Agricultural Research Service National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research Research for a Growing World (2005, 8 min. 34 sec.) Narrator The National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Illinois, known locally as the "Ag Lab", maintains a proud tradition of solutions driven research. One of four USDA regional research centers established to develop new uses for agricultural commodities. It's legacy began in 1941, less than a year after opening its doors. A first collaboration between Ag Lab microbiologists, scientists from Oxford University in England, and several pharmaceutical companies, resulted in a way to mass produce penicillin. This invention saved the lives of many Allied soldiers during the second World War and opened the era of modern antibiotics. Its global impact on human health led to the Ag Lab's designation as an international historic chemical landmark. Today's Ag Lab researchers are no less inventive in developing new products from corn, soybeans and other crops to benefit producers and consumers alike. Peter B. Johnson, Director, NCAUR These national centers are really remarkable in the power that they can bring to solving problems for our country. Their sheer size, the number of scientists, the breath of expertise, the instrumentation they bring, the relationships they have both with universities and private sectors and in terms of companies, are really unparalleled in the idea of bringing science and technology to bear on national problems. Narrator Historically, the Ag Lab has made a huge impact on lives of Americans as well as people around the world. After the development of penicillin, its scientists went on to develop Dextrans which are still used in intravenous IV solutions. The enzymes systems to make high fructose corn syrups, starch based plastics, soy based printing inks and hydraulic fluids. Researchers here invented new and healthier food products that can reduce your cholesterol and they invented the revolutionary super absorbent material called Super Slurper, most easily recognized as the magic gel in disposable baby diapers, Super Slurper resulted in the development of multiple industries with returns for the grower, processor and consumer tax payer in the billions of dollars. George F. Fanta, Chemist The super absorbents were discovered strictly by accident. In both cases we were looking for something completely different but rather than just dispose of what we had, when we saw that they were not what we were looking for, why we decided to study them in a little bit more detail and that was the eureka experience. Peter B. Johnson, Director, NCAUR On a daily basis I get to deal with 300 of the smartest people that you've ever met. Narrator The continually growing list of Ag Lab accomplishments proves that chance favors the prepared mind especially when the immense intellectual resources and creative energy of 100 research scientists with expertise in nearly a dozen different scientific disciplines are all brought together under one roof. Nancy Nichols, Microbiologist The multidisciplinary approach is one of my favorite parts of working at the ARS and in fact the person, the scientist, that I work with most closely is not another microbiologist or molecular biologist he's an engineer. Frederick C. Felker, Plant Physiologist One of the advantages of the multidisciplinary approach is that most problems are so complicated that one area of expertise cannot be applied without others. In this particular location we have microbiology, chemistry, a lot of physical and analytical techniques available so we can combine all of these to get better answers to these problems. We try to work together to get more problems solved, more publications out, more technology transferred. Alejandro P. Ronney, Microbiologist So, I might go down and talk to him about an idea that I have and he gives me a completely different perspective and maybe makes me think about things I might not normally think about. George F. Fanta, Chemist I've been here almost forty years and hope to be here a few more. Alejandro P. Ronney, Microbiologist I've been here with ARS less than a year. Patricia J. Watson, Slininger, Supervisory Chemical Engineer I've been here, oh I don't know if I want to say, it's probably been over 20 years now, actually. Narrator Internal collaborations are just the beginning. Scientists at the Ag Lab maintain partnerships with other government agencies and commodity trade associations. They work formally and informally with researchers at other ARS locations, a host of universities and in dozens of countries around the world. Patent licensing and a variety of specialized agreements are used as tools in working with the private sector to accelerate technology transfer. Christopher D. Skory, Microbiologist About 10 years ago, we started these collaborative research agreements where essentially what we do is we set up a document with a company to try to find an area of mutual interest where we can both collaborate our research efforts towards a common goal. One of the big advantages is, are, that it's a very nice way of trying to ensure that this technology reaches the market place in a fairly rapid manner. We have excellent facilities here, state of the art machines, state of the art analytical resources. Narrator And a 65,000 square foot pilot plant is providing a product development and production area within the Ag Lab capable of functioning as a business incubator and adding value to private sector collaborations. Peter B. Johnson, Director, NCAUR And so for 63 years, these labs have been doing technology transfer with the private sector and so it has been a long tradition of our's to work with private companies, from the largest to the single entrepreneur, to implement our discoveries so that they reach the market place. Narrator Environmental Quality Patricia J. Watson, Slininger, Supervisory Chemical Engineer My current work now is in the area of biological control and development of microbial agents that would help prevent diseases in plants or pests of crops such as weeds and insects. Narrator Food Safety Alejandro P. Ronney, Microbiologist What we're interested in is trying to characterize these bacteria at the genomic level or at the genetic level to see if we might be able to find better ways to help control this pathogen. Narrator Chemicals and Fuels Christopher D. Skory, Microbiologist What we're primarily looking at is using some genetic techniques to metabolically engineer some of the organisms to increase the amount of lactic acid that are being produced so that we can bring the cost of lactic acid down and make some of these products that are being produced more economically viable. Nancy Nichols, Microbiologist One of the long term goals of the research in biofuels is to use something other than corn starch to take low value agricultural residues for example and make ethanol from them. Narrator Biomaterials made from corn starch and proteins from soy: biodiesel. Frederick C. Felker, Plant Physiologist There's a lot more research that can be done and only by applying a number of scientists with various disciplines, working together on creative projects, bound together by the national programs under which we operate, can we get more of the new products in the market place using agricultural commodities. Peter B. Johnson, Director, NCAUR One of the reasons why I like to come to work in the morning is just to see the imagination of the people here at work. Being able to take a renewable resource that's produced by our farmers and our ranchers in this country who are some of the most skilled production managers in the world and be able to convert them into the desirable and necessary products for every day life and to be able to do that in an environmentally friendly way and a way which is based on renewable resources is really an incredible opportunity for all of these laboratories and the future of America.