Dr. Salam Ibrahim, a food microbiologist in SAES, has developed a new technology that can improve the effectiveness of certain probiotic nutritional supplements. Jarrow Formulas of Los Angeles, a vitamin manufacturer, has recently purchased the nonexclusive rights to use the technology in some of its probiotic products. Probiotics are nutraceutical foods and supplements that contain live cultures of microorganisms that are essential for good health. Nutraceutical research combines agriculture and biotechnology to develop foods or dietary supplements that have a medical-health benefit, including the prevention and treatment of disease. It is an important component of food research in SAES. The nutraceutical industry as a whole generates approximately

$6 billion a year, and is growing. Yogurt is one of the most common probiotic foods, but nutraceutical companies also produce tablets, capsules or powders that contain the friendly bacteria. Ibrahim’s technology helps to insure that more of the microorganisms survive processing, thus resulting in a better product for consumers. “The food industry can benefit greatly by research that improves specific supplements’ ability to maintain their quality throughout the manufacturing process,” said Ibrahim. “The results of this research may help to improve the market for beneficial supplements and increase demand for the development of more beneficial combinations.” Ibrahim developed the compound as part of his ongoing research into bifidobacteria, organisms that

occur naturally in the gut of all healthy mammals and that are essential for good health. Bifidobacteria aid in digestion, counteract pathogenic bacteria, and bolster the immune system. They are frequently included along with lactobacilla

as live active cultures in yogurt. Consumers take supplements containing the organisms to replenish the digestive system’s natural flora, which can be depleted by antibiotics, poor diet, smoking, alcohol or other stressors. Ibrahim is moving ahead with further research into nutraceuticals. In addition to bacteria, he is interested in food safety, and frequently experiments with other products that can retard growth of pathogens such as E.coli and salmonella. He recently discovered that figs can halt the growth of certain strains of E.coli, and has had similar success with mushrooms, herbs and friendly bacteria. He also has a patent pending for a natural food preservative made from bifidobacteria and spices that he developed at A&T.

North Carolina A&T State University

School of Agriculture and

Environmental Sciences

Newsletter

August 2004 • Vol. III, No. 4Preparing. Finding. Implementing solutions.

Research into friendly bacteria moves on to food industry

• Summer program making its mark

• Tomato tunnel rocks, chicken wagon rolls

inside

Dr. T’s Moment

It’s time for a new school year so I thought I’d share some facts about our School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. Last year SAES had a record enrollment of 671 students. This fall we are expecting 740 students. Unless the enrollment at Florida A&M grows drastically, this will give SAES the largest enrollment of any 1890 land-grant university with a school of agriculture. We are on the move. Last year SAES generated $10.2 million in competitive and formula funds. That’s one-third of the university’s $30 million in funded research. This puts us second behind the College of Engineering, although we are only one-third their size. We are on the move. Later this year you will learn more about a new partnership we have formed with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. We will be the host for one of the three regional technical support centers they are opening across the country. We are completing the final drafts of our Strategic Plan. It’s our thought that we should be the architects of our prepared future. I can’t wait to share more of this information with you. As I write, the General Assembly is poised to match federal funding for our Cooperative Extension and Agricultural Research programs. This money allows us to continue to seek answers and provide solutions to some of the problems and issues plaguing our state. What a year this is shaping up to be. We remain on the move.

— Dr. Alton Thompson

Dean, SAES

Dr. Salam Ibrahim (cen-ter) talks about probiotic products with his gradu-ate research assistant, Siham Ahmad (left), and an undergraduate assis-tant, Gwenetta Flowers.

