Source: UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS submitted to NRP
SOYBEAN RESEARCH ILLINOIS, SOYBEAN DISEASE BIOTECHNOLOGY CENTER
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
SPECIAL GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0203222
Grant No.
2005-34488-15693
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
2005-06166
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2005
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2008
Grant Year
2005
Program Code
[TQ]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
2001 S. Lincoln Ave.
URBANA,IL 61801
Performing Department
UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION
Non Technical Summary
Soybean diseases currently cause losses estimated at about 15 percent of the total annual soybean production. The Soybean Disease Biotechnology Center has been established with the mission to identify current useful technologies to protect the U.S. soybean crop and to seek out and facilitate the implementation of novel strategies and technologies to reduce losses and increase profitability for the U.S. soybean industry.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2030499116020%
2030499305010%
2031820116010%
2031820305010%
6090499116010%
6090499305010%
6091820116010%
6091820305020%
Knowledge Area
203 - Plant Biological Efficiency and Abiotic Stresses Affecting Plants; 609 - Economic Theory and Methods;

Subject Of Investigation
1820 - Soybean; 0499 - Atmosphere, general/other;

Field Of Science
1160 - Pathology; 3050 - Law;
Goals / Objectives
The overall purpose of the Soybean Disease Biotechnolgy Center is to employ novel strategies and technologies to the current and pending agricultural plant disease problems contributing to reductions in yield losses in the U.S. Key areas of research pursued by the Center include: 1. Search for novel resistance genes and expansion of the U.S. soybean germplasm base; 2. Identification and function of pathogen virulence genes; 3. Identification and function of host resistance genes; 4. Characterization of initial infection events; 5. Disease detection methods; 6. Dissection of the genetic pathways involved in host-pathogen interactions leading to disease; and 7. Novel application of nanotechnology techniques to biological issues. In addition, scholarly efforts to better understand the linkages and interactions between research advances and potential economic, legal, and societal impacts of those advances are central to the Center's efforts. Four research teams will be brought together to: 1. Research linkages between changing atmospheric conditions and disease; 2. Examine legal, regulatory, business and technological solutions to the intellectual property challenges faced by developers of genetically modified soybean varieties, as well as farmers that adopt this technology; 3. Expore the relationship between industry structure and innovation; and 4. Investigate the implications of framing agricultural biotechnology as a complex, adaptive system. The Center will actively disseminate research results to the soybean industry trhough web-based programs such as the Varietal Information Program for Soybeans (VIPS) and a website.
Project Methods
Research linkages between changing atmospheric conditions and disease will be examined under fully open air conditions controlling ozone treatment with free-air concentration enrichment technology. From germination to harvest, replicate plots will be treated with ambient +25% ozone, elevated ozone plus CO2 elevated to 550 ppb, plus four control plots. Each plot will include over 20 sub-plots, each containing a variety selected or engineered for varied ozone or disease tolerance. Disease incidence and severity will be monitored throughout development via observation, in situ physiological assessment, and genomic and proteomic analysis. Yield will be measured at harvest for three growing seasons. To examine intellectual property challenges faced by developers of GMO soybeans, a database of resolved patent lawsuits will be used to explore how recent changes in procedures governing patent litigation have been implemented. In addition, since the rate of economic growth peaked in 2000 and was slowing in 2001, we will be able to explore whether general economic conditions influence the level of expenditures and value of a formal ruling in patent cases. To examine legal, regulatory, business and technological solutions to the IP challenges faced by developers of GM soybean varieties, descriptive and prescriptive modules will be used. The descriptive module involves legal research to investigate use restrictions on genetically modified soybeans that are protected by various forms of intellectual property and to evaluate proposed statutory changes to the current legal and regulatory paradigm. This project will integrate business and technological options for enforcing intellectual property rights in comparatively weak legal and regulatory environments and offer a prescription to firms designed to encourage continued research investment in soybean varieties and equalize competition for domestic farmers. To explore the effects of industry structure on technology innovation, a multi-method comparison of four industries: agricultural biotechnology, nanotechnology, information technology (personal computers), and telecommunications (wireless and fixed services)will be employed. To explore whether viewing technology development and adoption as a complex adaptive system (CAS) can provide useful insights, several techniques will be utilized including: expertise from engineering, management sciences, economics and agricultural economics, geography and other areas will be solicited; the extent and success of prior analyses applying these concepts to topics similar to the development and adoption of agricultural biotechnology will be studied; a draft framework will focus on findings; a research workshop/symposium will be conducted to critique and augment the conceptural framework; and a white paper will be produced upon completion of the symposium.

