Project will assess how antioxidant carotenoids in NutraMaize Orange Corn can mitigate negative health effects associated with heat-induced oxidative stress
NutraMaize, an agriculture company, has received a three-year, $460,455 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The grant will study how a class of antioxidants called xanthophyll carotenoids affect egg-laying hens that experience heat stress. The project builds on previous studies conducted by NutraMaize and Purdue University collaborators funded by USDA Small Business Innovation Research grants. These studies demonstrated the ability of NutraMaize Orange Corn to reduce the incidence and severity of foot pad dermatitis in broiler chickens and significantly enhance yolk pigmentation in laying hens. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Poultry Science.
NutraMaize was founded by CEO Evan Rocheford and his father, Torbert Rocheford, the Dr. Fred L. Patterson Endowed Chair in Translational Genomics for Crop Improvement and a professor of agronomy in Purdue University’s College of Agriculture. The company’s nutritionally enhanced orange corn is currently available through a line of premium milled products under the brand Professor Torbert’s Orange Corn.
Heat stress and its effects on laying hens
Evan Rocheford said heat stress is a major health and productivity challenge for egg-laying hens. Due to climate change, heat stress events are becoming increasingly frequent and severe, leading to physiological changes in laying hens. These changes result in reductions in productivity that equate to millions of dollars of lost revenue for egg producers every year.
“One of the major consequences is oxidative stress, which is caused by the production of excess free radicals, or unstable atoms that damage cells,” Rocheford said. “Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and prevent damage. Therefore, increasing the antioxidant intake of birds has been proposed as a mitigation strategy for heat stress.”
Several antioxidant compounds have demonstrated beneficial effects against heat stress, but no studies have been conducted on the effect of xanthophyll carotenoids.
“Xanthophylls are potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents that have high physiological activity within laying hens,” Rocheford said. “Xanthophylls are involved in yolk pigmentation and they bioaccumulate throughout laying hens’ bodies. They provide the color of the birds’ distinctive yellow fat, beaks, shanks and feet.”
Goals of the NutraMaize project
Rocheford said the research project has three goals:
Investigate the role xanthophyll carotenoids play in the physiological response of egg-laying hens during a heat stress event.
Determine if increasing carotenoid intake can be used as a strategy to help mitigate the negative health and production effects of heat stress.
Evaluate NutraMaize’s high-carotenoid Orange Corn as an alternative feed ingredient to deliver the potential benefits to egg-laying hens.
“NutraMaize Orange Corn has significantly higher xanthophyll carotenoid levels compared to yellow corn,” Rocheford said. “The carotenoids in orange corn also appear to be more bioavailable than commercial carotenoid supplements, making it an attractive alternative for delivering higher levels of carotenoids into the diets of laying hens.”
Rocheford said the project will test the hypothesis that the NutraMaize Orange Corn will deliver more carotenoids into the blood and tissues of egg-laying hens and increase their total antioxidant capacity. It is hypothesized that, in turn, this will reduce oxidative stress, stabilizing egg-laying hen health and performance during a heat stress event.
“This project will make a meaningful contribution to poultry science and the laying hen industry for a number of reasons,” Rocheford said. “First, there is a need for more investigation into the effects of heat stress on laying hens as most heat stress research is conducted on broiler chickens. Second, there is a need to investigate how heat stress affects laying hens across their lifetime, not just during an acute challenge period. Third, there have been no previous investigations into the role of xanthophyll carotenoids in the laying hens’ response to heat stress. Finally, if successful, this project would offer the laying hen industry a practical nutritional approach for addressing heat stress that also enhances yolk pigmentation and the nutritional quality of the table egg, one of America’s most important sources of protein.”
Research approach of the NutraMaize project
NutraMaize will collaborate with researchers at Purdue’s College of Agriculture and Egg Innovations, a leading producer of humanely raised eggs based in Warsaw, Indiana.
Purdue co-principal investigators Darrin Karcher, associate professor of animal sciences and poultry extension specialist, and Gregory Fraley, associate professor of animal sciences and the Terry and Sandra Tucker Endowed Chair in Poultry Science, will oversee a 90-week controlled environment heat stress study at Purdue’s Animal Sciences Research and Education Center. The NutraMaize and Purdue team will also work closely with Egg Innovations to conduct an 84-week field study on three 20,000-bird barns located across the Midwest.
Egg Innovations CEO John Brunnquell said, “As a leading producer of humanely raised eggs with an active research program, we are very excited to partner with NutraMaize and Purdue on this project. Heat stress is becoming an increasingly serious problem for producers like us, so there is an urgent need to identify practical and effective solutions to help mitigate its negative effects on both animal welfare and producer profitability.”
