An estimated 88% of Americans will consume turkey this Thanksgiving – that equates to more than 46 million turkeys! It’s big business for farmers across the country, including here in Indiana where the state has become the fourth largest producer of turkey in the country. Becky Joniskan, president of the Indiana State Poultry Association, joins this week to share more about Indiana’s turkey production and the innovation making it possible.
Becky talks all things poultry in Indiana – ranging from key innovators like Miller Poultry and Maple Leaf Farms – to the well-informed at-home farmer with a smaller flock. She also dives into turkey’s growing presence in many forms (deli meats, sausage links and more) on your grocery store shelves, With poultry demand on the rise, where are the opportunities for innovators to disrupt the industry? Becky talks nutrition, genetics and environment as spaces ripe for new discoveries and how poultry farmers approach adoption of new innovations. She talks about the critical role of Indiana corn and soybeans to poultry farmers’ success and what’s ahead for the industry.
Network perks include free co-working space and steep discounts
Starting a new business, service or product is a daunting task, but inventors, innovators and founders have long been described as courageous, audacious and brave. Less often acknowledged and rarely addressed are other attributes these trailblazers share: loneliness, brutal stress and even fear.
In Indiana, that lack of attention on the psychological price of entrepreneurship stops today with the launch of the Indiana Founders Network, an organization supported by TechPoint but led by members.
“No Indiana organization focused on the tech sector has coached more startups than TechPoint’s leadership and venture support teams,” said TechPoint President and CEO Ting Gootee. “And as we discussed how best to execute on new strategies designed to further strengthen Indiana’s digital innovation economy, we realized we couldn’t fully do that if we don’t address the long-ignored reality that founders need more personal support. We also realized there’s no organization better positioned to do this than TechPoint.”
Part of the stress founders experience results from the fact that they are forging new ground and don’t want to get beat by a competitor, so they are hesitant to ask for help. They’re also incredibly busy trying to raise capital, deal with legal and regulatory issues as they work to get their product to market.
Gootee described the Network as a critical need based on thousands of conversations with founders had by her and by the TechPoint team in their current and former positions.
Prior to joining TechPoint, Gootee helped found Elevate Ventures and spent 11 years there in leadership, driving its growth into one of the most prolific investors in the nation. Chelsea Linder, TechPoint’s vice president of innovation and entrepreneurship, spent seven years in leadership roles at gener8tor, where she worked directly with more than 200 founders and coached thousands more across the country. Dennis Trinkle, senior vice president, talent, strategy, and partnership, is the author and editor of 18 books and more than 75 articles on entrepreneurship, technology, leadership, teaching and learning and co-developer of an award-wining videogame on the entrepreneurial process—Fireworks: The Entrepreneurship Experience. Roger Shuman, director of venture engagement, has spent nearly seven years at TechPoint supporting startups and scaleups and connecting them to capital. Together, this is one of the most experienced teams working with founders in Indiana.
Linder said a key element of the Network is that it will be led by its members.
“TechPoint will be the convenor, but we’re just buying the snacks and bringing entrepreneurs to the table,” Linder said. “The members will tell us what they need and want, and we’ll bring in the experts in those areas. Some meetings will be ideal for everyone; others might address a specific need of only a certain segment. Our hope is that the group will forge relationships and create their own individual safety nets in addition to the one we’re developing.”
The Network is open to founders who can support each other, access information and resources necessary to move their businesses forward and build relationships with people facing similar challenges. Targeted sectors include advanced manufacturing and logistics, agbiosciences, life sciences and healthcare, and technology. In addition to peer support, the long-term vision is to also open doors for Indiana founders to TechPoint’s membership, partners and corporate networks, including the Indiana CIO Network.
TechPoint will organize regular gatherings where founders can build peer relationships and share their personal experiences and insights with the group. Members can network across sectors, giving founders a non-competitive and safe environment to build relationships and learn from each other.
Participants will enjoy access to a free, 10-day co-working pass at the 16 Tech Innovation District, the Network’s exclusive coworking space provider for Central Indiana. 16 Tech members will have free access to the network. Additional perks include up to 90 percent off the cost of Hub Spot software and other discounts.