Progress 07/01/05 to 06/30/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Outreach and education activities to advance knowledge generated by this research include invited talks and lectures for over 60 professional meetings, conferences, symposia, academic seminars, management briefings, and panel discussions. Education and outreach media include books and book chapters, numerous domestic and international newspapers and magazines, radio interviews, and the Internet. Target audiences include government policy makers, domestic and international academic colleagues, kindergarten to college students, various industry groups including commodity associations, Farm Bureaus, CERES Inc., BASF Corp. employees, farmers around the world, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists. PARTICIPANTS: Mary Ann Lila was a Project Director and served on the Steering Committee that provided program oversite. Steve Sonka was a Project Director, served on the Steering Committee that provided program oversite, and was the Senior Researcher for the project titled Agricultural Biotech as a Complex Adaptive System. Steve Long was a Senior Researcher for the project titled Soy Free-Air Concentration Enrichment technology (SoyFACE). Jay Kesan was a Senior Researcher for the project titled Empirical Study of Patent Litigation in Agricultural Biotechnology and Empirical Analysis of Patent Citations. Bryan Endres was a Senior Researcher for the project titled Legal, Regulatory, Business and Technological Solutions to Intellectual Property Challenges. Pradeep Khanna was a Senior Researcher for the project titled the Varietal Information Program for Soybeans (VIPS). TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences for this research include government policy makers, domestic and international academic researchers, high school and college students, various soybean industry group including commodity associations, Farm Bureaus, soybean seed and chemical companies, farmers around the world, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists. Outreach activities or processes that deliver science-based knowledge to people through formal or informal educational programs and that could potentially result in a change of knowledge included invited talks and lectures at over 60 professional meetings, conferences, symposia, academic seminars, management briefings, and panel discussions around the world. Additionally, education and outreach media included books and book chapters, numerous domestic and international newspapers and magazines, radio interviews, and the Internet. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
The Soy Free-Air Concentration Enrichment technology (SoyFACE) project has provided the first proof that current levels of surface ozone is lowering current soybean yields 15 - 25% and expected 2050 ozone levels will lower yields 20% more; discovery that conventional selection of new cultivars against rising ozone has not resulted in any decrease in symptoms of ozone damage; identification of variation in yield ozone tolerance within the national soybean germplasm collection; discovery from expression of genes that may underlie tolerance to ozone pathology; discovered that genotypes of soybean show significant variation in total antioxidant capacity, which correlates with yield and response to elevated ozone; shown that growth at elevated ozone alters the antioxidant capacity of soybeans, causing an increase in phenolic content and an increase in the total content of ascorbate; and revealed that elevated ozone alters leaf area and development by reducing initial cell number and cell size. The Empirical Study of Patent Litigation in Agricultural Biotechnology and Empirical Analysis of Patent Citations project determined how that enforcement of property rights generates disparate incentives in the soybean biotech sector. This project exposed the limitations in approaches employed by university technology transfer offices in transferring technology into useful products and services. This empirical analysis shows that universities need to move beyond merely focusing on generating licensing revenue and should instead consider the full range of possible outcomes in transferring university technology, including promoting start-up companies, engaging in sponsored research, exchanging technologies with the private sector through cross-licensing, and embracing royalty-free licenses. The project Legal, Regulatory, Business and Technological Solutions to Intellectual Property Challenges confirms that soybean production and processing firms operate in weak legal environments in the global market under fierce competition. This project puts forth strategic advice on how to maximize investment returns in the global market. The project Agricultural Biotech as a Complex Adaptive System showed that the explosion of demand and associated price volatility of biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) illustrate the symptoms of behaviors associated with complex adaptive systems. This research enabled both market participants and academic audiences to better understand the underlying economic dynamics of current biofuel markets and to extend that understanding to a more informed assessment of future market developments. Participants in the presentations were better able to define future opportunities and adapt to the volatile nature of future markets. The Varietal Information Program for Soybeans (VIPS) program supports a database viewed at www.soybeans.org, which provides the soybean industry with a web-based, decision support tool. Annually in January, soybean producers and seed companies select their favorite varieties to be evaluated for yield, protein and oil content, and disease resistance, and this information is online and available in hardcopy by November.

Publications

  • Websites The Varietal Information Program for Soybeans (VIPS), viewed at www.vipsoybeans.org. 2008.
  • Kesan, Jay (ed.). 2007. Agricultural biotechnology and intellectual property: Seeds of change. CABI Publishing Co., Oxford.
  • Invited talks: Invited Plenary Speaker and Chair,Plants Mitigating Global Change,The Grand Challenge to Plant Biology for the 21st Century, Annual Meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists, Boston, MA (August, 2006), 1800 Participants.
  • Invited Speaker and Chair,Global Food Insecurity Lower Than Expected Crop Yield Stimulation with Rising Carbon Dioxide Concentrations. American Society of Agronomy and Crops Science Society of America Soil Science Society of America, International Annual Meeting, Indianapolis IN (November, 2006),4000 Participants.
  • Invited Plenary and Annals of Botany Speaker, Mechanisms of plant response to atmospheric change and opportunities for adaptation; with particular reference to findings in Free-Air Concentration Enrichment (FACE).Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Societies for Biochemistry and Biology, ComBio.Brisbane, Australia (September 2006), 2200 Participants.
  • Invited Plenary Speaker, Atmospheric and Climate Change. Will the impacts on soybean be larger or smaller in South America Mercosoja 2006, Rosario, Argentina (July 2006), 3500 Participants.
