The 2Blades Group at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul campus, is seeking an exceptional scientist to join its Corn Mycotoxin Mitigation Program.

In collaboration with ISAAA, 2Blades has released a new Pocket-K (Pockets of Knowledge) entitled “Rust-Resistant Soy for Africa,” that sheds light on the escalating threat of Asian soybean rust (ASR) in Africa.

2Blades Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)

Spotlight Series Featuring Jonathan Jones, Group Leader at The Sainsbury Laboratory and member of 2Blades’ Scientific Advisory Board

2Blades is pleased to announce the appointment of Appolinaire Djikeng to its Board of Directors. Professor Djikeng is the 4th Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Senior Director for the Livestock-based systems of the CGIAR.

2Blades will receive up to $1,000,000 in funding from Congress to further its research on mycotoxigenic fungi in corn at the University of Minnesota – St. Paul. The funding is part of the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) FY2024 spending package that was approved by Congress in March.

A Researcher 2 position is available to join the 2Blades Group at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul campus. The successful applicant will be part of a group developing genetic resistance to mycotoxigenic fungi in cereal and legume crops, with the aim of delivering value to commercial partners and smallholder farmers. You will be responsible for planning, conducting, and analyzing experiments, and helping other laboratory members. Your responsibilities will include ensuring the smooth operations of the laboratory as well as liaising with support staff and suppliers.

The joint collaboration has focused on identifying novel sources of genetic resistance to Asian soybean rust (ASR), the leading cause of crop losses in Brazil and many other soy-producing countries. The collaboration included partners at The Sainsbury Laboratory (Norwich, UK) and the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (Minas Gerais, Brazil).

Guidelines from a multi-day discussion about the challenges and opportunities for agbiotech crops in developing countries were published last week as a white paper in Nature Plants. The discussion was convened in September, 2022, at the Banbury Center at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, an internationally-recognized center for fostering deep consideration of science and policy topics among global experts.