on the moveon the move

More than the makings of a fresh salad or two-thirds of a BLT sandwich, the combination of heat-tolerant lettuce and high-tunnel tomatoes at the A&T University Farm have taken on a whole other dimension. Tomatoes grown under high tunnels, greenhouse-like structures, and lettuce grown under white plastic to make it more heat tolerant, were just two of 10 demonstration sites featured this summer at the Third Annual Small Farms Field Day at the farm. Held June 24 to showcase ongoing farm research and new production techniques, this year’s field day attracted its largest crowd ever, with more than 200 people attending. The event drew farmers, county agents, campus extension staff and a mixed audience that ranged from Britt Cobb, Commissioner of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to the high school students in the summer Research Apprentice Program, sponsored by the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. “From all the comments I heard and the evaluations I looked at, people gleaned information they could use on their farms and said they definitely would be coming back,’’ said Dr. Keith Baldwin, who as an horticulture specialist with the Cooperative Extension Program at A&T, helped organize the gathering. Baldwin helped establish Field Day as an annual event after he joined the Cooperative Extension staff in 2001. He says he considered

the annual showcase a natural complement to his duties as a horticulture specialist, and a practical way of demonstrating the valuable work that is done on A&T’s farm, which at 567 acres is the campus’ biggest laboratory. In providing a showcase for the demonstration sites, Field Day also allowed the University Farm to be in the spotlight. The many improvements at the farm — from the new poultry facility equipped with classrooms and laboratory, to new equipment and signage - were noted by many observers. Not least among the admirers were Alton Thompson, dean of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, and former SAES Dean Daniel Godfrey, who shared a private moment as they stood near the Field Day registration site taking in the farm’s expanse. In addition to lettuce and tomatoes, the Field Day demonstration sites encompassed 13 different trials featuring: two soil quality studies, seedless watermelons, rotational grazing for cattle, organic field corn, cut flower trials, Sunnhemp grown as a cover crop; swine innovations; and poultry experiments that included heavy-breed chickens, using chicken manure to enrich soil and grow healthy vegetables, and using a poultry-safety program that focuses on prevention. Baldwin says the only criticism attendees made about the three-hour Field Day tour is that they wanted more time at the individual demonstration sites.

on the move

The new 4,000 square-foot

Reid Greenhouse, next

to Carver Hall, is now

open for business.

Greenhouse manager

Brian Reynolds is adjusting

the irrigation system for

a horticulture research

project in the greenhouse,

which has such state-of-

the-art features as com-

puterized environmental

controls and an automatic

shading system.

Preparing. Finding. Implementing solutions.

Research Apprentice Program is incubator for success stories Sheilda Sutton has been

named Interim Associate

Administrator for The

Cooperative Extension Program

at A&T. Sutton began her

Extension career in Columbus

County as an Assistant

Extension Agent for Family

and Consumer Sciences, and

since joining the state-level

staff at Coltrane she has

held positions in Family and

Consumer Sciences, 4-H Youth

Development and regional

administration. Sutton holds a

bachelor’s in Home Economics

from North Carolina Central

University and a master’s in

Adult Education from North

Carolina State University.

Theresa Nartea has joined

The Extension Program at A&T

as Agribusiness and Marketing

specialist. Nartea comes to

the SAES after serving as the

Program Director of Education

and Marketing for the Center

for Environmental Farming

Systems (CEFS) in Wayne

County. She has a master’s in

Soil Science from Oregon State

University and a bachelor’s in

Agronomy and Soil Science

from the University of Hawaii

at Manoa.

Dr. Kenrett Jefferson

has joined the Department

of Agribusiness, Applied

Economics and Agriscience

Education as an assistant pro-

fessor. Jefferson comes to A&T

from the Department of eco-

nomics at Auburn University,

where her teaching focus was

on microeconomic theory and

market environments. Jefferson

has an master’s in Agribusiness

Management from Alabama

A&M, and a bachelor’s in

Agricultural Economics from

Southern University and A&M

College. Her research interests

include international markets

for small-farm commodities

and the economics of value-

added crops.

faculty & staff notes

Dr. Charles Raczkowski was part of SAES research teams that had cover crop and erosion control demonstrations on Small Farms Field Day.

The Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP) in SAES has been the start of hundreds of science careers for 24 years. Those who went through the program long ago still retain fond memories of their summers on the A&T campus; memories that include bonds of friendship that have stood the test of time, skills that helped them succeed in the classroom, and confi-dence that gave them the extra edge in their careers. Jewell Carr, originally of Wilmington, recalls that RAP not only sparked her interest in agriculture, but also contributed to her decision to make A&T her

alma mater. She recently gradu-ated with an master’s in food and nutrition, and now has her sights set on a medical career. Learning the methods and tools of labora-tory research made her believe a science career was within reach. “It gave me confidence,” Carr said. “Even going to school, I went back with a different per-spective and appreciation for sci-ence. It made it easier to learn.” “Science is definitely cre-ative,” she continued. “There is a lot of room for personal expres-sion. You can take an idea you have, and turn it into something.” Some examples of research from the 2004 RAP class illus-

trate Carr’s point. Students in June and July analyzed harmful chemicals leaching from plastic containers into baby food. Another project examined the effectiveness of dairy-based antacids in treating heartburn. Others measured the heart healthy compounds in farm-raised black sea bass and tilapia, examined hydrogen gas production from fermented food waste, or sur-veyed middle school students on their attitudes toward obesity. Clemente McWilliams got his initial start in agricultural eco-nomics in the RAP program in the summers of 1983 and ’84. He went on to major in the subject at A&T, and today is a manager at Eli Lilly Co. in Raleigh. “It instilled confidence, built our analytical and leadership skills,” he recalled. During their four weeks, RAP students conduct a labora-tory or field research assignment, under the guidance of a faculty mentor. They then present their findings on a poster describing methods, findings and conclusions in words, pictures and graphs.

Activities and field trips provide participants time to socialize and get acquainted with the Aggie lifestyle. Many, like Carr and McWilliams, quickly come to feel that A&T is home. The enrollment rate of RAP stu-dents is approximately 80 percent — a testimony to the quality of the Aggie experience, says Azell Reeves, coordinator of the program. Competition is keen for RAP slots. More than 230 applied from across the country, and just 19 were selected. Bailey Turner-Rayford, now a marketing program spe-cialist for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, credits RAP with showing her how far a degree in agricultural education could take her. “It’s not just about teach-ing in schools,” she said. “It’s actually about understanding government policies, issues and legislation, and how these affect small and limited resource farm-ers, which is the population I now work with.”

Small Farms Field Day showcases research and innovations

Research apprentice Mabel Shields from Reidsville studied alternative energy production under Dr. Abolghasem Shahbazi’s guidance this past summer.

________________ Nonprofit Org.________________

US Postage Paid________________ Permit No. 202 ________________

Greensboro, NC________________

on the moveNorth Carolina A&T State University School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences NewsletterProduced by the Agricultural Communications and Technology UnitDr. James C. Renick, ChancellorDr. Alton Thompson, Dean, School of Agriculture and Environmental SciencesDr. M. Ray McKinnie, Associate Dean, Administrator Cooperative Extension ProgramDr. Carolyn Turner, Associate Dean, Agricultural Research StationDr. Donald McDowell, Associate Dean, Academic Programs

North Carolina A&T State University is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not dis-criminate against applicants, students, or employees based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, or disability. Moreover, North Carolina A&T State University is open to all people of all races and actively seeks to promote racial integration by recruiting and enrolling a large number of white students. Send change of address and correspondence to: on the move Newsletter Editor Agricultural Research Program CH Moore Agricultural Research Station Greensboro, NC 27411

7,000 copies of this public document were printed on recycled paper at a cost of $974.00 or $0.14 per copy.

Distributed in furtherance of the acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Employment and program opportunities are open to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina State University, US Department of Agriculture and local governments cooperating.

SAES videographer Ron Fisher found Small Farms Field Day at the University Farm was a chance to get the lowdown on the swine unit, while farmers and farm-support professionals from across North Carolina received overviews of more than a dozen research projects. For more details on Small Farms Field Day, see the story inside.

SAES videographer Ron Fisher found Small Farms Field Day at the University Farm was a chance to get the lowdown on the swine unit, while farmers and farm-support professionals from across North Carolina received overviews of more than a dozen research projects. For more details on Small Farms Field Day, see the story inside.

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