“One of the unspoken truths of innovation-driven entrepreneurship is the public pressure to say that everything is going great. Belief is the pre-condition for making a vision reality, yet this leads to tremendous stress and pressure felt by founders,” said Emily Krueger, president and CEO of 16 Tech Community Corporation, the non-profit responsible for the 16 Tech Innovation District in downtown Indianapolis. “Places like 16 Tech and programs like the Indiana Founders Network are designed to provide support to navigate the resource challenges and personal stress of entrepreneurship.”
The Network is open to startup founders, those with an idea but who haven’t yet moved forward with it and those who want to become a co-founder. It is not a space for investors or vendors. It offers connections to other entrepreneurs, access to members-only events, small peer group conversations and meetups, visibility through a membership directory, discounts to other ecosystem events and services, eligibility to be considered to pitch at TechPoint Pitch Nights and access to education, coaching and mentors via the TechPoint Venture Support platform.
In addition to business activities, TechPoint will appoint a Founders Network Leadership Council from among Network members to ensure the organization is driven by founders first. Membership in the council will be a two-year commitment and by application only. Sponsorship opportunities will be available for non-founders. The network’s founding sponsors are Ice Miller and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. TechPoint members can join the network at no cost. Others can join for $105 per year. Learn more about the Network here.
A new scientific review paper published this month provides important insights into the current knowledge base of rumen methanogens – the microorganisms that produce methane as a byproduct of their metabolism in the rumen, or stomach, of ruminants like cattle and sheep – and the gaps that exist in the field. Deep understanding of how methane is produced in the rumen is critical to reducing livestock’s greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously increasing their productivity through improvement of energy intake from feed. In this groundbreaking paper titled “Evolving Understanding of Rumen Methanogen Ecophysiology” (htps://bit.ly/47wruTZ) published in Frontiers in Microbiology as part of The Methane Moment research topic, the authors call for more research in the diversity, physiology, and metabolism of rumen methanogens.
As the number one agricultural source of greenhouse gases worldwide, ruminants like cattle produce methane as part of their normal digestive process. Currently, this type of methane production contributes approximately 4 percent of total emissions annually, with a single bovine belching about 220 pounds of methane. It also accounts for a loss of 2 to 12 percent of the energy provided by the feed for cattle, as methane, that could otherwise be used to produce meat and milk through microbial fermentation process in the rumen.
BiomEdit’s Director of Microbial Discovery Research and one of the lead authors, Dr. Dwi Susanti, believes additional research in this area is urgently needed: “Providing scientists and innovators more detailed information on the ecophysiology and diversity of methanogens in the rumen gives the scientific community the best chance of developing solutions to help livestock producers mitigate methane emissions and increase productivity to feed a growing population.”
“Gaining the most robust understanding of rumen methanogens is key to bringing the best solutions possible for livestock, the producer and the planet,” said Aaron Schacht, CEO of BiomEdit. “This publication is not just informative – it is eye-opening for anyone curious about the biology of methane emission in livestock production. By enhancing our understanding of the microbial ecosystem in the rumen of livestock, we are better equipped to unlock significant innovation.”
Methanogens have been studied for more than 80 years, underpinning the science of the methane-reducing solutions we see today, which provide varying outcomes. They are difficult to study in vitro and are the only microorganisms known to produce methane in anaerobic environments. Consequently, the information on their physiological properties remains mostly inferred from non-rumen, often human, and environmental settings.
One of the key challenges is that rumen methanogens are very difficult to grow in culture. This has limited the ability to study their physiology and metabolism in detail. However, the authors of the paper point to recent advances in culture-independent approaches, such as high-throughput omics technologies that enable the simultaneous analysis of large amounts of biological data, as beginning to fill this gap.
