Plant-based seafood alternatives should have similar flavors, textures and nutritional content to the foods they mimic. And recreating the properties of fried calamari rings, which have a neutral flavor and a firm, chewy texture after being cooked, has been a challenge.

Building off previous research, a team publishing in ACS Food Science & Technology describes successfully using plant-based ingredients to mimic calamari that matches the real seafood’s characteristic softness and elasticity.

Previously, Poornima Vijayan, Dejian Huang and colleagues presented air-fried vegan calamari rings made from a 3D-printed paste of microalgae and mung bean proteins at ACS Fall 2023, a meeting of the American Chemical Society. When the researchers air-fried the calamari mimic (demonstrated in the short video below), it had an acceptable taste, but they noted that the texture wasn’t ideal.

So, now they’ve optimized the recipe and printing parameters, improving the plant-based product’s texture so that it’s more like real calamari when battered and deep-fried—the way most calamari is prepared.

The researchers tested multiple versions of their printable paste recipe, varying the amounts of mung bean protein isolate, powdered light-yellow microalgae, gellan gum (thickener) and canola oil (fat). A food-grade 3D printer deposited the pastes into layered rings about 1.8 inches wide (4.5 centimeters). Unlike the original research, this time the researchers froze the rings overnight and then battered and quickly deep-fried them.

In lab tests, the researchers analyzed properties related to the cooked samples’ chewiness, including hardness, springiness and cohesiveness. The deep-fried product with the textural properties closest to real calamari contained 1.5% gellan gum, 2% canola oil and 10% powdered microalgae.

From microscope images, the researchers saw that small voids in the structure of these plant-based samples modified their softness, so they resembled the real seafood counterpart. Additionally, an analysis of the protein content in the optimal recipe found that the plant-based version could have more protein (19%) than the reported protein composition of squid (14%).

“This research showcases the potential of 3D printing to transform sustainable plant proteins like mung bean and microalgae into seafood analogs with comparable texture,” says Vijayan, the study’s lead author. “Our next steps involve understanding consumer acceptance and scaling formulation for broader applications.”

Switchgrass has gripped Midwestern soils for millions of years, but soon, the earthbound prairie grass could fly. New studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign identify economic and environmental considerations that make switchgrass a candidate for sustainable aviation fuel.

The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge kicked off in 2021 with the goal of expanding SAF production to 35 billion gallons by 2050, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half. Forecasted to contribute up to 230 million dry tons annually, switchgrass is one of several purpose-grown bioenergy feedstocks that could help meet this challenge. Not only does the perennial species produce great quantities of biomass, switchgrass can be harvested annually for a decade or more without repeated planting, requires minimal nitrogen fertilizer compared to corn, and performs important ecosystem services.

Scientists know this because they have been studying switchgrass for its bioenergy potential for decades. But previous studies used less productive switchgrass cultivars, were conducted on smaller and less realistic plots of land, or overlooked the fertilizer inputs required for optimal productivity. In two new studies, U. of I. researchers grew modern “energy” cultivars at the field scale across the Midwest to determine which cultivars are most profitable where, and how they compare to corn in terms of ecosystem services.

“All the data that helps us estimate switchgrass suitability for SAF comes from small plot research or older forage-type switchgrass cultivars. We wanted to test high-yielding switchgrass cultivars on a larger scale to provide a more accurate picture of the benefits these new cultivars provide,” said D.K. Lee, senior author of both studies and professor in the Department of Crop Sciences, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at U. of I.

Postdoctoral researcher Muhammad Umer Arshad led the effort to analyze switchgrass profitability. The team planted three newer energy-type cultivars—Independence, Liberty, and Carthage—alongside two forage cultivars—Shawnee and Sunburst—on low-productivity marginal land across four Midwestern states: Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. They also tested two nitrogen fertilizer rates, 28 and 56 kilograms per hectare; for comparison, corn typically gets about 200. After five years of growth, Arshad conducted economic analyses to calculate expenses and profits in each location.

