Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station

Virginia no-till conferences set for Feb. 6-8

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Farmers will receive hands-on, how-to information in nearly every aspect of conservation tillage at three No-Till Alliance winter conferences on Feb. 6, 7, and 8.

Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results Program names advisory council

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Many Virginia agricultural industry leaders to serve on the Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results Program advisory council.

Researchers discover novel anti-viral immune pathway in the mosquito

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Scientists at Virginia Tech are working to understand the mosquito's immune system and how the viral pathogens that cause diseases are able to overcome it to be transmitted to human and animal hosts.

Translational medicine turns Virginia Tech's innovations in the life sciences into clinical solutions

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Virginia Tech is developing plans for a Translational Medicine Building, which will include an expansion of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital as well as research laboratories and training spaces for interdisciplinary research among three colleges.

Virginia Tech to break ground on first building in new Biosciences Precinct

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Virginia Tech will break ground on the first building in the new Biosciences Precinct at the corner of Duck Pond Drive and Washington Street later this month.

Virginia Tech team to investigate the genomics of wood for biofuels production

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

A team of Virginia Tech researchers is working to characterize the genes involved in wood formation in poplar trees with the goal of improving the quality and quantity of wood as a feedstock for biofuels production.

Parent of new Southwest Virginia clean energy company wins French, international CleanTech competitions

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The French company that will use Virginia Tech technology as the basis of a clean energy business in Abingdon, Va., has won an award for using plant-based biotechnolgy to create sustainable, clean fuels and other chemicals.

2012 Winter Forage Conference to feature weed management expert Kathy Voth

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The Virginia Forage and Grassland Council and Virginia Cooperative Extension will host the 2012 Winter Forage Conference at four locations on Jan. 17-20.

Turfgrass research makes a fast football field at Virginia Tech

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

During the University Open House on Saturday, Mike Goatley, professor and Virginia Cooperative Extension turf specialist, will provide insight into the GreenTech ITM modular system on Worsham Field in Lane Stadium.

Carl Griffey named W.G. Wysor Professor of Agriculture

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

He has earned the distinction of being the premier small grains breeder in the eastern United States.

R. Michael Akers reappointed Horace E. and Elizabeth F. Alphin Professor

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Akers is an internationally renowned research scientist who has received many national awards for research excellence.

Plant researchers locate transporter used for nicotine metabolism

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In a recent Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences publication, a team of Virginia Tech and Purdue University scientists identified a distinct transporter used by tobacco plant cells for nicotine metabolism.

Research team unravels tomato pathogen's tricks of the trade

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech scientists sequenced the genome of several isolates of a bacterial tomato pathogen in order to track the pathogen's ability to overcome plant defenses and to develop methods to prevent further spread.

Roger Harris named head of the Department of Horticulture

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Harris first came to Virginia Tech in 1993 as an assistant professor and has taught classes in nursery crops, plant propagation, and landscape contracting.

Family's quest to learn about Lady Astor Rose takes them to Institute for Advanced Learning and Research

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Lord Astor, grandson of the first woman to serve in the British Parliament and Danville native, visited the institute to learn more about the research and production of the Lady Astor Rose.

Patricia Williams named College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Employee of the Year

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Patricia Williams of Ironto, Va., has been named the 2011 Employee of the Year for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences names Mary Leigh Wolfe head of biological systems engineering

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The department's programs integrate the biological sciences and engineering to solve agricultural, biological, and urban problems.

Bed bug insecticide resistance mechanisms identified

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Discoveries about the genetic basis for bed bugs' resistance to popular insecticides will accelerate efforts to understand the biochemical basis for resistance and provides molecular markers for surveillance.

A special flower will grace the University Open House

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Scientists from Virginia Tech and the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research collaborated to develop a new method for breeding plants. The result is the group's first commercial enterprise, The Dan River Plant Propagation Center in Danville and a special day lily, the VT Spirit, bred in Virginia Tech's colors of orange and maroon.

Virginia Tech alumni and faculty inducted in the Virginia Livestock Hall of Fame

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Eight Virginia Tech Hokies were inducted into the Virginia Livestock Hall of Fame at the Virginia State Fair in Doswell, Va., on Oct. 7.

Donald Horsley recognized as 2011 Virginia Farmer of the Year

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Cooperative Extension has selected Donald Horsley of Virginia Beach as Virginia Farmer of the Year, an award that applauds individual contributions to the commonwealth's agricultural industry.

Bur Oak dedication, Hokie Bugfest festival to honor legacy of William Alwood

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Virginia Tech entomology community will come together on Oct. 14 and 15 for Alwood Days, a series of events to celebrate the life and legacy of former faculty member William Bradford Alwood.

Virginia Cooperative Extension announces administrative changes

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Ed Jones, director of Virginia Cooperative Extension, has announced several administrative actions to enhance the organization's effectiveness and better serve the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine digs in to the future; new buildings move forward

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Two new buildings are coming to life, with a third in store for the future, at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, as the college continues to make room for growth to its instructional and research programs.

Enzymes are possible targets for new anti-malaria drugs

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

A multi-university research team used novel biochemistry to help understand the biology of the malaria parasite and to find new drug targets.

