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A Brookings-based animal health company, Medgene, is leading a revolution in the development of veterinary vaccines that is turning the tide in the endless battle against animal disease.

Avian metapneumovirus is a highly contagious virus causing respiratory and reproductive disorders in poultry, leading to significant animal welfare concerns and economic losses. The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is providing Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ a $150,000 Rapid Outcomes from Agricultural Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ grant to develop a diagnostic tool and vaccine for the virus. SDSU is providing matching funds for a total investment of $300,000.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵers in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ's Department of Dairy and Food Science are improving the shelf life of strawberries and raspberries using biodegradable packaging material.

Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵers in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ's Animal Disease Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ and Diagnostic Laboratory were the first to identify a new strain of avian metapneumovirus — a highly contagious disease that is currently causing significant problems for the U.S. poultry industry — and are now working toward developing a safe and effective vaccine.

A new project from Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ's College of Natural Sciences looks to improve the soybean plant's ability to naturally fix nitrogen, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.

Rachel Short and Gazala Ameen, two assistant professors in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ's College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, have each received one of the National Science Foundation's most prestigious grants for early career faculty to pursue biology research projects.

Adam Devlin, a recent master’s graduate in the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Department of Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science, worked on a collaborative project with faculty in the School of Design to bring awareness to the hardships of South Dakota farmers and the effects of soil composition in various subjects.

Londa Nwadike, a Bruce native and 2000 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ alumna, has been named the David A. Thompson Endowed Department Head and Professor of Dairy and Food Science at SDSU.

By the narrowest of margins — two points out of more than 2,000 — the SDSU Quarter Scale Tractor Team came up just short of winning its third consecutive national title. Competing at the 27th annual International Quarter-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition at the Expo Gardens Fairgrounds in Peoria, Illinois, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ team placed third out of 21 teams.

In the heart of the Midwest, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is guided by the leadership of President Barry Dunn. He brings expertise from his time as a farmer, rancher, researcher and academic to the state’s land-grant university.