“Our findings clearly show that Independence and Liberty are much more profitable than the forage cultivars on all the sites, but the most profitable nitrogen rate varied across locations,” Arshad said. “In most cases, 56 kilograms per hectare achieved higher yields, but in some sites, 28 kilograms performed better in terms of profit.”

Although Independence and Liberty outperformed the forage cultivars, these energy types of switchgrass did not perform equally across the sites. For example, depending on the nitrogen rate, Independence was most profitable in U.S. hardiness zone 6a, whereas Liberty showed the highest profit margins in zone 5b and Carthage, was most profitable in zone 4b.

“With these energy-type cultivars, farmers can put marginal lands to use and see returns after two years,” Arshad said. “Our results can help guide decision-makers to optimize input strategies for biomass production and meet renewable energy demands.”

During the decade or so that switchgrass is churning out biomass, it’s also busy providing ecosystem services—a win-win, according to postdoctoral fellow Nictor Namoi, who led a companion study in field-scale plots in Illinois.

Namoi assessed soil greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide) and nitrate leaching in Independence switchgrass over three years, and compared these metrics to other fields planted in continuous corn under no-till management. The idea was to compare ecosystem services for these two cropping systems on equal footing.

“One of the many benefits of growing purpose-grown energy crops on marginal lands is ecosystem services associated with the perennial nature of energy crops. They can also potentially generate higher profits than conventional row crops on less productive land,” Namoi said. “Demonstrating ecosystem services of switchgrass, including reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient loss, will promote purpose-grown energy crops on marginal land.”

Nitrous oxide emissions and nitrate leaching were significantly reduced in switchgrass compared to corn, with 80% less nitrate leaching by the third year. Namoi says the nitrous oxide finding is straightforward: with switchgrass getting just 56 kilograms of nitrogen fertilizer per hectare and corn receiving 202 kilograms, there’s a lot more nitrogen available in corn fields to be emitted as the potent greenhouse gas.

Carbon dioxide emissions were less straightforward. After the second year, CO2 emissions were over 50% higher in switchgrass than in corn.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Namoi said. “But there’s a lot more biomass belowground in switchgrass, about five times that of corn.”

More roots mean more respiration, the normal process in which roots convert oxygen and glucose into energy, with carbon dioxide as a byproduct. Lee says he’s seen this pattern with switchgrass and other purpose-grown bioenergy crops before, but he’s still convinced that the overall benefits of switchgrass outweigh this particular deficit.

“For one thing, more root biomass means more long-term carbon sequestration potential,” he said. “When we measure total biomass of switchgrass, there’s about 10 megagrams of carbon belowground. That’s huge.”

Another key advantage of switchgrass, Namoi added, is its ability to thrive on marginal land.

“By definition, marginal land is not profitable for commodity crops,” he said. “So switchgrass reduces competition with food crops and makes use of otherwise unproductive areas.”

With commodity and oil prices at a low point, the demand for purpose-grown bioenergy feedstocks is relatively weak at the moment. But that could all change rapidly as tariffs impact global economies. Namoi says when the market is ready, switchgrass will be, too.

“Our research ensures that we can feed productive cultivars into the SAF production system once the economy and the technology is ready to transition,” he said.

The first study, “Comparative Economic Analysis Between Bioenergy and Forage Types of Switchgrass for Sustainable Biofuel Feedstock Production: A Data Envelopment Analysis and Cost–Benefit Analysis Approach,” is published in GCB Bioenergy.

The second study, “Field-Scale Evaluation of Ecosystem Service Benefits of Bioenergy Switchgrass,” is published in the Journal of Environmental Quality.

A newly reported study suggests that fear and the immune system are connected in previously unknown ways. Results from the preclinical research, headed by scientists at Mass General Brigham, showed that interactions between immune and brain cells drive fear responses, and suggest that treatment with psychedelics such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), or psilocybin, may reverse these effects.