Life Science Forum introduces university research, regional companies

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Fifth Annual Southwest Virginia Life Science Forum on the evening of Oct. 6 will bring together university researchers and business people to discuss discoveries and possible collaborations.

Discovery of new ways to kill malaria mosquitoes a race against resistance

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

A Virginia Tech researcher is a member of a team trying to develop safe insecticides to paralyze mosquitoes that spread malaria.

Microbes travel through the air; it would be good to know how and where

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Researchers now believe that with improvements on this preliminary research, there will be a better understanding about crop security, disease spread, and climate change.

International Plant Protection Sciences organization confers award on Virginia Tech's S. K. De Datta

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

In recognition of pioneering research in plant science and a career devoted to plant protection, a Virginia Tech administrator has earned a top honor from the International Association of Plant Protection Sciences.

Tony Wolf receives 2011 Andy Swiger Land-Grant Award

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Tony D. Wolf of Winchester, Va., received the 2011 Andy Swiger Land-Grant Award for his contributions to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech. Wolf is the director of the Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Winchester.

Post Hurricane Irene Tuesday update: Loss of power continues to affect operations

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

On Monday, the Virginia Tech will assess the impact of Hurricane Irene on university facilities.

Researchers uncover mechanisms of plant infection

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

This research is featured on the cover of the latest issue of the top plant research journal Plant Cell.

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences awards honorary degree to Virginia Tech's Paul Siegel

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

A Virginia Tech faculty member whose decades-long career has contributed to international research on animal genetics and breeding has earned a top honor from a Swedish university.

Fading ability to taste iron raises health concerns for people over age 50

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

People lose the ability to detect the taste of iron in drinking water with advancing age, raising concern that older people may be at risk for an unhealthy over-exposure to iron, Virginia Tech engineers are reporting in results they term "unique."

Virginia Tech student awarded National Institutes of Health fellowship to study diabetes and obesity

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The award is for her study of a cellular signaling receptor that is associated with chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Researchers characterize biomechanics of ovarian cells in mice according to their phenotype at the various stages of cancer

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Using ovarian surface epithelial cells from mice, researchers from Virginia Tech have released findings from a study that they believe will help in cancer risk assessment, cancer diagnosis, and treatment efficiency in a technical journal: Nanomedicine.

Virginia's tree fruit industry has new insecticide to fight stink bugs

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia's fruit industry has a new weapon in the fight against the brown marmorated stink bug, a thumbnail-sized pest that has made headlines over the past year for the trouble it caused growers and homeowners alike.

Robert H. White awarded $1 million NSF grant to research origin of life

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech biochemist Bob White's quest to know and understand the origin of life has been the hallmark of his almost 40 year career and is the driving force of a recent $1 million National Science Foundation grant.

Virginia Tech professor's cellulose-for-biofuels and carbon cycling research featured in July 14 issue of Science journal

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The July 14 issue of Science features the findings of a global team of cellulose researchers, including Professor Barry Goodell.

Simple little spud helps scientists crack potato's mighty genome

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

A rare inbred potato created at Virginia Tech was the first to have its genome sequenced. It will be used as a draft against which the genome sequences of more complicated tubers will be compared.

Julie Walters Steele is new Reynolds Homestead director

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Julie Walters Steele is the new Reynolds Homestead director in Critz, Va.

Plant biology meets up with computational wizardry

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Over time, plants have evolved to adapt to a constantly changing, often hostile, environment. Unfortunately, they are facing a new and difficult challenge ahead.

Cells do talk to one another, but the question remains how

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Inside the human body, an amazing amount of communication occurs constantly. But the dialogue is rather extraordinary. The orators are actually multiple cell types that make up the human tissues. And for biologists, the fundamental question remains as to how these processes occur within the complex environment of tissues and organs.

Role of gene regulator in skeletal muscles demonstrated

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Fast muscles, such as the thigh muscle in a sprinter, deliver energy quickly but fatigue quickly. Slow muscles, such as in the lower calf, are less forceful but important for posture and endurance. Researchers have discovered one gene regulator that maintains the fast muscle type and inhibits the development of a slow muscle type.

S.K. De Datta announces retirement

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

S.K. De Datta -- who first came to campus in 1991 when Virginia Tech had an international research, education, and development portfolio of less than $1 million, now grown to almost $100 million -- is retiring effective Aug. 31.

Comparison of genomes of plant parasites provides solid clues for response

Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

John McDowell, associate professor of plant pathology at Virginia Tech, points out similarities in the strategies of several devastating pathogens that can be targeted as plant breeders develop more resistant crops.

National Science Foundation ranks Virginia Tech No. 5 for agricultural sciences

Mon, 02 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech ranks fifth for research spending on the agricultural sciences, according to the National Science Foundation's most recent nationwide ranking of programs.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences recognizes outstanding graduate students

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech has named Adrienne (Adria) Bhatnagar the Outstanding Master's Student and William (Joseph) Allen the Outstanding Doctoral Student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Scientists to improve soybean production sustainability, aiding farmers and consumers

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Making major improvements to one of the nation's high-value food crops -- from the lab, to the field, to the market -- is the goal of a project awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Thea Glidden named director of communications and marketing for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Thea Glidden has been named director of communications and marketing for Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Her appointment began on Feb. 1.