Will jointly develop curriculum, programs and on-site training to ensure the availability of trained employees for novel manufacturing facility in Richmond, Indiana
Liberation Labs and Ivy Tech Community College – Richmond are developing a new biomanufacturing workforce training program specifically to equip future employees of the company with the required skills to work in precision fermentation. The goal will be to ensure that approximately 30 people are trained and ready to work in the plant when operations commence later this year.
Liberation Labs is currently constructing a commercial-scale, purpose-built, precision fermentation biomanufacturing facility with a capacity of 600,000 liters and a fully dedicated downstream process (DSP). The plant will produce bio-based proteins and other building block ingredients at a scale and cost that will fill a pressing need among both new and established consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and other industrial manufacturers.
The curriculum and training will cover biotechnology fundamentals, fermentation fundamentals, biomanufacturing best practices, quality, compliance, and health & safety. The program will include classroom training, laboratory-based training, online training, and eventually on-site training at the Liberation Labs facility. Liberation Labs expects to begin hiring in Spring of 2024, with training expected to start prior to bringing employees on-site in late Summer.
“We’re able to leverage Ivy Tech’s deep experience in custom workforce education in order to train an already impressive regional workforce in the specific skills needed to work in the next generation of manufacturing,” said Mark Warner, co-founder and CEO of Liberation Labs. “Best of all, we will open up new career opportunities in biomanufacturing for workers in the region, while Ivy Tech can deepen their specialization in biotechnology – it’s a real investment in the future for all.”
While the Richmond and broader Indiana workforce is experienced in many different types of manufacturing, the processes at Liberation Labs facility are unique and require specialized knowledge and skills. To develop the curriculum, Liberation Labs technical team members will collaborate with Ivy Tech curriculum designers and instructors to fuse the specialized skills needed for the plant with Ivy Tech’s proven expertise with training and education.
“We take great pride in offering our students not just training – but opportunity and promise for a successful career,” said Chad Bolser, Chancellor, Richmond Campus at Ivy Tech Community College. “We are so excited that Liberation Labs chose Richmond for their manufacturing site and are grateful for their continued investment in the community and the local workforce. Together, we will all benefit.”
What’s in a name? For the world’s second-largest animal health company, Elanco, its name bears roots from Eli Lilly and Company. More than an acronym for a name, though, the company is on a growth trajectory, an innovation engine looking to create a positive impact for the world’s animals. And for Dr. Tyre Grant, Vice President of Global Product Development and Project Management, the name defines her 19-year career as a scientist (a resume she calls a privilege).
Tyre joins us today to talk about how Elanco thinks about innovation for both farm animal and pet health, what the company is uniquely positioned to solve and how that mindset focuses her team when it comes to bringing new products to the market. She also gets into the importance of partnerships when it comes to innovation, spinning out technologies and striking the right balance to create the most value to farmers and pet owners.
As a career scientist, what has Tyre seen as the biggest advances in the industry over the last two decades? And how do those set the tone for the next 20 years and what’s to come? Tyre talks automation and the intersection between human and animal health solutions. She also gives advice to future scientists looking for their role in the agbioscience industry.
Listen to Dr. Jennifer Miller’s episode on Elanco’s monoclonal antibody for Parvovirus in puppies here.
St. Louis-based Find Your Farmer (FYF), a pioneering online farmers’ market, is proud to announce its acquisition by Indianapolis-based Market Wagon, a leader in connecting consumers with local farms and artisans.
Find Your Farmer was started by five Washington University graduates in 2020 when the pandemic disrupted local farmers’ most robust revenue streams: farmers market and restaurant sales. “That’s when we stepped in,” says Find Your Farmer CEO Noah Offenkrantz. “We were intent on ensuring that farms and artisans stayed afloat during that tumultuous time.” Over the past three years, Find Your Farmer grew to partner with over 50 local farms, artisans, and
distributors, delivering 200,000+ pounds of local groceries to more than 1,000 households in the STL region.
The acquisition by Market Wagon, a company with a similar focus that started in Indianapolis and now operates 18 different local-food hubs across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast U.S, marks a new chapter for FYF. “By combining Find Your Farmer’s deep community roots with Market Wagon’s expertise and technology, we take a significant step towards building a stronger, more resilient local economy in St. Louis,” says Offenkrantz. Together, the combined operations are poised to make locally-sourced food a more convenient and accessible option for all STL residents.