Collective findings from the study, including work in mouse models and in human tissues, indicated that the immune system can influence stress and fear behaviors by changing how brain cells communicate. Headed by Michael Wheeler, PhD, at the Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, and the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the investigators further showed that psychedelic treatments could target these neuroimmune interactions and reduce stress-induced fear in preclinical models. They found similar results in human tissue samples.

“Our study underscores how psychedelics can do more than just change perception; they can help dial down inflammation and reset brain-immune interactions,” said Wheeler. “This could reshape how we think about treatment for inflammatory disorders and conditions like anxiety and depression.” Wheeler is corresponding author of the team’s published paper in Nature, titled “Psychedelic control of neuroimmune interactions governing fear,” in which the researchers stated, “Together with validation in clinical samples, these data suggest that psychedelics can be used to target neuroimmune interactions relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders and potentially other inflammatory diseases.”

Prior research has shown immune signaling can drive the development of neuropsychiatric diseases such as major depressive disorder, the authors wrote. “Neuroimmune interactions—signals transmitted between immune and brain cells—regulate many aspects of tissue physiology, including responses to psychological stress, which can predispose individuals to develop neuropsychiatric diseases.” However, the team further stated that the ways specific immune mechanisms can also affect behaviors due to chronic stress or MDD remained unclear. “… although immunotherapies that target peripheral signals induced by psychological stress may be a viable therapeutic area in neuropsychiatric disorders such as MDD,” the team continued, “many relationships between behavioral changes and immunoregulatory mechanisms in the brain remain to be defined.”

For their reported study, the team studied a mouse model of chronic stress. Results from initial tests with the animals showed that in response to chronic stress, plasma levels of corticosterone and certain cytokines and a chemokine were increased. “These results implicate potential links among chronic stress, peripheral inflammatory responses, fear behavior, and neuroimmune interactions,” they reported. Subsequent studies found that increased crosstalk between cells in the amygdala, or the brain’s fear center, boosted fear behaviors, elevated inflammatory signaling, and activated fear-promoting amygdala neurons.

Furthermore, their research showed that inflammatory immune cells called monocytes migrated from other parts of the body to the brain meninges during chronic stress. The research team demonstrated that artificially manipulating these cells impacted fear behaviors. “… we use a combination of genomic and behavioural screens to show that astrocytes in the amygdala limit stress-induced fear behavior through epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR),” they explained. “… we uncovered a psychedelic-sensitive neuroimmune signaling axis tuned by the recruitment of inflammatory monocytes to the brain meninges, which influences astrocyte–neuron responses in the amygdala and fear behavior.”

The investigators also reported that treating stressed mice with psilocybin and MDMA prevented monocytes from accumulating in the brain and lowered fear behaviors. “By using a phenotypic screen of shared properties among two clinically relevant psychedelics, analogous to studies of social behavior, we found that both psilocybin and MDMA similarly influence immune-cell abundance in tissues,” the authors stated. The resulting data, the scientists continued, “… point to potential direct and indirect mechanisms by which psychedelics influence physiological responses to chronic stress and neuroimmune interactions.”

The investigators found similar signals of response to stress in human brain cells and in gene expression datasets from patients with MDD, suggesting that the same interactions between the immune system and the brain may play a role in neuropsychiatric disorders in humans. These results, they reported, “… suggest that the neuroimmune mechanisms we initially defined in mice may be relevant in humans and in MDD.”

The authors noted that further experiments are needed to understand exactly how psychedelics affect immune cells and brain communication. “Further research is needed to establish causal cellular and molecular mechanisms by which psychedelics influence tissue physiology more generally, which may reveal psychedelic-responsive pathways with therapeutic applications in unanticipated disorders, including in inflammatory diseases,” they stated. Next steps include examining the long-term effects of psychedelic treatment on patients with MDD or inflammatory diseases. Wheeler is currently collaborating with investigators from the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for the Neuroscience of Psychedelics on a clinical trial of patients with depression who are being treated with psychedelics and will examine their tissue samples.

“We’re not saying that psychedelics are a cure-all for inflammatory diseases or any other health condition,” said Wheeler. “But we do see evidence that psychedelics have some tissue-specific benefits and that learning more about them could open up entirely new possibilities for treatments.”