  • Invited Speaker, China FACE review meeting. Open-air elevation of surface ozone and soybean. Institute of Soil Science, Academica Sinica, Nanjing, China (Mar. 2007), 100 participants.
  • Invited Speaker, FACE review meeting. SoyFACE 2001-2006. What have we learned University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan (Mar. 2007). 100 participants
  • Invited 27th GE Blackman Annual Lecturer, How will crops respond to global atmospheric change From Genes to Fields. University of Oxford, Oxford, UK (May 2007), 400 participants.
  • Invited talk, Goldsmith, P.D. and A.B. Endres, Chicago Federal Reserve, September 8, 2005, Soybean Intellectual Property and Research & Development Incentives.
  • Invited talk, Goldsmith, P.D. and A.B. Endres, 2005. University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, and Latin American Congress on Fats and Oils, Buenos Aires, Argentina, November, Bolsa Blanca: debilidad de los derechos de propiedad intelectual y sus efectos de largo plazo en el complejo oleaginsos argentino.
  • Jan 2006, International Academies of Science (IAC) Discussion Meeting, Lawrence Berkeley, CA
  • Feb 2006, BASF Corp Seminar Series, Cory, NC
  • Feb 2006, Central Illinois Irrigated Growers Association Annual Meeting, Havana, IL
  • Seedquest (June 29, 2006), http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2006/june/16196.htm
  • Brightsuf (June 30, 2006), http://www.brightsurf.com/news/headlines/25198/Food-crop_yields_in_fu ture_greenhouse-gas_conditions_lower_than_expected.html
  • Political Gateway (June 29, 2006), http://www.politicalgateway.com/news/read/22166
  • Journal of Young Investigators (July 7, 2006), http://www.jyi.org/news/nb.phpid=743
  • Earths Observatory (June 29, 2006), http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/MediaAlerts/2006/2006062922 566.html
  • Long SP, Ainsworth EA, Leakey ADB, Nosberger J, Ort DR (2006). Food for thought: Lower than expected crop yield stimulation with rising CO2 concentrations. Science 312: 1918-1921.
  • Long SP, Ainsworth EA, Leakey ADB, Ort DR, Nosberger J, Schimel D (2007). Crop models, CO2, and climate change, Response. Science 315: 460-460.
  • Bernacchi CJ, Leakey ADB, Heady LE, Morgan PB, Dohleman FG, McGrath JM, Gillespie KM, Wittig VE, Rogers A, Long SP, Ort DR (2006) Hourly and seasonal variation in photosynthesis and stomatal conductance of soybean grown at future CO2 and ozone concentrations for 3 years under fully open-air field conditions. Plant Cell and Environment 29: 2077-2090.
  • Dermody O, Long SP, DeLucia EH (2006). How does elevated CO2 or ozone affect the leaf area index of soybean when applied independently New Phytologist 169: 145-155
  • Dermody O, Long SP, McConnaughay K, DeLucia EH (2008). How do elevated CO2 and O3 affect the interception and utilization of radiation by a soybean canopy Global Change Biology 14: 556-564.
  • Morgan PB, Mies TA, Bollero GA, Nelson RL, Long SP (2006). Season-long elevation of ozone concentration to projected 2050 levels under fully open-air conditions substantially decreases the growth and production of soybean. New Phytologist 170: 333-343.
  • Schroeder JB, Gray ME, Ratcliffe ST, Estes RE, Long SP (2006). Effects of elevated CO2 and O3 on a variant of the western corn rootworm (Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae). Environmental Entomology 35: 637-644.
  • Ainsworth E.A., Gillespie K.M. 2007. Estimation of total phenolic content and other oxidation substrates in plant tissues using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. Nature Protocols 2: 875-877.
  • Ainsworth E.A., Rogers A., Leakey A.D.B. 2008. Targets for crop biotechnology in a future high CO2 and high O3 world. Plant Physiology 147: 13-19.
  • Gillespie K.M., Ainsworth E.A. 2007. Measurement of reduced, oxidized and total ascorbate content in plants. Nature Protocols 2: 871-874.
  • Gillespie K.M., Chae J.M., Ainsworth E.A. 2007. Rapid measurement of total antioxidant capacity in plants. Nature Protocols 2: 867-870.
  • Endres AB and Goldsmith PD. 2007. Alternative Business Strategies in Weak Intellectual Property Environments: A Law and Economics Analysis of the Agro-Biotechnology Firm's Strategic Dilemma, J. of Intellectual Prop. L. 237.
  • The Patent System We Have Today and the Case for Patent Reform, Howard T. Markey Patent Law Symposium on Innovation and Its Discontents: Patent Reform and Innovation Policy in the 21st Century, John Marshall Law School, Oct. 14, 2005, Chicago, Illinois.