“The future of local food in St. Louis is bright,” says Market Wagon Co-Founder and CEO Dan Brunner. “Together with Find Your Famer, we will continue to innovate and grow, ensuring that the people of STL have the best of what local farms and artisans have to offer.”
Market Wagon’s vendor list includes artisans such as Blueprint Coffee, Katie’s Pizza and Pasta, and Field to Fire STL as well as farmers such Abundant Pastures, Misfit Farms, Ozark Forest Mushrooms, Eckert’s Family Farms, and Sugar Creek Piedmontese. The order deadline is Sunday night at midnight for weekly home delivery on Tuesdays.
For more information about Find Your Farmer and the new journey with Market Wagon or to do a little shopping, please visit www.marketwagon.com.
From the cowboy boots to his tall stature, Governor Eric Holcomb is a presence. You’ve likely heard him, though not like this. How did Indiana’s leader come to be? He joins us today to tell his story, to dive into his sense of urgency headed into the final 12 months of his administration and to talk about, of course, agbioscience. More specifically, its critical role in securing Indiana’s economy of the future.
Indiana has evolved rapidly under his leadership and Holcomb has established a new approach to economic development – from the READI program and the LEAP concept just north west of Indianapolis, to name a few. How do these assets shape our future? Holcomb talks about being ready for what’s coming and making sure we’ve not put our eggs in one industry basket. He also talks leadership, having a plan and being ready to keep eyes and ears open to adapt to the moment.
Heading into the turn four (a little IndyCar reference), where is Holcomb focused? This is our time, he says, and carpe diem. And because we like basketball in Indiana – it’s time to step up to the line, block out the boos and knock down those important shots to make great things happen.
What a year it’s been! The team at AgriNovus Indiana wants to thank you for listening to Agbioscience in season 6 and to let you know – there are still plenty of episodes to go. Season 7 will kick off on January 2.
In the meantime, take a walk back through 2023 with us – from agtech consolidation to new companies emerging, Indiana has a lot to celebrate. We talk about the big themes in agbioscience over the last year, how the industry is evolving and emerging trends we feel are here to stay for a while. You’ll hear from past guests and get a glimpse on what to expect in the new year.
Traction Ag Inc., the first cloud-based farm accounting software delivering solutions to growers across the Midwest, today announced the appointment of Dustin Sapp as chief executive officer. Former CEO, Ian Harley, will take over as the company’s chief operating officer and remains an executive board member.
Sapp brings nearly 25 years of experience in the SaaS industry to the role. He has worked with multiple high-growth Indianapolis organizations including his tenure as CEO & co-founder of Octiv and most recently, Formstack.
“We are thrilled to welcome Dustin to the Traction Ag team,” said Ian Harley, COO at Traction Ag. “His deep expertise in all facets of SaaS, combined with his proven abilities to scale a business, make him uniquely suited to guide Traction Ag into its next phase of innovation and growth.”
As CEO, Sapp will be responsible for setting and executing the company’s strategic vision. The transition comes at an ideal time as Traction Ag is uniquely positioned to shape the future of agriculture operations as farmers embrace technology. Over 60 percent of North American and European farmers are currently using or planning to adopt one agtech product in the next two years.
“I have long admired Traction Ag’s talented team and unparalleled solutions empowering growers, and I’m looking forward to leading our next phase as a company,” said Sapp. “2024 promises to be a pivotal year for the industry as technology continues to transform and disrupt agriculture. I’ll be focused on partnerships, integrations and thoughtful innovation that builds upon the strong foundation and values that have made Traction Ag an industry leader.”
Insignum AgTech develops plant genetic traits that enable plants to ‘talk’ and signal to farmers when specific plant stresses begin
A ruling by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service allows farmers and growers to run trials on corn plants developed by Insignum AgTech. These plants use naturally occurring pigment to signal when specific plant stresses begin.
Insignum AgTech CEO Kyle Mohler said the plant turns purple to indicate that a fungal infection has started but is not yet apparent.
Mohler, who earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Purdue University’s College of Agriculture, founded Insignum AgTech in 2019.
The USDA APHIS decision and its impact
A Nov. 14 news release from the USDA stated, “The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently reviewed 12 plants modified using genetic engineering to determine whether they posed an increased plant pest risk as relative to non-modified comparators. …
“APHIS found these modified plants were unlikely to pose an increased plant pest risk compared to other cultivated plants. As a result, they are not subject to regulation under 7 CFR part 340. From a plant pest risk perspective, these modified plants may be safely grown and bred in the United States.”
