| RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP ACTIVITIES: COLLEGES, CENTERS, AND INSTITUTES |
The College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University is established as Oregon's principal source of knowledge relating to agricultural and food systems, and as a major source of knowledge regarding environmental quality, natural resources, life sciences, and rural economies and communities worldwide. The College carries out its research through the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station. As the largest research enterprise at OSU, the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station's research is targeted to improve Oregon's economic, social, and environmental well-being and sustainability, but its scientists also are engaged in pushing the frontiers of basic science, providing knowledge that will open doors into the future. Emphases are:
The Agricultural and Resource Economics Department's long-term research goals are to provide Tier 1 research programs in three areas:
The primary resource and environmental economic research questions being addressed include: endangered species policy and optimal management of biological diversity; economic impacts of global climate change and global climate change policy; and the economics, policy and optimal management of Oregon's marine, estuarine, freshwater, riparian and land resources. The most important marketing and trade research questions include: understanding the interplay between productivity growth, industry structure, and trade in agricultural, seafood and food industries; the potential for "adding value" to Oregon's agricultural, seafood and food products; and the analysis of policies which affect domestic and international agricultural, seafood and food marketing and trade. Key research questions relating to the economics of rural areas include: the role of the economy, particularly labor markets, on welfare reform and poverty reduction; and economic adjustments in rural labor and land markets, the impacts of policies on these adjustments and implications for rural economies.
The Agricultural Education and General Agriculture department's long-term research goals are to provide research programs in three areas:
The primary educational questions being addressed include: academic content standards taught in the context of agricultural applications and the preparation required of teachers to be effective in that setting; design, development, delivery, participation and evaluation of programs delivered at a distance; and restructuring of agricultural education programs to be effective in today's educational, social and economic climate. Key research questions deal with the quality of programs as they are redesigned to meet various standards imposed from outside agencies or groups and the growth of individuals participating in such programs both academically and from the standpoint of gaining important employability skills.
The research mission of the Department of Animal Sciences at Oregon State University is aimed at integrating fundamental and applied research to provide solutions to problems encountered by the animal agricultural industry at the state, regional, national and international levels. To accomplish this mission, the department is engaged in basic research in animal growth and development and reproductive physiology. Within the area of animal growth and development, investigations are conducted in muscle biology at the molecular and cellular levels. In reproductive physiology, faculty are investigating heritable traits in avian male fertility, mechanisms involved in early embryo development and pregnancy establishment, factors controlling the estrous cycle and the relationship between immunology and reproduction. Nutrition research to enhance the immune response is being carried out in the livestock and avian species. Dairy research is concentrating on post-partum intake depression in high milk producing cows, a major metabolic problem in the Dairy Industry. Projects in these areas have medical and veterinary significance, are nationally competitive, and involve international collaborations. Research of an applied nature is conducted in dairy and beef cattle and poultry nutrition, sheep and poultry genetics, livestock production systems, and manure nutrient management. Applied nutrition research is particularly applicable to Oregon, because it is directed towards the range beef cow and efficient utilization of the state’s multiple and varied feed supplies and crop by-products. Research in animal genetics, livestock production systems and manure nutrient management is aimed at maintaining efficient animal production, a clean environment and a healthy food source. The Department’s overall goal of research and technology transfer is to provide integrated knowledge for the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of the animal agricultural industry.
The department conducts research in biological and water resource engineering that will address national needs in technology development and application, provide growth opportunities, for graduate students, and improve the quality of life for those in Oregon and beyond. Important issues being addressed in the bioengineering area include post-harvest engineering, downstream processing in biotechnology, Biosystems analysis across temporal and spatial scales, nanosensors, microtechnology, and tissue-based biosensor systems. The water resources group is expanding our knowledge in the area of watershed processes, including the management of water, such as in irrigation; investigating soil-water-atmosphere-plant system relationships; and developing strategies to minimize the impact of agricultural operations on ground water quality. We are developing management plans to reduce the water quality impacts of rural and agricultural activities from point and non-point sources, and examining the relationship of land-use patterns and practices on water quality and the role of riparian zone. This work centers on Oregon, but includes projects across the United States, in Canada, as well as in South America and Asia.
The Department of Botany and Plant Pathology conducts research that addresses a wide range of fundamental and applied problems in plant biology, from molecular to ecosystem levels of biological organization, with special consideration give to plant-microbe interactions. Major areas of research emphasis and strength within the department include:
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Research in the Department of Crop and Soil Science focuses on agricultural and natural resource issues, with emphasis on encouraging and enhancing the sustainable production of agricultural crops and protection of soil and water resources locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. The Department conducts basic and applied research in two broad areas: |
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Through campus-based, branch experiment station, and on-site basic and applied research, Crop and Soil Science faculty extend the frontiers of knowledge.