In their report, the team concluded, “This study defined mechanisms of astrocyte–neuron crosstalk in the amygdala and their potential regulation by peripheral immune cells in chronic stress and possibly MDD. Together, our results highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting immune mechanisms in neuropsychiatric disorders.”

Watchmaker Genomics says it will collaborate with Revvity to automate and verify methods for all of its DNA and RNA library preparation kits on the Sciclone™ G3 NGSx liquid handling workstation. The agreement makes Revvity the first provider to automate Watchmaker’s entire library preparation portfolio.

By integrating Watchmaker’s streamlined DNA and RNA library preparation kits with Revvity’s platform, laboratories can now implement automation with optimized, ready-to-run protocols that reduce hands-on time, reduce errors, and increase throughput, according to Sandra Rowe, vp of marketing at Watchmaker Genomics. The collaboration delivers end-to-end automation of Watchmaker’s NGS library preparation portfolio, including support for low-input and FFPE sample types, and enables up to 96 samples per run, she added.

“As we launch new innovations such as TAPS for methylation analysis and library normalization tools, continued collaboration with Revvity will be key to ensuring these technologies are accessible and scalable,” said Rowe.

“We’re teaming up with Watchmaker to deliver robust, automated workflows that help genomics labs simplify operations and improve data quality,” said Kevin Quick, vp of platforms at Revvity. “We look forward to continuing this collaboration, including extending method availability to additional platforms to bring even more flexible and scalable NGS solutions to researchers worldwide.”

The Sciclone G3 NGSx platform is a high-throughput liquid handling system used in genomic labs for library prep, PCR setup, and sample processing. Coupled with Watchmaker’s library prep kits, labs can now run entire workflows more efficiently, said Quick.

EditCo Bio and Promega have announced a strategic licensing agreement that grants EditCo access to Promega’s HiBiT, HaloTag, and NanoLuc technologies. Under the terms of the arrangement, EditCo will incorporate Promega’s bioluminescent and protein-labeling technologies into its CRISPR-engineered cell lines. According to the partners, the combined solutions will allow customers to generate precise gene edits in cell lines with functional validation.

Promega’s HiBiT technology is a small bioluminescent peptide tag for quantitative analysis of protein expression and interactions in live cells. The HaloTag is a protein labeling system that relies on covalently attaching fluorescent and bioluminescent probes for use in imaging, protein interaction studies, and biochemical assays. Finally, the NanoLuc technology is a luciferase enzyme that provides a bioluminescent signal for monitoring cellular and molecular processes in real-time.

Through this agreement, EditCo will be able to facilitate precise genomic knock-ins and also offer functional validation services that ensure that engineered cells maintain proper protein expression, stability, and activity. Cell models produced from the combined capabilities could be used for mechanistic studies, drug screening, and other advanced applications that require quantitative protein analysis.

Integrating HiBiT, HaloTag, and NanoLuc into EditCo’s knock-in workflows provides researchers with “powerful tools to track protein expression, interactions, and activity with high sensitivity and accuracy,” said Travis Maures, PhD, CSO at EditCo Bio. Specifically, scientists will be able to “probe protein dynamics directly within living cells, empowering deeper insights into complex biological mechanisms,” added Tom Livelli, Promega’s vice president for life sciences.

Earlier this year, EditCo launched XDel Knockout Cells, a new CRISPR-based gene editing product that uses up to three guideRNAs to create fragment deletions in target genes.

At the time of the launch, Maures explained to GEN that the guides work cooperatively, meaning that as each individual one binds, it unwinds the DNA in a way that makes it easier for the next one to bind. The result is a “product where the knockout percent is in the high 90s,” he said. Furthermore, because it’s so efficient, “we can titrate down the dose that the cells get of guides and CRISPR complexes,” which reduces the risks of off-target effects, he added. “That’s also part of the optimization of our process.”

The product is available in a variety of customizable formats, including cell pools, cell clones, and engineered cell libraries. Researchers can select from immortalized cells or induced pluripotent stem cells, either customer-supplied or EditCo-supplied.