Mohler said the announcement represents a milestone for Insignum AgTech and its customers.
“It means our edited plants can be grown and tested across the U.S. without restrictive permits, opening the door for our customers to run trials,” Mohler said. “It strengthens our ability to help farmers treat specific problems affecting their crops exactly when, precisely where and only if needed to sustainably increase crop production.” Mohler said the company will develop additional plant traits that utilize other natural pigments, like red or blue, to give an early indication of yield-limiting factors such as insect pests or fertility loss.
“Farmers will gain the ability to sustainably and precisely treat when and where needed, ultimately increasing yields without arbitrarily increasing costly inputs,” Mohler said.
Twenty-one teams ranging from companies, students, startups, academics and innovators develop solutions to improve net farm income
AgriNovus Indiana announced today that FiberX of Hammond, Ind. has won the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge, awarding them $25,000 to advance commercialization of their solution.
In partnership with the Indiana Corn Marketing Council and Indiana Soybean Alliance, the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge tasked companies, entrepreneurs, students and innovators with creating new revenue streams from current on-farm processes to increase efficiency and return on investment for producers’ operations.
“Agriculture is the only economy in the world that touches every person on the planet, because it centers on food,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus. “This challenge sought to identify new innovations that enable farmers to generate additional revenue streams while simultaneously meeting the growing global demand for a sustainable food system.”
FiberX works with corn growers to source and convert corn stover into a feedstock for the chemical and materials sectors. The company’s product portfolio includes natural fiber-reinforced plastic polymer pellets and fiber for the plastic injection molding industry. These biocomposite plastics offer superior strength and cost-effectiveness, potentially replacing up to 50% of petroleum-based plastic polymers. FiberX is focused on customers producing durable products for long-term use such as outdoor furniture. Their team, comprised of Dave Skibinski, Wade Lange and Tom Santelli, has already received a Manufacturing Readiness Grant from Conexus Indiana and an Innovation Voucher for Elevate Ventures.
“Producers are always looking for better ways to make our farms more efficient,” said Indiana Soybean Alliance Board Director Denise Scarborough, a farmer from Lacross, Ind. and a challenge judge. “New technology is a key way to achieve those goals. ISA is excited to continue supporting this contest. There were many interesting and diverse projects; it was very difficult to select one, clear winner.”
“New technologies allow farmers to consider changes that could help their farms,” said Indiana Corn Marketing Council Board Director, Warren, Ind. farmer and challenge judge Janis Highley. “Farmers are usually early adopters of new technology because it can add to their success of family-owned farms. Like our winner, many successful innovations begin with the idea of solving a problem.”
In addition to the $25,000 grand prize, Purdue DIAL Ventures presented prize money to the top two student teams from Purdue University. EcoTrack, founded by Purdue student Corey Tuinstra, was awarded $4,000 for its digitally enabled audit management system. YieldSmart was awarded $2,000 for their precision agriculture solution focused on data-backed decision making. Their team is comprised of Purdue students Anton Josifovski and Isha Shamim.
The Producer-Led Innovation Challenge has enabled entrepreneurial companies to thrive. Most recently, the 2022 winner was acquired by Indiana-based agtech company Intelinair. In the announcement of the acquisition, Intelinair cited Aker Technologies’ victory in the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge. Since its launch in 2020, every company that has won the Challenge has either received follow-on funding or been acquired. Learn more about the Producer-Led Innovation Challenge here.
A law signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862 created the cornerstone for America’s leadership in engineering and agriculture. Known as the Morrill Act, the law established land grant universities in states across the country, including Purdue University in Indiana. Since the university’s launch in 1869, it has become a research powerhouse becoming the only university in the country to have both a top 10 ranked college of agriculture and college of engineering. Its graduates include 27 astronauts, 3 World Food Prize laureates, 2 Noble Prize winners and the pace continues to quicken. Today we are joined by Purdue’s Executive Vice President of Research, Dr. Karen Plaut, to share how the university is building on its momentum to advance research and create the economy of the future.
Asking “what if” has been the cornerstone of Karen’s career and she talks all things innovation at Purdue and where they see their greatest opportunities for impact – from agbioscience to aerospace. As the former dean of the College of Agriculture, she explores the idea that technologies across different disciplines have meaningful effect on food. Karen also talks research influencing legislation, commercializing and conducting basic research that will drastically improve lives in the future.
So, what are the next gigantic leaps for Purdue? Karen talks about students being at the core of the university’s success, new intersections for driving change and agbioscience’s critical role in the future.
