Researchers garner more than $1 million in grants

NEWS RELEASE
Issued - March 1, 2010

ARDMORE, Okla. — Three Noble Foundation researchers recently received a combined $1 million in funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

As part of the USDA's National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) competitive granting process, Drs. Rick Dixon, Rick Nelson and Michael Udvardi received grants to advance research on key agricultural issues: tannins, virus movement and nitrogen fixation in legumes.

"Receiving three NIFA grants, specifically two in biochemistry, speaks volumes about the Noble Foundation's research," said Dixon, senior vice president and director of the Plant Biology Division. "We believe our work is of the highest caliber, and receiving these grants through a peer-reviewed panel indicates external experts in these fields believe so as well."

Dixon received $336,000 for the advancement of his work with tannins, chemical compounds within plants that help prevent pasture bloat and improve protein utilization in livestock. The grant will build upon research the Noble Foundation has been performing for the past seven years in collaboration with Forage Genetics International.

Dixon's research in tannins has focused on the model plants Arabidopsis (mustard) and Medicago truncatula (barrel medic). The NIFA grant will support applying the extensive experience in these model plants to alfalfa, an agriculturally significant legume that is worth about $8 billion annually to the United States economy, according to the National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance.

Dixon will focus on engineering alfalfa that produces tannins in the leaves, where livestock can more readily consume and benefit from the compounds. Alfalfa does not naturally produce these health-benefiting compounds in the consumable portion of the plant.

"Because of our previous research, we are familiar with the many similarities between the production of tannins in alfalfa and Medicago," Dixon said. "Now we are going to concentrate on the differences. It is a lengthy process, but one with the potential to truly benefit agriculture."

Nelson's $399,000 grant will support research on how viruses move through plant cells to infect all parts of the host. Viruses do not have cells of their own so they require a host cell for replication and movement. Nelson and his collaborator, Dr. James Schoelz at the University of Missouri, have published studies showing that several plant viruses use the same host system for intercellular movement.

This grant will allow them to further understand the interactions between viral and plant proteins necessary for virus movement in the model plants Arabidopsis and Nicotiana benthamiana and how to prevent these interactions. Findings will be applied to turnip and tomato (each related to the respective model species) with the intent to limit virus infection and disease in these crops.

Udvardi's grant for $350,000 will support his efforts to identify and characterize transporters, key components in the process of nitrogen fixation.

Legumes, the family of plants that includes alfalfa, clover, beans and peas are known for the significant role they play in agriculture and their high protein level, but they also have an innate ability to claim or 'fix' nitrogen from the air. Their root system accommodates bacteria, called rhizobia, which convert atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia, creating a source of fertilizer and reducing production costs.

The transporters in question control the flow of nutrients and metabolites to and from the nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and could allow researchers and plant breeders to produce legumes that fix more nitrogen.

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For media inquiries concerning the Noble Foundation, please contact:

J. Adam Calaway

jacalaway@noble.org

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. (www.noble.org), headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a nonprofit organization conducting agricultural, forage improvement and plant biology research; assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs; and providing grants to nonprofit charitable, educational and health organizations.