  • Mar 2006, Mendel Biotechnology Colloquia, San Francisco, CA
  • Mar 2006, Plant Sciences, Cornell University Seminar, Ithaca, NY
  • Mar 2006, Champaign County Farm Bureau, Champaign, IL
  • Apr 2006, Students For Environmental Concerns Earth Day Panel, Champaign, IL
  • Apr 2006, Spring 2006 ACDIS Seminar Series, Urbana, IL
  • Apr 2006, Sustainable Agriculture Symposium,Urbana, IL
  • Apr 2006, Iowa State Weekly Seminar, Ames, IA
  • Jun 2006, Dudley Smith K-12 Teachers Group, Pana, IL
  • Jun 2006, Energy Centre Seminar, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Isreal
  • Jul 2006, Christian County Fair, Taylorville, IL
  • Jul 2006, Central Illinois Irrigated Growers Association Plot Tours, Havana, IL
  • Aug 2006, Champaign area K-12 Teachers, Savoy, IL
  • Aug 2006, Dixon Springs Field Day, Dixon Springs, IL
  • Nov 2005, Presentation to Brazilian farmers group, Urbana, IL
  • May 2007, Presentation to Brazilian farmers group, Urbana, IL
  • June 2008, Presentation to Argentine farmer group, Urbana, IL
  • Aug 2008, Presentation to middle school girls attending Math, Science and Engineering camp, Urbana, IL Scientific American (Jul 2,2006), http://www.sciam.com/article.cfmchanID=sa003&articleID=0006B51F-9073 -14A5-907383414B7F0000
  • Globe and Mail (June 30, 2006), http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060630.wxcrops30 /BNStory/National/home
  • St. Louis Post-Dispatch (June 29, 2006), http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/sciencemedicine/sto ry/7BE1DD166CA247D68625719D0019240FOpenDocument
  • Chicago Tribune (June 30, 2006), http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0606300155jun30,1, 147123.storycoll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
  • Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette (July 1, 2006), http://www.news-gazette.com/news/agriculture/2006/06/30/ui_ag_researc hers_look_50_years_ahead
  • Dekalb Daily Cronicle (July 1, 2006), http://www.daily-chronicle.com/articles/2006/07/01/news/news04.txt
  • Eurek Alert (June 29, 2006), http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-06/uoia-fyi062606.php
  • Chicago Tribune (July 16, 2006), http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/DN-en vcropsdog_16nat.ART.State.Bulldog.242c3c1.html
  • Environment News (July 3, 2006), http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/7451.html
  • Voice of America News (Jun. 30, 2006), http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-06-30-voa64.cfm
  • Post Chronicle (June 30, 2006), http://www.postchronicle.com/news/science/article_21225995.shtml
  • News Bureau (June 29, 2006), http://www.news.uiuc.edu/news/06/0629soyface.html
  • Terradaily (July 3, 2006), http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Food_Crop_Yields_In_Future_Greenhou se_Gas_Conditions_Lower_Than_Expected_999.html
  • Innovations Report (June 30, 2006), http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/agricultural_sciences/ report-67180.html
  • Green Car Congress (June 30, 2006), http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/06/research_sugges.html
  • Northwest Indiana Times (June 29. 2006), http://nwitimes.com/articles/2006/06/29/updates/region_and_state/7b57 3ee7897806ef8625719c005c29b5.txt
  • Science a Go GO (July 26, 2006), http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20060626031033data_trunc_sys.shtml
  • Eurek Alert (July 25, 2006), http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-07/uoia-fyi072506.php
  • Joliet Herald News (July 2, 2006), http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/business/4_3_JO02_CLIMA TE_S10702.htm
  • Checkbiotech (June 30, 2006), http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfmfuseaction=news&doc_id=130 59&start=1&control=181&page_start=1&page_nr=101&pg=1
  • The News Gazette (June 30, 2006), http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2006/06/30/ui_ag_researchers_l ook_50_years_ahead
  • Contra Costa Times (June 29, 2007), http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/nation/14933307.htm
  • Columbus Ledger Enquirer (June 29, 2007), http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/nation/1493330 7.htm
  • San Luis Obispo Tribune (June 29, 2007), http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/nation/14933307.h tm
  • Macon Telegraph (June 29, 2007), http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/nation/14933307.htm
  • Bradenton Herald (June 29, 2007), http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/nation/14933307.htm
  • Kansas City Star (June 29, 2007), http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/14933307.htm
  • Monterey County Herald (June 29, 2007), http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/nation/14933307 .htm
  • Biloxi Sun Herald (June 29, 2007), http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/nation/14933307.htm
  • Globe and Mail (June 30, 2006), http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060630.CROPS30/TPS tory/Environment
  • The State (June 29, 2007), http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/nation/14933307.htm
  • Duluth News Tribune (June 29, 2006), http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/nation/14933307 .htm
  • Grand Forks Herald (June 29, 2007), http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/nation/14933307.htm
  • Myrtle Beach Sun News (June 29, 2007), http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/nation/14 933307.htm
  • Centre Daily Times (June 29, 2007), http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/nation/14933307.htm
  • Belleville News (June 29, 2007), http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/nation/14933307.htm
  • Charlotte Observer (June 29, 2007), http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/nation/14933307.htm
  • Agbioforum, vol. 8, pp. 118-126 (2005), Property Rights and Incentives to Invest in Seed Varieties: Governmental Regulations in Argentina, J. Kesan and A. Gallo.