The researchers also highlight the importance of understanding the interactions between rumen methanogens and other microbes in the rumen. The rumen is a complex ecosystem that is home to a wide variety of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protozoa. These microorganisms work together to break down the feed that the animal eats producing beneficial nutrients for the animal. This community has evolved over 50 million years, exhibiting resilience and adaptability to environmental changes, which makes modulating this system very challenging and complex. Recent advancements in DNA sequencing and data analysis have made it much easier to identify the members of this ecosystem and predict how they interact to affect digestion and methane production.
Several important research areas to fill the above-mentioned gaps were noted in the paper by the researchers. These include:
Developing new methods for isolating and studying rumen methanogens, as well as understanding the molecular basis of hydrogen utilization and methane formation in the rumen. Currently, only about 23% of rumen microbes can be grown in the lab.
Expanding research on methanogens and microbial community in the rumens of underrepresented agriculturally important animals such as buffalo, yak, and goat, and of ruminants from the low- and middle-income countries.
Generating more reference genomes of rumen methanogens for more comprehensive studies, including well-annotated genomes, metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) sequences, and conducting studies that account for the diet, spatial location, and developmental stage of the animal.
Information about the different substrates that rumen methanogens use to make methane, such as methanol and methylamine, as well as the role of enzymes and how they are regulated. One area of research that has been overlooked is the use of formate by methanogens. Formate is a byproduct of fermentation and may be an important substrate for methane production.
Investigating the metabolism of methanogens that colonize the gut of the pre-ruminant phase in young animals.
The use of additional omics approaches, such as metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics, to study the metabolism of rumen methanogens in more detail.
Researchers on the paper included:
Bela Haifa Khairunisa – Microbial Discovery Research team at BiomEdit
Christian Heryakusuma – Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology – Department of Biochemistry at Virginia Tech University
Kelechi Ike – Department of Biology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Biswarup Mukhopadhyay – Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology – Department of Biochemistry and the Carilion School of Medicine at Virginia Tech University
Dwi Susanti – Microbial Discovery Research team at BiomEdit
Link to the paper: https://bit.ly/47wruTZ
Parvovirus – a potentially deadly disease in puppies – has been called the world’s most common canine infectious disease. The viral infection is one that has long been battled through a preemptive vaccine regimen and treated by managing the clinical signs of the infection. However, a new innovation from Indiana-based animal health giant Elanco is transforming canine care through science. This week, we are joined by Elanco veterinarian and veterinarian technical marketer, Dr. Jennifer Miller, to talk about the newly approved monoclonal antibody treatment for canine parvovirus.
What is parvovirus, how is it caused and what were the treatment options before Elanco’s breakthrough monoclonal antibody? Dr. Miller talks about its severity, its commonality and why this innovation was so critical for puppy owners. She also gets into the years it takes to bring innovation to market and the rewarding feeling of watching it save lives in clinics across the country.
How does this become the next wave of innovation at Elanco? Dr. Miller talks about the transferable opportunities to other animals and to human health. She also gets into the collaborative spirit working to advance the innovation ecosystem and what she sees as the future of animal health.
Approximately 6% of the U.S. population are veterans – those who have served in the U.S. military. Leaders who have donned the uniform have gone on to serve in roles that are now shaping the future of the food and agbioscience economy. Today’s guest is doing just that. W US Army COL (retired) Mark Purdy joins us to talk about his journey through the military and into agbioscience, what Aimpoint does and how he sees food and agriculture innovating for the future.
What exactly is wargaming and how can it impact agriculture? Mark talks about its nexus of art and science, understanding the industry better today – and tomorrow. Geopolitical tension continues to spread across different parts of the globe. How will uncertainty drive innovation? Marks lays out our opportunities, science creating new efficiencies and asking a really important question: who are the farmers of the future? And what will they require of us?
Today, Mayor Joe Yochum joined officials from The Pantheon and the Knox County Indiana Economic Development Corporation to announce the launch of AgroRenew LLC, a processing facility that will repurpose food waste from Knox County’s thriving watermelon, cantaloupe, and pumpkin industry into eco-friendly bioplastics.