Scientists have identified a novel species of bacteria that acts as electrical wiring, potentially ushering in a new era of bioelectronic devices for use in medicine, industry, food safety, and environmental monitoring and cleanup.

The researchers who discovered the new cable bacteria species in a mud flat at the Oregon coast named it Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis in honor of the Native Americans of the region where the species was found.

The findings are published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Cheng Li, a postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State University at the time of the research, and Clare Reimers, distinguished professor emerita in the OSU College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, identified the new species in intertidal sediment samples from the Yaquina Bay estuary.

Cable bacteria consist of rod-shaped cells attached end to end with a shared outer membrane, forming filaments that can reach several centimeters in length. Their electrical conductivity, unusual among bacteria, is an adaptation that optimizes their metabolic processes in the sediment environments in which they live.

The new species features metabolic pathways and genes that are a mix of the Ca. Electrothrix genus and the other known cable bacteria genus, Ca. Electronema.

“This new species seems to be a bridge, an early branch within the Ca. Electrothrix clade, which suggests it could provide new insights into how these bacteria evolved and how they might function in different environments,” said Li, who in June will return to Oregon State as an assistant professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences following a stint on the faculty of James Madison University.

“It stands out from all other described cable bacteria species in terms of its metabolic potential, and it has distinctive structural features, including pronounced surface ridges, up to three times wider than those seen in other species, that house highly conductive fibers made of unique, nickel-based molecules.”

The fibers enable the bacteria to perform long-distance electron transport, connecting electron acceptors like oxygen or nitrate at the sediment surface with donors like sulfide in deeper sediment layers. The bacteria’s ability to participate in reduction-oxidation reactions over significant distances gives it a key role in sediment geochemistry and nutrient cycling.

“These bacteria can transfer electrons to clean up pollutants, so they could be used to remove harmful substances from sediments,” Li said. “Also, their design of a highly conductive nickel protein can possibly inspire new bioelectronics.”

Cable bacteria can live under diverse climatic conditions and are found in various environments, including both freshwater and saltwater sediments.

Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis draws its name from the Yaqona people, whose ancestral lands encompassed Yaquina Bay. Yaqona referred to the bay and river that made up much of their homeland, as well as to the people themselves.

Today, Yaqona descendants are part of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, with whom the researchers worked on coming up with a name for the new species.

“Naming an ecologically important bacterium after a Tribe recognizes its historical bond with the land and acknowledges its enduring contributions to ecological knowledge and sustainability,” Li said.

Scientists from the University of Antwerp, Delft University of Technology and the University of Vienna also participated in the research.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary last week announced a directive that would limit industry participation in the agency’s advisory committees. But not only do company reps serve only as non-voting members, a 1997 law actually requires industry involvement.
Newly confirmed FDA commissioner Marty Makary wants to “restore impeccable integrity” to the drug review process, and he’s starting by banning pharmaceutical representatives from serving as members on some of the agency’s advisory committees. Reaction to this move, however, has been relatively muted.

“I don’t think [the new directive] will move the needle much,” Genevieve Kanter, an associate professor of public policy at the University of Southern California Price School of Public Policy, told BioSpace in an email. Kanter specifically noted that industry representatives are already non-voting members. “The central and perhaps more difficult conflict of interest issues relate to the industry ties of the scientific members of the committee, and that issue hasn’t been directly addressed yet,” Kanter said.

Steven Grossman, policy and regulatory consultant and author of the FDA Matters blog, concurred. “My advice to stakeholders: put your energies into proposals that make more of a difference than this one,” he told BioSpace in an email.

It’s unclear at this point how comprehensive the new policy will be. The new directive “limits individuals employed at companies regulated by the [FDA], such as pharmaceutical companies, from serving as official members on FDA advisory committees, where statutorily allowed,” according to the agency’s Friday announcement.