  • Emory L.J. 61 (2006), Why Do Bad Patents Survive in the Market and How Should We Change The Private and Social Costs of Patents, J. Kesan and A. Gallo.
  • Minn. J. L. Sci. and Tech. 565 (May 2006) (invited contribution), Property Rights Legislation in Agricultural Biotechnology: United States and Argentina, J. Kesan and A. Gallo.
  • Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment L.J. 1081 (2006), Licensing Restrictions and Appropriating Market Benefits from Plant Innovation, J. Kesan.
  • WASH. UNIV. L. REV. 237 (formerly Washington University Law Quarterly) (2006). How Are Patent Cases Resolved An Empirical Examination of the Adjudication and Settlement of Patent Disputes, J. Kesan and G. Ball. This article was among the Top 5 Most Downloaded Articles in All Fields on SSRN. It has now been downloaded over 1600 times.
  • Radio interviews: http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspxstoryid=97265Voice of America News, Scientists find Global Warming Hurts Crops (Jun. 2006)
  • BBC Radio 4, Weekly Science Program, The Leading Edge, Crops and Climate Change, (June 2006), http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/leadingedge.shtml
  • BBC World Service, Science in Action Program, Crops, Climate Change and Food Supply, (June 2006). http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/science_in_action.shtml.
  • BBC Radio 4 & World Service, Special Series on Global Change. One world to hot to feed, One 30 minute program in the series was devoted to the SoyFACE project and the findings with ozone. (Jan 2007).
  • Publications: Ainsworth EA, Leakey ADB, Ort DR, Long SP (2008) FACEing the facts: inconsistencies and interdependence among field, chamber and modeling studies of elevated CO2 impacts on crop yield and food supply. New Phytologist 179: 5 to 9.
  • Long SP, Ainsworth EA, Leakey ADB, Morgan PB (2005). Global food insecurity. Treatment of major food crops with elevated carbon dioxide or ozone under large scale fully open-air conditions suggests recent models may have overestimated future yields. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences 360: 2011-2020.
  • Invited Commencement Speaker and Honorary Doctorate Awardee, Addressing Global Atmospheric Change the Challenge of the 21st Century, University of Lancaster, Lancaster, UK (July 2007), 3000 participants.
  • Invited Speaker; Environment Centre, Special Lecture, Plants Mitigating Global Change via Sustainable Biofuel Production. University of Lancaster, Lancaster, UK (July 2007), 200 participants.
  • Invited Speaker, Seminar Series. Plants mitigating global. Rothamsted Research Station, Harpenden, UK (Oct. 2007), 100 participants.
  • Invited Speaker, Japan-US NSF Environmental Plant Physiology Workshop, Phenotypic plasticity in the response to photosynthetic productivity to atmospheric change, with particular reference to the SoyFACE project. Nikko, Japan (Oct. 2007), 1000 participants.
  • Invited Plenary Speaker, BIOAsia 2007 and the 6th Annual Asian Crop Science Conference, Improving crop yields under atmospheric change A theoretical framework for applying biotechnology, Bangkok, Thailand (Nov. 2007), 10,000 participants.
  • Invited Speaker; Animal & Plant Biology Seminar Series, How will plants respond directly to global atmospheric change From Genes to Fields. University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK (Nov. 2007), 100 participants.
  • Invited Speaker; Climate Change Opportunities Review, Food for thought: Open-air experiments show lower than expected crop yield stimulation at elevated CO2 and O3] in the field. Monsanto, St. Louis MO (Mar. 2007), 40 participants.
  • Invited Speaker - Molecular and Environmental Plant Sciences (MEPS) Graduate Symposium on Frontiers in Plant Biology, How will crops respond to global atmospheric change From genes to fields, Texas A&M University, College Station TX (Mar. 2007), 200 participants.
  • Invited Speaker,Seminar Series. Food for thought: Open-air experiments show lower than expected crop yield stimulation at elevated [CO2] and [O3] in the field. CERES Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA (Apr. 2007), 50 participants.
  • Invited speaker. Effects of rising CO2 and O3 on agricultural ecosystems. Ecological Society of America Meeting, San Jose, CA. (2007).
  • Invited speaker. Soybean responses to elevated O3 under FACE. NE1013 Annual Technical Committee Meeting. Rhinelander, WI. (2007).
  • Invited speaker. Variation in soybean cultivar responses to elevated tropospheric ozone. Gordon Research Conference CO2 assimilation: From genome to biome. Biddeford, ME. (2008).
  • Invited speaker. Soybean cultivar variation in response to elevated ozone concentration. Biennial Conference on Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Soybean, Indianapolis, IN. (2008).
  • Invited speaker. The effect of atmospheric conditions on the susceptibility of soybean to future ozone stress. Biennial Conference on Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Soybean, Indianapolis, IN. (2008).
  • Invited (Senator Lugar of Indianas Office) Presentation and QandA on the Direct Effects of Atmospheric Change on Crop Production, to the Congressional Briefing, Global Climate Change Impacts and Opportunities for Agriculture, Russell Senate Building, Washington, DC. This was followed by dialogue with members of Senator Obamas Office and Kevin Johnson in Representative Johnsons Office, May 2006.