With plans to break ground in early 2024, the company has secured land in Knox County’s Industrial Park at the intersection of US 41 and Elkorn Road. AgroRenew plans to invest $83 million by 2026 to build out the facility in 4 phases. Once all phases are completed, the 196,000 sq. ft. facility will span 20 acres and employ nearly 250 people.
Six months ago, Brian Southern – a business advisor and successful entrepreneur – was introduced to local farmers and agricultural leaders by Nichole Like, CEO at The Pantheon business incubator and co-working space. From those conversations, he learned about Knox County’s illustrious reputation as one of the nation’s primary watermelon production hubs, and the substantial amounts of organic waste generated annually. AgroRenew’s innovative bioplastics manufacturing plant will harness this local resource, ingeniously transforming watermelon waste into biodegradable and sustainable bioplastics. This pioneering endeavor aligns seamlessly with AgroRenew’s mission to reduce the environmental impact of plastic production and create a circular economy model.
“Our journey from concept to realization has been a remarkable testament to the power of innovation and collaboration at The Pantheon. With our cutting-edge processing plant, we aim to not only redefine the plastics industry but also contribute significantly to the local economy while prioritizing environmental sustainability,” says Southern.
AgroRenew’s initial target crops are watermelon, cantaloupe, and pumpkin waste, totaling 100 million pounds per season. Broken down into 4 phases, the processing facility will span 5 acres to complete Phase I with a need for a total 20 acres for projected growth. At a later date, the company plans to establish a Bioplastics Innovation Center next to the processing facility. This 16,000 sq. ft. research facility will sit on 21 acres of experimental crop development; AgroRenew expects to hire an additional 22 science and engineering jobs.
“The establishment of AgroRenew’s bioplastics manufacturing plant is expected to generate numerous benefits for Knox County and its residents, including the creation of new job opportunities, economic growth, and reduced environmental impact,” says Chris Pfaff, CEO of the Knox County Indiana Economic Development. “As the company prepares to break ground and commence construction, anticipation is building for the positive transformation that this venture will bring to the region – jobs, growth, and inspiration for future startups at The Pantheon.”
The Pantheon business incubator and innovation theatre is a renovated 1920s-styletheatre with over 15,000 sq. ft. of working space located in the heart of downtown Vincennes. The facility includes open working spaces, private offices, conference rooms, a kitchen, and event space.
“The Pantheon offers no-cost business advising services to the public for a variety of business needs – startup ideation and de-risking, training and referrals, legal help, funding, certifications, pitch competitions, and a library of cultivated tools to help small businesses thrive in Knox County,” says Nichole Like, CEO at The Pantheon.
“The Pantheon deserves 100% of the credit. If it weren’t for the connections I made while networking with locals and the reliable support given from their leaders, myidea wouldn’t have had the resources to flourish to what it is today,” says Katie Southern, AgroRenew’s Chief Science Officer. “The many partnerships we’ve formed and collaborations made to ensure prosperous economic growth, we owe to The Pantheon.”
AgroRenew is actively collaborating with local authorities, environmental organizations, and community stakeholders to ensure a seamless and sustainable integration of their bioplastics manufacturing facility. The company is committed to adhering to the highest environmental standards, fostering a sense of responsibility towards the local ecosystem and global environment.
CEOs speaking at Reuters Transform Food Today Announce the First-of-its-Kind Livestock Carbon Inset Market has First Carbon Credits Verified for Sale
Athian (athian.ai) announced today the establishment of the first-of-its-kind voluntary livestock carbon insetting marketplace, with the first accepted protocol aimed at reducing enteric methane emissions and improving feed utilization by using innovative feed management products from Elanco Animal Health (NYSE: ELAN). This new carbon marketplace creates an opportunity for farmers to monetize their greenhouse gas emission reductions.
Athian is verifying its first farms and creating, certifying and selling carbon credits within the dairy value chain. This means:
Dairy farmers of all sizes now have the opportunity to implement on-farm sustainability interventions, measure the impact and participate in third-party verification for their greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The resulting carbon credits can be offered for sale in Athian’s livestock carbon insetting marketplace.
