UGA inventors making a difference

Three University of Georgia inventors were recognized by the Association of University Technology Managers in their most recent Better World Report:

For the 2011 report, AUTM was charged with selecting technologies that help the world in the face of adversity, and just 23 from the thousands of innovations from around the globe were selected. Five were from UGA.

"Our researchers deserve acknowledgement for their relentless efforts in helping people across the world to overcome adversity," said Sohail Malik, director of the UGA Technology Commercialization Office. "It is certainly an honor for UGA to be recognized for its research contributions through this prestigious publication, and to have three inventors featured is triply exciting."

One of the inventions recognized is new technology for controlling insects on agricultural crops developed by Michael Adang, a professor of entomology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

Adang, along with InsectiGen, Inc., developed Bt Booster, a product that enhances the effectiveness of naturally occurring pesticides.

Bt, or Bacillus thuringiensis, is a bacterium found in soil. Bt produces proteins that kill specific insects that carry diseases and feed on plants. While Bt has been used as a biopesticide since the 1930s, it has been genetically incorporated into corn and cotton plants recently. Adang and his colleagues found a way to make Bt work even better.

Also recognized was William Kisaalita from the CAES and Branson Ritchie, Distinguished Research Professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Congratulations to all of these faculty members and continued success in their endeavors.

For more on the Better World Report see here.

Image: Wikipedia Commons. Advertising campaign for insecticide Zacherlin (1910).