  • Adjudication and Settlement of Patent Disputes, An Empirical Study of Court Decisions, Second Annual Intellectual Property and Communications Law and Policy Conference, Michigan State University College of Law, Feb. 19, 2005, East Lansing, Michigan.
  • Tech-Transfer Offices As Intermediaries (On Their Own Terms), Invited Talk, W(h)ither the Middleman: The Role and Future of Intermediaries in the Information Age, Michigan State University College of Law, April 8, 2005, East Lansing, Michigan.
  • An Empirical Study of the Characteristics of Dispositions in Patent Lawsuits, with G. Ball, Law and Society Annual Meeting, June 2, 2005, Las Vegas, Nevada.
  • The Political Economy of the Patent System, with A. Gallo, 5th Annual Intellectual Property Scholars Conference, Aug. 11, 2005, New York, New York.
  • Insecure Property Rights and Plant Innovation: The Effect on the Market for Seeds in Argentina, with A. Gallo, 5th Annual Midwest Law and Economics Association Meeting, Northwestern University, Oct. 14, 2005, Chicago, Illinois.
  • Presenter and Panel Discussant, Conf. on Exploring the Limits: Recent Challenges to the Scope of IP Law, Fordham University, Nov. 18, 2005, New York, New York. Edited remarks to be published in the Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal, 2006.
  • Granting Patents Commensurate With Innovation, Invited Contribution to Symposium on Law and the Information Society, Apr. 7-8, 2005, New York, New York.
  • Patent Reform: Taking Stock,IQPC Pharmaceutical and Biotech Patent Strategies Conf., Sept. 26, 2006, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Why We Need Transaction Cost Engineering, Symp. on Patents and Diversity in Innovation, University of Michigan, Sept. 290, 2006, Ann Arbor, MI.
  • Insecure Property Rights, R and D Investment and Plant Innovation: U.S. and Argentina, with A. Gallo, 4th Annual Works In Progress in Intellectual property Symp., Oct. 6, 2006, Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Probabilistic Patents, with M. Banik, Midwestern Law and Economics Association Meeting, University of Kansas, Oct. 20, 2006, Lawrence, KS.
  • How Are Patent Cases Resolved An Empirical Examination of the Adjudication and Settlement of Patent Disputes, with G. Ball, First Conference on Empirical Legal Studies (CELS), University of Texas at Austin, Oct. 27, 2006, Austin, Texas.
  • Asymmetric Bargaining Power Among Patent Litigants and their Influence on Case Outcomes: What is the Importance of the Nature of the Parties, with G. Ball, 28th Annual APPAM Research Conf., Nov. 2, 2006, Madison, WI.
  • Property Rights, R and D Investment, and Plant Innovation: A Comparative Perspective, Intl Conference on Emerging Trends in Intellectual Property, National Law School, NALSAR, Dec. 15, 2006, Hyderabad, India.
  • Patent Oppositions: The Devil Is In The Details,Conference on Patent Reform, Ohio State University, Feb. 23, 2007, Columbus, OH.
  • Patent Oppositions: The Devil Is In The Details, 7th Annual CIPLIT Symp., DePaul University, Mar. 15, 2007, Chicago, IL.
  • The Research Exemption (or Lack Thereof) in U.S. Patent Law, 2007 ATRIP (International Association for the Advancement of Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property Teaching) Congress, July 16, 2007, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • The Outcome of Patent Infringement Litigation: What is the Importance of the Nature of the Parties Poster Presentation, with G. Ball, Second Conference on Empirical Legal Studies (CELS), New York University, Nov. 9, 2007, New York, NY.
  • Participated in an invitation only Stanford Berkeley Conference on Empirical Patent Research, Feb. 4, 2005, St. Helena, California.
  • The Patent System We Have Today and the Case for Patent Reform, Faculty Workshop, Emory University School of Law, Nov. 9, 2005, Atlanta Georgia.
  • Intellectual Property: 9 Fundamentals and 1 Question, Intl Symp. on The Role of Law in Economic Development and Implications for China and the World, Dec. 5, 2005, Zhongshan University, Guangzhou, China.
  • Intellectual Property: 9 Fundamentals and 1 Question, Dec. 9, 2005, Zeijiang University, Hangzhou, China.
  • The Patent System We Have Today and the Case for Patent Reform, Patent Law Seminar, DePaul University, Feb. 20, 2006, Chicago, Illinois.
  • Adjudication and Settlement of Patent Disputes, An Empirical Study of Court Decisions, with G. Ball, Faculty Workshop, Whittier Law School, Mar. 3, 2006, Costa Mesa, California.
  • The Political Economy of the Patent System, Symp. on the Political Economy of Patent Reform, University of California, May 5, 2006, Berkeley, California.
  • The Case for Patent Reform, Faculty Workshop, Fordham University School of Law, Dec. 5, 2006, New York, NY.
  • Insecure Property Rights, R and D Investment and Plant Innovation: A Comparative Perspective, Intellectual Property Speakers Series, George Washington University School of Law, Feb. 21, 2007, Washington, DC.