Companies in the dairy value chain (such as consumer-packaged goods companies and food retailers) can then purchase those carbon credits as contributions towards achieving their Scope 3 emissions reduction goals.
With the purchase of these credits, economic value is returned to the farmer via the sale while supporting the U.S. dairy industry progress towards their own environmental commitments of greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050.1
Over the long term, this marketplace will expand to other livestock & poultry.
“Athian’s first carbon credits for dairy are an exciting and crucial step as they demonstrate the ability to tangibly quantify and verify greenhouse gas emissions reductions and create monetary value for farmers for their efforts,” said Paul Myer, CEO of Athian. “This marketplace, specifically designed for the animal protein industry, is different than traditional offsetting carbon marketplaces because it keeps the value—economic value as well as positive environmental value—in the animal protein value chain.”
Empowering Farmers with Economic Opportunities
Despite widespread awareness of carbon markets by farmers, only 3% of farmers are participating in these markets today, according to a recent survey cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).2 Creating an inset market model that works with recognized supply chain partners makes it easier for farmers to measure and implement rigorous verifications, will help break these barriers to entry and accelerate progress.
“As a co-creator and seed investor in Athian, we’re excited to see the company reach the milestones that will bring new value to farmers and help them advance toward climate-neutral farming,” said Jeff Simmons, President and CEO of Elanco Animal Health. “As a leader in animal health, we’ve focused first on delivering enteric methane reduction solutions to producers. If the entire U.S. dairy industry leveraged this intervention, it would avoid 4.7 million metric tons of CO2e emissions annually from enteric, feed and manure emissions. This is a game changer for value creation throughout the food chain, and it’s just the start. Environmental sustainability needs to be grounded in farmer profitability.”
Elanco also developed UpLook™, an insights-based engine designed to measure and monitor greenhouse gas emissions. The tool utilizes on-farm data and peer-reviewed science to identify key drivers of an operation’s carbon footprint and track the progress of their sustainability efforts. UpLook connects seamlessly to Athian’s cloud-based verification system to help farmers quantify their reduction efforts and certify carbon credits for sale.
Enabling The Value Chain to Achieve Sustainability Goals
Food companies and retailers have made public commitments to collectively reduce more than 100 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Despite the progress in corporate target-setting, the reduction of Scope 3 emissions, which typically come from the production of raw materials like milk, has been a significant challenge. The creation of Athian’s insetting livestock carbon credit marketplace provides companies in the animal protein value chain the opportunity to make meaningful progress toward their Scope 3 greenhouse gas reduction goals.
Athian and Elanco are participating in the Reuters Transform Food USA 2023 event on Thursday, November 2, 2023, to speak more about this transformation.
Enteric methane reduction carbon credits are now available for purchase through Athian’s insetting carbon marketplace. Visit www.athian.ai to learn more and connect directly with Athian.
BiomEdit, an emerging animal health biotechnology company, announced today that it has received a $4.5M grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate research and development of a portfolio of novel microbiome-based solutions to reduce methane emissions that also enhance feed efficiency for beef and dairy cattle. This innovation has the potential to significantly impact agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhance the livelihood of small-scale producers and pastoralists in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where cattle are a vital source of income.
FISHERS, Ind., Nov. 1, 2023 –– BiomEdit, an emerging animal health biotechnology company, announced today that it has received a $4.5M grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate research and development of a portfolio of novel microbiome-based solutions to reduce methane emissions that also enhance feed efficiency for beef and dairy cattle. This innovation has the potential to significantly impact agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhance the livelihood of small-scale producers and pastoralists in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where cattle are a vital source of income.
As the number one agricultural source of greenhouse gases worldwide, ruminants like cattle produce methane as part of their normal digestive process. Methane is a major contributor to climate change and each year a single cow alone will belch about 220 pounds of methane. According to the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), livestock contribute up to 80 percent of developing countries’ agricultural GDP and they serve as an important source of nutrition and livelihood for small-scale producers and pastoral communities. Finding a way to reduce methane emissions in native cattle in their local habitat while increasing productivity is key to environmental and economic sustainability, particularly for Africa and South Asia.
