Last week, I was watching the Ellen DeGeneres Show because I knew she would be interviewing Jonathan Safran Foer, the author of “Eating Animals,” a gruesome attack against animal agriculture and a strong testimony for a vegan lifestyle. Recently, the National Pork Board responded to Foer’s statements, especially when he falsely linked H1N1 to a hog farm in North Carolina. …
R&D At Fluidigm
When it comes to research and development at Fluidigm Corporation, one of the key people involved is Andy May. In my interview with him he puts the high level technology Fluidigm develops into easy to understand terms. You’ll find out why this is necessary when we get into the whole DNA sequencing issue and how Fluidigm has pioneered some of …
The Fluidigm System
The Fluidigm System starts with their Integrated Fluidic Circuits. The Product Manager who is intimately familiar with the IFC’s is Yong Yi. I spoke with him about this system and he helps explain what the IFC’s do and can do for a client company. In the picture he’s holding one of their chips containing an IFC. It’s all about miniaturization …
Getting To Know Fluidigm
The President/CEO and co-Founder of Fluidigm (AgWired Sponsor) is Gajus Worthington. Let’s meet him and learn about the company and how its technology can benefit agribusiness. I met with Gajus at the company headquarters in South San Francisco and asked him a number of questions to help us better understand their core technology. Before getting to the technology, he explains …
Happy FAPRI Anniversary
For 25 years a group of University of Missouri economists has provided commodity price projections and policy analysis to the U.S. Congress, international trade negotiators, farm groups and farmers. On Friday, the MU Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) celebrated its silver anniversary with a gathering of friends and supporters, including Missouri Senator Kit Bond and FAPRI founder Abner …
Plant Disease Experts Prepare for Ug99 Wheat Stem Rust
Plant disease experts at the American Phytopathological Society annual meeting are preparing to potentially do battle with a new strain of wheat stem rust. Washington State University plant pathologist Tim Murray says wheat stem rust has been in the United States since the early 1900s but this new strain could pose new problems. “The Ug99 strain is a new strain …
Credibility & Reputation Challenges Abound Online
Like many, when I look for information I go online first. With so much information out there, I often wonder if it is accurate. According to a new study conducted by v-Fluence Interactive, the information consumers search for regarding the production practices that put meat and dairy products on their kitchen tables, they are most likely to see the kind …
AG Community Vindicated with CBO Report
“This report is welcome to the farmers and those I represent,” said Rick Tolman, CEO of the National Corn Growers Association. “This proves that there are no food and fuel issues, but merely the work of a campaign designed to shift blame on farmers and take our eyes off the ball.” Tolman joined several others in the agriculture and ethanol …
BIVI Research Behind The Scenes
Attending the Boehringer Ingelheim Flex Symposium from the corporate marketing group was Dr. Petra Maas. She is the Technical Manager for Ingelvac CircoFLEX. Her presentation was focused on a behind the scenes look at the research and development of Ingelvac CircoFLEX-MycoFLEX. She says the other speakers presented all the data, she just wanted to let attending veterinarians know more about …
Vaccination Comparison
“Qualifying Animal Responses to Various Immunization Protocols.” That’s the title of the talk given at the Boehringer Ingelheim Flex Symposium by Dr. Keith Bretey. He’s a professional services veterinarian for BIVI. He says that basically means comparing the negative side effects of different vaccines. The BIVI products Ingelvac CircoFLEX and MycoFLEX were used in the study and he says they …