This reference to “statutorily allowed” could present a bit of a quagmire for the FDA. A provision in the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997 “has been interpreted to mean that newly created advisory committees must include an industry representative,” Kanter said. “My guess is that the FDA may remove industry reps from advisory committees that existed prior to 1997.”

As of April 2024, the FDA had 33 advisory committees. The advisory panel, the Obstetrics and Gynecology Advisory Committee, was established in 1965, largely to track the safety of thalidomide. As of 1967, the Anti-Infective Agents Advisory Committee was also up and running. As of 1997, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee and Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee were also active.

But for advisory committees established after that 1997 legislation, it seems that industry representatives cannot, by law, be excluded.

Another interpretation is that the language only applies to advisory committees “regarding a clinical investigation or the approval for market for a drug,” Kanter said. Panels that review, for example, post-market safety or that discuss other regulatory issues, would not be required to have an industry rep.

Makary: ‘Surrounded by Swamp Creatures’

The question of potential industry influence on the FDA has been simmering for years, largely centered around the so-called “revolving door,” through which employees move from industry to FDA and vice versa. In an interview with former Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly last week, Makary referenced the case of Curtis Wright, the FDA examiner who signed off on Purdue’s infamous painkiller OxyContin and later left the agency to work for the now-defunct pharma.

“That’s the kind of thing that breeds distrust and that’s why people perceive that this agency, the FDA, has been captured by industry,” Makary told Kelly.

Newly appointed Health and Human Services Commissioner Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has taken this up, along with other potential “conflicts of interest,” he sees within the FDA. In a tour of the FDA campus earlier this month, Kennedy blasted the agency and its staff, accusing them of being a “sock puppet” to the pharma industry. After ousting Peter Marks, head of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the FDA appointed interim director Scott Steele, who has never worked at a biopharma company.

At another point during the interview, Makary said he was “surrounded by the swamp creatures” after his nomination for FDA commissioner.

“When I got his nomination for the job, I cannot tell you how many lobbyists, former members of Congress, the swamp, reached out to me,” offering to write letters on behalf of their companies to the senators on the confirmation committee. “You know what I said? Don’t talk to the senators. I don’t want your letters. They’re not for free. Those are obligations that then you feel indebted to return once you’re in office.”

The Advisory Committee Debate

Addressing the new policy directive regarding adcomms, Makary said, “The idea is that there should not be a cozy relationship. . . . There should be a user-friendly process for industry, but not a cozy relationship.”

For his part, Grossman offered points on both sides. “Industry representatives on advisory panels do not vote, do not have a professional or monetary interest in the outcome and have little ability to sway the outcome. Yet, they do provide a useful perspective that other panelists often value,” he said. “Nonetheless, the appearance is jarring and it is understandable that questions are being raised.”

Kanter added that industry reps “could present a practical perspective on the feasibility and implications of committee recommendations, as well as important constraints facing the sector—for example, issues with the supply chain or manufacturing.” The sponsor, who would also be in the meeting, “isn’t generally able to raise these concerns without being directly asked by committee members.”

As per Thursday’s announcement, Makary plans to replace the ousted industry representatives with input from patients, caregivers and other community representatives.

“Patient advocates and caregivers know a great deal about the health conditions that are affecting their daily lives, and some of them may be physicians or researchers themselves,” Kanter said. She acknowledged, however, that “in general, they do not go through the same screening process for scientific expertise as the other members and may not know as much about the scientific issues.”

Instead, these panel members play a different role in the conversation, “introducing information about the experience of living with the health condition or caring for someone with the condition, the needs, priorities, and sentiment of the patient community at large, and adding context and perhaps helping interpret the numbers and statistics,” Kanter continued.

Overall, she said, “This move is an important sign that Commissioner Makary will take a second look at the issue of industry influence on FDA activities, and I am generally supportive of that.”

From soft robots crawling through crops to bio-based fertilizers that protect waterways, the future of farming lies at the intersection of scientific disciplines, according to a new study describing how agriculture’s toughest challenges require coordinated breakthroughs in biology, chemistry, engineering and data science.

