Nurturing International Partnerships to Support U.S. Agriculture

1. Nurturing International Partnerships to Support U.S. Agriculture

2. 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”

3. 2,200+ scientists 100+ laboratories $1.1 billion annual budget (FY05) International collaboration Partnerships with universities and industry In-house scientific research arm of USDA Farm-to-table research scope Information and technology transfer 22 National Programs 1,100+ projects ARS Profile

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 1 2 3 4 ARS – Russia Cooperation • Project team screened >35,000 bacterial isolates for antagonistic activity to Campylobacter jejuni • Hundreds produce zones of inhibition • Among the most inhibitory isolates, unique bacteriocins are produced

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. Svetoch and Stern share a patent award

15. 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?

16. Invasive Species Impact on U.S. Agriculture • Problem: • Invasive Australian tree species, Melaleuca, infests about 1.5 million acres in Florida’s Everglades and surrounding wetland areas. • Expands 15 acres per day • Threatens biodiversity of Florida’s Everglades – World Heritage ecosystem • Economic losses approx. $170 million/year

17. 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

18. 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 International Partners

19. 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.

20. 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

21. Joint Project = Success • Impact: • Seed production reduction to 90% • Stand densities reduced >70% • 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.

22. Contact Info Melanie Peterson International Affairs Specialist Office of International Research Programs Agricultural Research Service, USDA Tel: 301-504-4540 Email: Melanie.Peterson@ars.usda.gov Fax: 301-504-4518