Nurturing International Partnerships to Support U.S. Agriculture

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Nurturing International Partnerships to Support
U.S. Agriculture
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Mission of ARS

• Our mission is to find solutions to
  agricultural problems that affect Americans every
  day, from field to table, and to transfer
  discoveries to society as useful technology and
  knowledge

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ARS Profile

• In-house scientific research arm of USDA
• Farm-to-table research scope
• Information and technology transfer
• 22 National Programs
• 1,100 projects

• 2,200 scientists
• 100 laboratories
• 1.1 billion annual budget (FY05)
• International collaboration
• Partnerships with universities and industry

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ARS Technology Transfer

• Responsible for
• Protecting intellectual property,
• Developing strategic partnerships with outside
  organizations and performing activities that
  effectively transfer ARS technologies to the
  market place.

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ARS International Activities

• Cooperative international research
• Host international visitors and scientific visits
• International correspondence
• International agreements
• Inter-agency and international fora
• Information on international activities

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Joint Projects Success

• ARS Russia project to combat foodborne
  bacterial pathogens such as Campylobacter and
  Salmonella
• ARS scientists from Florida and the Australian
  Biological Control Lab in Brisbane work together
  to control melaleuca, an invasive species to the
  Florida everglades

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ARS Russia Cooperation

• Problem
• Control Food-borne pathogens like Campylobacter
  and Salmonella in poultry
• Responsible for billions of dollars of economic
  losses in the United States and worldwide
• Solution
• Identify candidate bacteriocins that kill
  food-borne, human disease-causing bacteria

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Bacteriocins

• Small proteins produced by bacteria to kill
  competing target pathogens
• Promising alternative to antibiotics
• Kills antibiotic resistant bacteria
• Does not create bacteriocin-resistant target

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ARS Russia Cooperation

• Project team screened gt35,000 bacterial isolates
  for antagonistic activity to Campylobacter jejuni
• Hundreds produce zones of inhibition
• Among the most inhibitory isolates, unique
  bacteriocins are produced

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ARS Russia Cooperation

• Funded by the U.S. Department of State Bio/Chem
  Redirect Program
• Involves former biological weapons scientists in
  the FSU.
• Jointly developed by USDA/ARS Russian
  scientists
• Implemented by International Science Technology
  Center, Moscow, Russia

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International Partners

• U.S. Department of State Bio/Chem Redirect
  Program
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Ag. Research
  Service
• Poultry Microbiological Safety Unit, Athens, GA
• International Office, Beltsville, MD
• Technology Transfer Office, Athens, GA
  Beltsville, MD
• State Research Center for Applied Microbiology
  Biotechnology (SRCAMB), Obolensk, Russia
• International Science and Technology Center
  (ISTC), Moscow, Russia

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Formal Agreements

• MOA between USDA/ARS DOS
• MOA between USDA/ARS ISTC
• Individual Project Agreement between USDA/ARS,
  ISTC SRCAMB
• Includes specific IP language drafted approved
  by USDA/ARS OTT
• Close coordination with Tech Transfer
  Coordinators Patent Advisors
• Follow on agreement between USDA/ARS, DOS, ISTC
  SRCAMB to fund pilot production project

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Positive Results to Date

• Dr. Edward Svetoch, SRCAMB and Dr. Norman Stern,
  USDA-ARS, Athens, GA
• IP jointly owned by ARS Russian scientists
• Bacteriocins and novel bacteria strains --
  patent allowed (10/426,688)
• 5 other applications pending or filed
• CRADA - Trust Agreement with Cargill, Inc.
• Publications in peer-reviewed journals
• New 1 M project jointly funded by
  DOS/BioIndustry Initiative Program and USDA/ARS
  for pilot production of bacteriocins in Russia
  includes industry collaboration

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Svetoch and Stern share a patent award
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Anticipated Next Steps

• SRCAMB/ARS/Cargill (through DOS resources)
  conduct large broiler field trials
• Identify industrial partner(s) to license IP and
  develop applications worldwide
• Patent and publish
• Determine further applications human health?

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Invasive Species Impact on U.S. Agriculture

• Problem
• Invasive Australian tree species, Melaleuca,
  infests about 1.5 million acres in Floridas
  Everglades and surrounding wetland areas.
• Expands 15 acres per day
• Threatens biodiversity of Floridas Everglades
  World Heritage ecosystem
• Economic losses approx. 170 million/year

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Invasive Species Impact on U.S. Agriculture

• Solution
• Identify effective biological control agents
• Safest most economical for sustainable
  management
• Utilize large consortium of Federal, State, local
  and private sector customers stakeholders to
  support management

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International Partners

• ARS Australian Biological Control Laboratory
  (ABCL), Brisbane, Australia
• ARS Invasive Plant Research Laboratory (IPRL),
  Florida
• Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research
  Organization (CSIRO), Australia

• South Florida Water Management District
• University of Florida
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• U.S. Department of Interior - National Park
  Service
• Dade County
• Lee County

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ARS Australian Biological Control Laboratory

• ABCL was established in 1995 through a Specific
  Cooperative Agreement with CSIRO to focus on
  Florida Everglades Restoration.
• Studies include Australian broad-leaved paperbark
  tree, old world climbing fern, Australian Pine,
  hydrilla, skunk vine and melaleuca, and released
  6 agents to U.S.

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ARS Efforts to Combat Invasive Species

• IPRL and ABCL scientists collected and identified
  over 450 insect species that feed on melaleuca
  and its close relatives
• Two selected for further evaluation and released
  in Florida in 1997 2002
• Total of 1.9 million weevils psyllids released
  in 319 localities within 15 counties in central
  and southern Florida

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Joint Project Success

• Impact
• Seed production reduction to 90
• Stand densities reduced gt70
• Melaleuca nearly gone from public lands
• Native plants reappearing
• The Area Wide Management Program of Melaleuca
  (TAME Melaleuca) Consortiumof Federal, State,
  County Local partners
• IPRL, South Florida Water Management District,
  University of Florida received a top ARS
  technology transfer award in 2006.

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Contact Info

• Melanie Peterson
• International Affairs Specialist
• Office of International Research Programs
• Agricultural Research Service, USDA
• Tel [phone]
• Email Melanie.Peterson_at_ars.usda.gov
• Fax [phone]