“To meaningfully impact climate change, there must be a simultaneous benefit of reducing methane emission in cattle plus redirecting spare energy, which would otherwise go to creating methane, to increasing feed efficiency for nutritious meat and milk,” said Aaron Schacht, CEO of BiomEdit.
BiomEdit’s solutions will target the rumen microbiome, which is the community of microorganisms that live in a cow’s digestive tract. The rumen microbiome plays a key role in digestion, with specific microorganisms responsible for methane production. The company will take a multi-pronged approach to leverage natural and synthetic probiotics and bioactives that robustly reduce methane emissions and increase cattle performance by inhibiting energy losses through methanogenesis and enhancing production of volatile fatty acids (VFA, the main source of energy from the rumen). Pathways to administer the innovations could take the form of feed additives, feed supplements, veterinary biologics, or pharmaceuticals.
“To make a meaningful impact on climate change, there must be a simultaneous benefit of reducing methane emission in cattle plus redirecting the spare energy, which would otherwise go to creating methane, to increasing feed efficiency so everyone can benefit from nutritious meat and milk – no matter where they are in the world. The answer is found through the microbiome and synthetic biology,” said Aaron Schacht, CEO of BiomEdit. “We are grateful for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s belief in our Methane Reduction R&D program, and excited to partner with them to enable both large- and small-scale producers to benefit from the innovations.”
A range of current strategies for methane reduction are in development or on the market, however, direct inhibition of methanogens has shown the largest effect on mitigating enteric methane emissions. An issue with many products currently available is farmers must fund an additional input to gain methane emission reduction and feed efficiency, so they do not often see a sufficient return on investment. Developing methane mitigation products that can improve production efficiency and pay for themselves will make this approach financially feasible for farmers, encouraging them to participate.
BiomEdit’s Development Platform and People
BiomEdit’s research is based on their unique platform combining well-curated microbial reference libraries, microbiome analytics, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence (AI) to develop novel biologic products targeting significant challenges facing animals, humans, and our shared habitat.
As pioneers in the application of AI and machine learning in animal health, patterns and relationships are identified in the data to generate novel insights into how an animal’s microbiome shifts as it transitions from health to disease and back again – leading to a deeper level of knowledge about how the microbiome functions as an ecosystem.
The BiomEdit team is a diverse group of innovators with an entrepreneurial spirit: scientists with deep expertise in microbiome science and product development. The Methane Reduction R&D program team alone holds over 50 patent applications and more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications. The company also plans to collaborate with leading experts in rumen microbiome analysis at key academic research institutions on this project.
Keeping livestock producers’ livelihoods in mind, BiomEdit announced in October a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Athian, the world’s first cloud-based carbon marketplace for the livestock industry, to develop sustainability protocols and products in parallel. The company helps livestock producers capture and claim carbon credits earned through sustainability efforts by aggregating, validating, and certifying greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, and monetizing those reductions for the producer through the sale of carbon insetting credits.
About BiomEdit
BiomEdit is an emerging animal health biotechnology company that leverages a unique platform combining the leading science of the microbiome with synthetic biology to innovate novel animal health products to address challenges in livestock production and pet health. Founded through a strategic partnership in 2022 between Elanco Animal Health (NYSE: ELAN) and Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), the company was born from a carve-out of technology and assets from Elanco combined with access to Ginkgo’s leading cell programming platform technology. BiomEdit is a private venture funded by Anterra Capital, Viking Global Investors, Ferment, and Nutreco Ventures. In 2022, BiomEdit was recognized by S&P Global Animal Health as Best Start-up in Animal Health in its annual animal health industry awards. www.biomedit.com
Biotech – everything from innovation in seeds and animal vaccines to new foods and human medicines – hold tremendous opportunity to transform the future. The science also represents significant opportunity to create new jobs and improve America’s national security. Those were just a few of the key theses outlined in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and key reasons why the US Department of Commerce designated Indiana one of 31 federal tech hubs in October. Today we are joined by Dave Roberts and Andrew Kossack of The Applied Research Institute to share more about what this designation means.
