The premier online source for science news since 1996. A service of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. http://www.eurekalert.org en-us Copyright 2011 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:16:00 EDT EurekAlert! http://www.eurekalert.org/images/logo.gif http://www.eurekalert.org The premier online source for science news since 1996. A service of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 1440 webmaster@eurekalert.org (EurekAlert!) A dietary yeast extract could be an effective alternative to antibiotics for poultry producers, according to a US Department of Agriculture study. Microbiologist Gerry Huff with USDA's Agricultural Research Service in Fayetteville, Ark., and her colleagues have been studying the effects of yeast extract as an immune stimulant and alternative to antibiotics in conventional turkeys. Non-pharmaceutical remedies and preventatives are particularly needed for organic poultry production. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/usdo-dye041411.php Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/usdo-dye041411.php Almost everyone knows about Escherichia coli O157:H7, the culprit behind many headline-making outbreaks of foodborne illness in the United States. But the lesser-known relatives of this pathogenic microbe are increasingly of concern to food safety scientists. That's according to US Department of Agriculture microbiologist and research leader Pina M. Fratamico. Researchers such as Fratamico want to know more about these less-studied pathogens. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/usdo-lec041211.php Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/usdo-lec041211.php A newly identified chemical sex attractant, or pheromone, of the emerald ash borer could mean improved traps for monitoring and controlling the tree-killing beetle. That's the goal of US Department of Agriculture entomologist Allard Cosse and his colleagues. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/usdo-sea040711.php Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/usdo-sea040711.php Burgers, meat loaf and other lean ground beef favorites may be made from "trim," the meat that's left over after steaks and roasts have been carved from a side of beef. A study conducted several years ago to ensure that imported beef trim is safe to eat has led to an ongoing collaboration between US Department of Agriculture scientists who conducted the research and colleagues from Uruguay, which exports this in-demand beef. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/usdo-fss040511.php Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/usdo-fss040511.php A technique developed by US Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists for tracking pathogens has helped confirm that Escherichia coli is not likely to contaminate the internal vascular structure of field-grown leafy greens and thus increase the incidence of foodborne illness. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/usdo-eca040111.php Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-04/usdo-eca040111.php US Department of Agriculture scientists have found strains of bacteria that could one day be used as environmentally friendly treatments to keep caterpillars and other pests out of gardens and cultivated fields. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/usdo-gct033111.php Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/usdo-gct033111.php Two US Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists may have discovered "the map to El Dorado" for the American elm -- a previously hidden population of elms that carry genes for resistance to Dutch elm disease. The disease kills individual branches and eventually the entire tree within one to several years. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/usdo-hep033011.php Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/usdo-hep033011.php Ranchers in the central Great Plains may be using some of their winter downtime in the future to rehearse the upcoming production season, all from the warmth of their homes, according to US Department of Agriculture soil scientists. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/usdo-cln032911.php Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/usdo-cln032911.php Using commercially available parts, US Department of Agriculture scientists and colleagues have developed a new automated system for detecting insects based on the peculiar sounds the insects make while moving. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/usdo-rc032311.php Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/usdo-rc032311.php US Department of Agriculture scientists are helping meet the water demands of a riparian desert region that is home to a national conservation area and a thriving military base. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/usdo-dsi032211.php Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/usdo-dsi032211.php