  • Insecure Property Rights, R and D Investment and Plant Innovation: A Comparative Perspective, Faculty Workshop, Drake University, Mar. 14, 2007, Des Moines, IA.
  • Insecure Property Rights, R and D Investment and Plant Innovation: A Comparative Perspective, Faculty Workshop, University of Alabama School of Law, Sept. 20, 2007, Tuscaloosa, AL.
  • Is There a Case for Specialized Patent Trial Courts The Empirical Evidence, Distinguished Professor Presentation, The John Marshall Law School, Oct. 10, 2007, Chicago, IL.
  • Congressional Patent Reform Efforts and Why Should You Care The Case of Biotechnology, Seminar Presentation, University of Illinois at Chicago, Oct. 11, 2007, Chicago, IL.
  • The Case for Specialized Patent Trial Courts, Empirical Evidence, Faculty Workshop, Santa Clara University School of Law, Nov. 30, 2007, Santa Clara, CA.
  • Symposium Fellow, Symp. on Bessen & Meurer, Patent Failure: How Judges, Bureaucrats, and Lawyers Put Innovators at Risk, Univ. of Georgia, Mar. 29, 2008, Athens, GA.
  • Insecure Property Rights, R and D Investment, and Plant Innovation: A Comparative Study, with A. Gallo, Faculty Workshop, University of Illinois College of Law, Mar. 31, 2008, Champaign, IL.
  • Panelist, Panel on Patent Trolls and Balance in Patent Rights, 50th Annual Conf. on Developments in Intellectual Property Law, John Marshall Law School, May 25, 2006, Chicago, Illinois.
  • Panelist, Kauffman Foundation Roundtable on Law and Entrepreneurship, Feb. 29, 2008, Kansas City, MO.
  • Books: Greenough, McConnaughay and Kesan (ed.). 2007. Defining values for research and technology. Rowman and Littlefield Publishing.


Progress 07/01/06 to 06/30/07

Outputs
Progress for seven distinct projects is reported at this time. For wide hybridization efforts to diversify the soybean genome, Glycine tomentella, which is resistant to soybean rust, soybean aphid and soybean cyst nematode was used. Since the initial wide hybridization event, twenty-one BC2 plants with 60 chromosomes have been produced, and eight of the 21 BC2 plants are resistant to soybean rust. Progeny of BC2 plants resistant to soybean rust produced 24 BC3 plants with chromosome numbers ranging from 2n=41-49. In testing endogenous soybean compounds produced in seed coats of dark-pigmented soybean seed varieties for their effect on soybean rust spores, the dark pigmented proanthocyanidins were extracted from the black seed coats, and soybean oligo arrays were produced and will be used to examine gene expression changes. To investigate the genetic structure and diversity of expanding soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) populations, isolates were collected from soybean and kudzu in Florida, other U.S. states, and other continents and at different time intervals. DNA was extracted and preliminary experiments begun to explore the role of structure in molecular evolution and genetic diversity of the fungus. A protocol was developed for Affymetrix gene chip mapping in soybean that outperforms all currently available methods of this type. The method was used successfully to discover SNP markers linked within 1 centimorgan of the aphid resistance gene Rag1, and also to find closely linked markers to a soybean rust resistance gene, Rpp1. The technology is being further developed and applied to additional soybean genes. To design soybean cyst nematode (SCN) genotyping assays, random genomic sequence data collected from two inbred SCN lines (one virulent and one avirulent type) was used, and over 6,806 putative single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been discovered. Experiments were completed to more accurately map the aphid resistance gene Rag1 from Dowling. To do this, approximately 2,000 F2 plants segregating for Rag1 were tested with markers and those plants with recombination near the gene were selected and tested for aphid resistance. This research allowed us to reduce the interval that we know the gene maps by 7 map units. Eighty plant introductions (PIs) with putative aphid resistance were retested with two different aphid isolates, and this list has been reduced to 43 PIs with confirmed resistance. The comparative cytotoxicity of five soybean rust fungicides currently allowed by the U.S. EPA was assayed using Chinese hamster ovary cells and a standard toxicity assay. The rank order of fungicides for decreasing toxicity was trifloxystrobin > tetraconazole > propiconazole > tebuconazole > myclobutanil. In addition, two fungicides were evaluated for their genomic DNA damage activity. Myclobutanil in a concentration range from 100 to 1,000 micrometers was not genotoxic. Tetraconazole gave conflicting results in a concentration range of 100 to 325 micrometers.