They talk about how the tech hub came to be, Indiana’s strengths on the balance sheet – from agbioscience to advanced manufacturing – and our ability to collaborate across industries in the application process. A question you might have: what exactly is a tech hub? Dave and Andrew get into what the Heartland Bioworks tech hub means for Indiana, our future potential and how see animal, plant and human science coming together to advance the state’s economy.
Purdue researcher honored for service to nation in research of plant genetics
President Joe Biden on Tuesday (Oct. 24) awarded the National Medal of Science to Gebisa Ejeta, Distinguished Professor of Plant Breeding & Genetics and International Agriculture, executive director of the Purdue Center for Global Food Security and Purdue University Presidential Fellow for Food Security and Sustainable Global Development. The award is the highest recognition the nation bestows upon scientists.
Ejeta studies sorghum, an ancient grain used widely as a food source for humans and livestock. He received the 2009 World Food Prize for his research in creating sorghum hybrids that are resistant to both severe drought and the destructive parasitic Striga weed. The resulting dramatic increase in sorghum production has helped feed hundreds of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Gebisa Ejeta is one of the most impactful geneticists in the world, a remarkable leader at Purdue in food security research, and a role model of perseverance for all Boilermakers. Our university celebrates another prestigious and richly deserved honor, bestowed by the president of the United States, to Gebisa, and I am delighted to join him on behalf of our university at the White House ceremony today,” said Purdue University President Mung Chiang. “With this latest exciting news, Purdue faculty and alumni have received 19 National Medals of Science, of Technology and Innovation, of Humanities or the Presidential Medal of Freedom, including three current faculty members.”
According to the White House, Ejeta was honored for outstanding contributions to the science of plant genetics. By developing sorghum strains that withstand droughts and parasites, he has improved food security for millions. His advocacy for science, policy and institutions as key to economic development “has lifted the fortunes of farmers and strengthens the souls of nations.”
Ejeta has served at the highest advisory levels of science and national policy, including as special advisor to the administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development, as science envoy of the U.S. State Department, and as a member of the National Academy of Sciences Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources. He also has been a member of the U.S. Board for International Food and Agricultural Development and the U.N. Secretary’s Scientific Advisory Board.
Ejeta is an advocate for purpose-driven research. His own work is focused on elucidating the genetic and physiological mechanisms of important sorghum traits. Grain sorghum is the world’s fifth-most important cereal crop. With its superior drought tolerance and broad adaptation, sorghum is grown worldwide, serving as a staff of life for over 500 million people in developing countries, and is the second-most important feed crop in the United States. Ejeta’s research addresses some of the most crucial traits of sorghum production and utilization, including nutritional quality; drought and cold tolerance; and resistance to pests, diseases and Striga. He also investigates concerns of global biodiversity, gene flow and the use of sorghum as a biofuel crop.
The goal of Ejeta’s sorghum research program is the development, release and deployment of improved sorghum cultivars for both food and feed use. His sorghum research is generally characterized by its sustained commitment to translational approaches that generates products and technologies from research findings to impact farm productivity and the eventual utilization and profitability of the crop postharvest. He utilizes a variety of research tools and works in interdisciplinary collaboration with a number of other scientists and programs. Ejeta has released many inbred lines and improved sorghum varieties and hybrids for use both in the United States and in Africa. His cultivars have been successfully deployed in several African countries.
Graduate education, mentoring of professionals and developing partnerships are integral components of his sorghum research program. Ejeta has trained and mentored a large cadre of domestic and international students and professionals at Purdue and in collaboration with other institutions. He has led many collaborative agricultural research and development projects, catalyzed the creation of public and private seed enterprises, and facilitated the formation of public-private partnerships in collaborating countries.
Ejeta was born and raised in a small rural community in west-central Ethiopia and was awarded the nation’s National Hero Award, Ethiopia’s highest honor, in 2009. He earned his master’s and PhD in plant breeding and genetics from Purdue, where he has been a College of Agriculture faculty member and researcher since 1984.