The study, published in Global Change Biology, presents five case studies that demonstrate how this kind of deep collaboration can transform crop monitoring, fertilizer use and water management. It was completed by 25 researchers from two Science and Technology Centers (STC) of the National Science Foundation (NSF): the Center for Research on Programmable Plant Systems (CROPPS) led by Cornell and the Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center based in North Carolina State University.

“Working across disciplines doesn’t just expand our toolkit—it reshapes the questions we ask,” said Vesna Bacheva, a mechanical engineer in the Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Plant Biology Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science, who co-authored the research with Imani Madison, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at North Carolina State University.

Feeding a growing global population while managing limited natural resources presents ongoing challenges for scientists, engineers, farmers and policymakers, the researchers said.

One case study features nanosensors and soft robotics developed through the Center for Research on Programmable Plant Systems (CROPPS) to help monitor plant water status in the field. Another, based at the Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) Center, explores fertilizer innovations and phosphorus recovery systems that may support more efficient nutrient use.

“These kinds of integrated solutions are possible because researchers in our centers are working creatively across disciplinary boundaries to achieve common goals,” said Abe Stroock, the Gordon L. Dibble ’50 Professor in the Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and adjunct professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science, director of CROPPS and a senior author of the study.

The study also examines how talking to agricultural stakeholders—including farmers, engineers and university collaborators—can inform research direction and help guide the development of practical technologies. Social science researchers involved in the project conducted interviews and surveys to understand adoption considerations for technologies related to phosphorus recovery and nutrient use.

The authors emphasize the value of institutional support for collaboration and training across disciplines. They also note that the approaches presented in the paper may be adapted to address other topics in agricultural innovation.

“This work is an example of how different kinds of scientific expertise can be brought together to develop new approaches to agricultural production and resource management,” said Margaret Frank, associate professor in School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell and one of the corresponding authors of the study.

Additional CROPPS authors include Mathew Baldwin, April Gu, Mehmet Ilman, Jen Liu, Sijin Li, Anand Mishra, Gloire Rubambiza, Robert Shepherd and Hakim Weatherspoon from Cornell University and Mark Beilstein and Jesse Woodson from the University of Arizona.

New technology that allows zoo animals and their human visitors to share experiences could have positive benefits for both, researchers say.

Last summer, computing science experts from the University of Glasgow teamed up with zookeepers at Blair Drummond Safari Park to test “SensorySafari,” a prototype interactive system which enabled red-ruffed lemurs and humans to share linked multisensory experiences.

The results of the project, set to be presented at a conference this month, suggest that the everyday lives of the endangered red-ruffed lemurs could be enriched by on-demand access to video and sound clips, as well as the distinctive smells of favored foods and plants.

At the same time, visitors who had the chance to share the same sensory experiences and watch videos of the lemurs interacting with the device spent more time in the animals’ habitat. They also reported that they felt an increased emotional connection with the lemurs as a result of interacting with the SensorySafari device.

Dr. Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas of the University of Glasgow’s School of Computing Science led the development of SensorySafari.

She said, “It can be challenging for zoos to balance their animals’ health, welfare and need for enrichment with their wider aim to provide entertainment and education for visitors. Activities like one-on-one sessions, where visitors can touch and feed the animals in controlled environments, can create memorable moments for humans but can be stressful or repetitive for animals over long periods.

“We developed SensorySafari to explore the potential of interactive technology to enable valuable but indirect connections between visitors and animals. Interactive tech has the potential to give animals access to new enrichment activities which feel safe and comfortable, while also providing humans with more engaging routes to learn about animals.”

During the pilot project, the researchers installed a specially-designed box containing a video screen, speakers and three vials filled with different scents in the red-ruffed lemurs’ enclosure. Infrared sensors inside the box detected when the lemurs entered, triggering a video, a sound, a smell or a combination or two or more. The sensors also started a video camera, which recorded their interactions for as long as they lasted.

During the 63-day test, which began and ended with periods where the box offered no interactive elements, Blair Drummond’s six red-ruffed lemurs were given the opportunity to use the box as often as they wanted to. Remarkably, they triggered the device more than 3,200 times when the interactive elements were active, interacting significantly more with the system when it offered them “multimodal” experiences that provided more than one stimulus at a time.

