Agriculture Department and University of California Cooperative Extension with a $50,000 grant from the USDA Marketing Services Agency. Local farmers will benefit from a Solano Grown website, promotional materials and advertising at no cost. The website will list farmers' products, hours of operation, contact information and links to their websites.
A key component of Solano Grown is a colorful logo, based on box label designs of the late 1800s and early 1900s, the release said. The logo's blue base is a reference to the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta; rolling hills and a bold banner identify the county.By selecting produce marketed under the Solano Grown brand, local consumers will be helping sustain Solano's agricultural heritage.
The USDA grant will cover the program's startup costs, however,the continuing success of the Solano Grown effort will depend on the development of a member-supported marketing organization, the release said.
Reminder of ANR town hall and upcoming deadlines
October 27: Comments about the Endemic and Invasive Pests and Diseases Initiative Draft Plan will be accepted until 5 p.m. Oct. 27. Anyone with an interest in the EIPD Initiative Draft Plan can review it at http://ucanr.org/sites/EIPD, then submit comments to the initiative leader via http://ucanr.org/sites/EIPD/EIPD_Strategic_Plan_Questionnaire.
October 28: The ANR town hall with Vice President Dooley to discuss the budget and other ANR business is set for 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Oct. 28. on Adobe Connect. The procedure for accessing this town hall is different than in the past. Access the town hall through your ANR Portal at https://ucanr.org/portal.
November 1: UC Davis will start expiring passwords of people who haven't upgraded to a passphrase of 12 characters or more. Password expirations will occur on Nov. 1, or later depending on the first letter of your username. To find the date your password will expire, go to http://security.ucdavis.edu/personal_password.cfm and log in using your Kerberos username and password. To upgrade to a passphrase, go to https://computingaccounts.ucdavis.edu and click on the blue "Upgrade to a Passphrase" arrow.
November 15: The deadline for strategic initiative leaders, associate deans of the colleges, county directors or workgroup chairs to submit proposals for new advisor and specialist positions is Nov. 15. Only these designated representatives have access to submit position proposals. Answers to frequently asked questions about the position proposal process are at http://ucanr.org/sites/anrstaff/New_advisor_and_specialist_positions.
View or leave comments for the Executive Working Group
This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.
USDA's new olive oil standards take effect Monday
The USDA's new voluntary guidelines defining "extra virgin" olive oil go into effect Monday, but many of California's producers are already following even stricter regulations set down by the California Olive Oil Council, according to an article in the Ventura County Star.
USDA's guidelines allow for no defects and no more than 0.8 percent free oelic acid in olive oil labeled "extra virgin;" COOC requires no defects and no more than 0.5 percent free oleic acid.
The new guidelines come on the heels of a UC Davis Olive Center study finding that of 52 bottles of 19 brands of extra virgin olive oils sampled, 32 failed to make the extra virgin cut as described in the new guidelines. The study focused on imported brands, but included two samples each of five California brands. Of the 10 California samples, one failed the extra virgin test.
Even though they are voluntary and there is uncertainty over how or even whether they will be enforced, executive director of the UC Davis Olive Center Dan Flynn welcomes the new national guidelines.
“This is an important first step, because the current guidelines date back to 1948 and are irrelevant to the way olive oil is marketed today," Flynn was quoted in the story. "Instead of ‘virgin’ and ‘extra virgin,’ they use terms like ‘Grade A Fancy,’ as though you were talking about cans of fruit cocktail. It’s a consumer-protection issue."
Olive oil.
Associated Press profiles two Latino family wineries
Latino winemakers are rare, but some are finding success by catering to Latinos developing a taste for fine wine, according to an Associated Press article by Olivia Muñoz. The story ran in the Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, on the ABC News website and other media outlets.
The article profiled two Latino family wineries whose founders started out working in the fields.
"I would work my regular shift and then pester the vineyard manager with questions until I knew everything he knew," Reynoldo Robledo of the Robledo Family Winery near Sonoma was quoted.
The winery sells 20,000 cases per year bringing in about $1 million.
Ceja Vineyards in Napa president Amelia Ceja and her husband Armando worked in vineyards as children, and also obtained formal education. Armando earned a degree in enology and viticulture from UC Davis, and worked as a vineyard manager for other wineries before the family started their own, the story said.
Both vineyards were reported to be targeting the Latino market. Half of the Ceja Vineyard's wine club is Latino and the company promotes the wine at dinners pairing traditional Mexican dishes with Ceja Vineyard reds and whites. The Robledo Family Winery also built its business by catering in part to Latino wine drinkers interested in quality and a connection to their heritage.
Esau Herrera of the Hispanic Vintners Association, a marketing group with about a dozen members in California and Florida, told Muñoz that part of Latino vintners success comes from making a connection with Latinos.
"There are people like me who are very proud of our roots and don't mind plunking down $125 for a bottle of wine," Herrera was quoted.
wine