News Stories - Page 6

Whether it was Punxsutawney Phil or the Old Farmer’s Almanac, somebody got it right because, after a relatively mild winter, it’s been a cool spring across the Southeast. Even as summer approaches, these cool temperatures have provided some relief on both the air conditioning bill and the mosquito front.

Of all the elements that make a stream community, there is one, besides the water, that is particularly crucial to the health of the ecosystem. It’s the bugs. Tiny but mighty, aquatic insects are responsible for many vital ecosystem processes that support fish, birds and humans.

Researchers at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences have been awarded nearly $4 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop a climate-smart “4-D Farm.”

Each year, millions of people are infected by Plasmodium and exposed to an even more debilitating — and often deadly — disease: malaria. Malaria is one of the deadliest diseases known to man. More than half the world’s population is at risk of contracting the disease, and those who develop relapsing infections suffer a host of associated costs.

Georgia’s life sciences community celebrates outstanding accomplishments of individuals, companies and organizations each year at Georgia Bio’s Golden Helix Awards. This year, two University of Georgia affiliates — Georgia CTSA and Dalan Animal Health — were honored for their impacts in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Dan Suiter, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension entomologist and well-known expert in addressing the needs of pest control operators, has been named the Orkin Professor of Urban Entomology at UGA. Orkin, an industry leader in pest control services and protection, has created the endowment to help strengthen the entomology program in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.