more... > Louisiana Agriculture Magazine > Past Issues > TGRx gets first $30 million contract TransGenRx (TGRx) – a biotechnology company started by licensing technology from the LSU AgCenter – has landed its first contract worth $30 million. Valverde’s photo selected for virology journal The Journal of General Virology, a prestigious international journal of virus research published by the Society for General Microbiology in the United Kingdom, has selected a photo from Rodrigo Valverde, professor in the Department of Plant Pathology & Crop Physiology, for its October 2009 cover. LSU AgCenter gets $518,000 for blueberry Web site The LSU AgCenter, along with a Mississippi agriculture agency and three other southern universities, has been awarded a $518,000 grant to develop an interactive, educational Web site about blueberries. MarketMaker will boost Louisiana agriculture, seafood industry Louisiana’s agriculture and seafood industries will have a new marketing tool in early 2010 when MarketMaker, a national Internet-driven service, is inauguratedin the state.  more articles... West Carroll students use technology to improve safety [Image: James Barnes and 4her's] Three West Carroll Parish high school students learned enough sophisticated computer technology that they were able to create digital fire district maps, which will be used to improve local services in the parish. 10 schools get started with Louisiana 4-H Seeds for Service [Image: photo of school garden] Students at Warren Easton High School in New Orleans along with 10 other schools around the state really know what it means to get down and dirty, thanks to a $25,000 grant secured by the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H Youth Development office. 4-H’ers Make Ethanol During 2009 National 4-H Week [Image: photo of 4-H car] To help celebrate National 4-H Week in 2009, which was Oct. 4-10, Louisiana 4-H members joined millions of other 4-H’ers across the nation in participating in a science and technology project. Microalgal Biodiesel: Potential and Barriers Despite successful production and use of vegetable oil-based biodiesels, the contribution of these alternative fuels (including virgin oil, used cooking oil and animal fat) to the overall transportation fuel scenario is fractional at best. Biodiesel production accounts for about 1 percent of the 50-60 billion gallons of diesel needed annually in the United States. Hydrothermal Processing of Plant Biomass for Petrochemical and Bioenergy Products [Image: photo of trees] Through hydrothermal processing, plant biomass can be converted into energy and petrochemical products. Hydrothermal treatment involves a chemical reaction conducted in water, which has been heated and pressurized in the absence of dissolved oxygen. Wood Liquefaction and Value-Added Products [Image: photo of Hui Pan ina the lab.] Using biomass as an alternative to petroleum-based products for fuel has attracted interest because of its biodegradable nature and renewable properties. Winter Cover Crops As Alternatives for Biodiesel [Image: oilseed radish] Biodiesel, a biofuel derived from vegetable and animal fats, burns more cleanly than conventional diesel in modern diesel engines. It also provides superior lubricity and reduces our dependenceon fossil fuels. Callegari Center’s Biodiesel Quality Control Lab The LSU AgCenter’s W.A. Callegari Environmental Center has established a well-equipped laboratory to perform biodieselquality control analyses for a nominal charge. Potential for Nonmarketable Pecans for Biodiesel Production [Image: photo fo bad pecans mask] Pecans are a possible feedstock for the biodiesel industry. Pecan nuts contain a high amount of fatty acid well-suited for biodiesel production. Given their high value as a foodstuff, the nuts are too valuable to be crushed for oil. However, a significant acreage of pecans is not harvested as food because of disease and insect damage. Chinese Tallow Trees As a Biodiesel Feedstock [Image: Photo of Chinese tallow] The Chinese tallow tree is perhaps the most promising oilseed crop adapted to the humid South and capable of producing a sufficient supply of feedstock to meet the needs of the U.S. biodiesel industry. The Chinese tallow tree is an introduced species that grows rapidly, spreads profusely and has become naturalized along the Gulf and southern Atlantic coasts. Click for more information...