They spent the least amount of time interacting with SensorySafari when they were shown the videos alone, which displayed abstract colors or images of a rose garden or fruit. Instead, the smells—of dried fruits and plants like banana and palm leaves—were most attractive, and encouraged lemurs to spend the most time interacting with the system. The lemurs appeared to favor the dried scents over their synthetic alternatives, spending more than four minutes at a time savoring the smells.

While there were no significant differences in how frequently lemurs triggered the system between single and multimodal stimuli, the length of engagement was substantially greater when multiple senses were stimulated together.

Dr. Hirskyj-Douglas said, “Interactive systems designed for animals often focus on offering visual stimuli through pictures and video, so it’s interesting that this element ended up being the least appealing element of SensorySafari for the red-ruffed lemurs. The fact that they engaged longer with the multimodal experiences suggests that interactive systems should take more care to engage animals’ senses beyond simply what they can see and hear. It could be that multimodal interactions offer experiences which are closer to how they find food in the wild, and thus are more engaging for them.”

For 20 days during the longer test of SensorySafari with the lemurs, the researchers also paid close attention to human visitors during their time around the animals’ enclosure. After five days of observing visitors near the enclosure without any interactive elements aimed at them, the researchers installed a touchscreen device in a heavily trafficked spot with a view of the lemurs.

More than 25,000 visitors interacted with the human-focused SensorySafari device, which offered them the chance to play a guessing game to predict which sensory stimuli or combinations the lemurs preferred most, receiving immediate feedback on their guesses. When visitors correctly identified the lemurs’ favorite sensory combinations, they learned specific information about individual lemurs and received a sticker as a reward.

The touchscreen device significantly increased the amount of time humans spent by the lemur enclosure, boosting visit time from one minute during the initial five-day control to 18 minutes during the time when both the human and lemur-focused SensorySafari devices were active.

Nearly 1,000 visitors filled out surveys which showed that they found their visits more enjoyable and educational when they could interact with SensorySafari, and that they felt more empathetic towards lemurs’ welfare and aware of the animals’ thoughts and feelings.

Jiaqi Wang, a postgraduate researcher at the University of Glasgow’s School of Computing Science, worked on the development of SensorySafari and is a co-author of the paper. She said, “What was particularly striking about visitors’ positive responses to SensorySafari is that it sparked engagement with the lemurs even if they weren’t using the system directly.

“We saw a lot of people watching over others’ shoulders, or discussing the system and animals’ responses with each other. It seemed to be a real conversation starter, encouraging people to think out loud with each other about the lemurs instead of passively observing them and moving on.”

The paper marks the latest development in Dr. Hirskyj-Douglas’ partnership with Blair Drummond Safari Park. Last year, they developed “LemurLounge,” which offered brown and ring-tailed lemurs the chance to trigger sounds on demand. In 2023, a similar enrichment device was tested with the park’s giraffes.

Blair Drummond Safari Park’s Research Coordinator, Connor Malone, said, “We’re delighted to continue supporting the development of interactive systems as enrichment tools. This study highlights how they can enhance both animal engagement and visitor interaction.

“It’s particularly exciting to see that the SensorySafari device significantly increased the time visitors spent with the lemurs and gave them a greater understanding of their needs. Helping people recognize our animals as intelligent, sentient beings naturally fosters empathy. We look forward to applying these insights to further enrich our animals’ lives and enhance visitor experiences.”

Dr. Hirskyj-Douglas added, “These are really encouraging results, which suggest that there is value in building technologies which can be of benefit for both animals and humans. Next, we’re keen to explore how lemurs and visitors can control technology together, rather than just observing it separately.”

The team’s paper, titled “Reshaping Human-animal Relationships: Exploring Lemur and Human Enrichment through Smell, Sound, and Sight,” will be presented at the CHI Conference in Yokohama, Japan, on Tuesday 29 April.