Impacts
These impact statements are for seven different projects. Wide hybridization between soybean and Glycine tomentella will produce soybean lines containing unique genes not currently available in the soybean gene pool and resistant to soybean rust, soybean aphid, and soybean cyst nematode. Compounds in black-seeded soybeans may deter the progression of infection by fungal pathogens including Phakopsora pachyrhizi, the causal agent of Asian soybean rust. A collection of fungal genetic material is fundamental to the study of the genetic diversity, biogeography, and molecular ecology of the soybean rust fungus. The Affymetrix method provides a quick and informative method of genetic mapping that can be applied in many soybean cultivars where few genetic markers are available. When the mechanism by which SCN adapts and grows on resistant soybean is understood and SCN virulence genes are identified, then the soybean resistant sources could be effectively rotated to protect the long term usefulness of valuable SCN resistant soybean varieties. Soybean genetic mapping work will allow researchers to increase their efficiency of marker-assisted selection for aphid resistance and facilitate the identification and deployment of new sources of aphid resistance. The fungicide toxicity assay is the first study to show the distribution of toxicity of fungicides used to manage soybean rust, and the goal is to identify the most effective anti-rust fungicide that poses the lowest risk to public health and the environment.

Publications

  • Bekal, S., Niblack, T.L., Hudson, M.E., Domier, L.L. and Lambert, K.N. 2006. A genetic approach to understanding Heterodera glycines virulence. Journal of Nematology 38:261.
  • Bekal, S., Lambert, K.N., Niblack, T. and Domier, L. 2006. Genetic analysis of Heterodera glycines virulence. Phytopathology 96:S11.
  • Craig, J., Lambert, K.N., Bekal, S., Hudson, M.E., Niblack, T.L. and Domier, L.L. 2006. Bioinformatic analysis of the soybean cyst nematode. Journal of Nematology 38:268.
  • Daniel, S.L., Hartman, G.L., Wagner, E.D. and Plewa, M.J. 2007. Assessing the toxicity of soybean rust fungicides using a mammalian cell cytotoxicity assay. Bull. Environ. Contamin. Toxicol. [In Press].
  • Niblack, T.L., Tylka, G.L. and Lambert, K.N. 2006. A model plant pathogen from the kingdom animalia: Heterodera glycines, the soybean cyst nematode. Annual Review of Phytopathology 44:283-303.
  • Singh, R.J. (Editor). 2007. Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement Series, Volume 3 - Vegetable crops. Taylor and Francis (CRC Press), Boca Raton, Florida.
  • Singh, R.J. (Editor). 2007. Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement Series Volume 4 - Oilseed Crops. Taylor and Francis (CRC Press), Boca Raton, Florida.


Progress 07/01/05 to 06/30/06

Outputs
For wide hybridization research between soybean and its wild relative Glycine tomentella with resistance to soybean rust, soybean cyst nematode, bean pod mottle virus, and soybean aphid to soybean, six hybrids have been produced, and three successful crosses have produced seeds. Crosses have been identified based on morphological traits, chromosome count and SSR markers. All F1 plants were perennial and intermediate for other morphological features. All plants contained 59 chromosomes. Seedlings from one cross are in a new rooting medium developed to help shoots to produce healthy roots directly from the stem within a week. More than 20 shoots are in culture and 10 shoots were transferred to rooting medium. BC1 F1 plants have been transferred to the greenhouse. For facilitating nanotechnology-based innovations for soybean disease problems, seminars and workshops resulted in initiation of four pilot ag-nanotech projects: Development of Nanoelectromechanical System (NEMS) for the Study of Gaeumannomyces graminis Infection and Pathogenesis; Grain Traceability Using Nanoimprinting; Single Molecule Detection of Soybean Cyst Nematode DNA using Nanoparticles and Microfluidics; Pioneering Nanoscale Applications for Plant Breeding and Genetic Analysis: Nanoliter scale extraction and analysis of DNA and RNA from one or a few cells; and Sequencing the Soybean Cyst Nematode Genome Using a Novel Nanotech Approach. A white paper has been drafted that focuses on the potential of nanotechnology applications in food and agriculture research. For investigation of policy and managerial implications of biotech development and adoption, an innovative approach has been identified and tailored to meet the needs of this research area. Data on actual collaborations between academic researchers and the private sector have been obtained from a number of major research universities. That data are being analyzed and will provide essential input into further analysis of the driving forces and impediments to effective university / private sector collaboration relating to agricultural biotechnology. The NSRL uses the Internet (www.vipsoybeans.org; www.stratsoy.uiuc.edu; www.nsrl.uiuc.edu) to effectively and rapidly disseminate research findings to the soybean industry, especially soybean growers. The VIPS and StratSoy sites are comprehensive tools including information spanning the soybean market channel, and the NSRL site includes presentations, publications, and news about research generated by the Center and other research programs.

Impacts
Identifying soybean genes responding to pathogens provides information for developing disease response models and provides resistance markers for plant breeders. Hybrids between soybean and G. tomentella have high potential for resistance to soybean rust, soybean cyst nematode, bean pod mottle virus, and soybean aphid. Nanoscale technology is the next frontier in the quest for soybean disease solutions and allows scientists to address research questions at the infection interface, sample DNA from several cells, or detect pathogens at a single cell scale. The SDBC has facilitated research collaborations among nanotech and soybean biotech scientists, and the resulting research will allow leverage of additional ag-nanotech research. Academic research has a vital role to play in the future evolution of agricultural biotechnology independently or in conjunction with nano and information technology. This research will provide an enhanced understanding of the impediments and advantages associated with collaboration between academic researchers and the private sector.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period