Faculty in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology administer research programs that are concerned with both the environmental movement and effects of chemicals and their mode of action on biological systems. The department has a comprehensive capability for the analysis of chemical residues, while companion studies address environmental behavior and exposure assessment. Mechanistic studies focus on metabolizing systems, DNA repair processes and effects on the immune system. In addition, there is an extensive program devoted to the study of the mode of action of carcinogens and the influence of dietary constituents on cancer. The department has a unique laboratory that uses fish as a model system in toxicological systems. A relatively new focus is on the environmental fate and potential toxicity of nanomaterials.
The Department of Fisheries and Wildlife discovers, integrates, and disseminates knowledge about wildlife and fisheries resources, as well as ecosystems and human communities with which they interrelate.
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Current major research programs strive to understand the ecological relationships between wild vertebrates and their environments, to understand how human activities affect fish and wildlife resources, and to develop effective strategies to conserve, use, protect, and manage fish and wildlife resources for current and future generations. |
Much of our recent work seeks answers to problems associated with species and populations in decline or at risk because of direct and indirect impacts of humans. These include those highly publicized (salmonids, spotted owls, bald eagles, marbled murrelets) as well as those less well known (harlequin ducks, sage grouse, lost river suckers, red-legged frogs). Research is conducted at multiple dimensions and scales -- from molecular to organismal to ecosystem levels -- and include studies of stress physiology associated with out-migrating Columbia River salmon to multidisciplinary, landscape-level studies of the entire Willamette River watershed. The breadth of research ranges from basic ecological studies of relatively poorly known animals (ecology of the Oregon Chub, population ecology of gray-tailed voles) to the pragmatic (developing means to eliminate exotic feral goats from islands to protect native flora and fauna, testing methods of moving fish-eating birds to protect salmon). The Department has long been noted as home of a cadre of exceptional scientists studying streams and their biota.
Future research opportunities will likely be greatest for:
The importance of each of these areas is driven by the increasing values humans place on native fish and wildlife.
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The long-term research goals of the Department of Food Science and Technology are to understand the chemistry, microbiology, sensory, and engineering properties of foods of interest to Oregon food processors. This knowledge will help develop safe, value-added food products, improved packages, and better preservation processes. Target areas for value-added food products include nutraceuticals, minimally processed foods, fermented products, and foods that contribute compounds capable of reducing the risks of heart disease and cancer. |
Research questions include how genetic factors controlling the chemical composition and biochemical processes of food plants, animals, and microbes can be modified to yield improved products with better consumer value as measured by sensory studies, chemical analysis, and response of foods and microbes to processes such as fermentation, high pressure, heat, and electromagnetic radiation. Additional research questions focus on the effect of processing, packaging structures, and storage conditions on the quality and safety of minimally processed, and fermented foods.
DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTURE |
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The research programs in the Department of Horticulture are designed to improve the quality of horticultural crops (fruit and nut crops, berries, vegetable crops and nursery and greenhouse crops) and to integrate diverse knowledge into environmentally safe and economically viable production systems for these crops. These programs range from research designed to develop new fundamental understanding of plant growth and development to ecological research at the landscape level of crop production systems. While focused on horticultural crops in Oregon, this research is utilized national and internationally as well. Fundamental programs are directed at understanding basic molecular processes that determine quality. This research is extended to the development and use of biotechnology to improve specific traits in key Oregon crops. Molecular approaches also are integrated into departmental breeding programs focused on developing improved vegetable and hazelnut cultivars for Oregon. Departmental research programs on plant growth and development develop new understanding of different classes of plant hormones, cold hardiness, efficient utilization of fertilizers and nutrients, photosynthetic efficiency and flower development. These studies in turn provide the foundation for researchers integrating diverse knowledge into crop production systems.
The mission of the Department of Microbiology at Oregon State University is to provide:
Microbiology is both a basic and applied science and, as such, it is
highly relevant to the economic, environmental, agricultural and health
needs of Oregon. As the only microbiology program in the state with
both undergraduate and graduate majors, the department reaches out to
students ranging from undergraduates in science, agriculture, business,
and the liberal arts to those seeking advanced academic and technical
training in the specialized sub-disciplines of microbiology. The department
offers fundamental and advanced courses, cutting-edge research training,
and interdisciplinary educational opportunities to help provide an educated
labor force. Departmental publications (in human and fish disease; molecular
and cellular interactions of bacteria and viruses; immunology; plant-bacterial
interactions; and environmental isolation and monitoring techniques)
provide examples of new knowledge to be used by state policy makers,
agriculture practitioners, and regulatory agencies. New vaccines and
genetically engineered dairy cultures are examples of new molecular
products produced through departmental research. The department provides
service to the Oregon biotechnology community and to Oregon's food and
dairy industries. In research, the faculty are engaged in studies that
examine host-pathogen interactions to develop vaccines, antimicrobials,
and diagnostic tests. The faculty also maintains a research focus on
the microbial populations/interactions in pristine and polluted ecosystems.
Basic scientific studies in bacterial and viral genetics, immunology,
genomics, metabolic engineering, bioinformatics, and molecular biology
are being used to help solve problems in food production and natural
resources around the world.
The Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management has focused on three research goals: (1) increasing the efficiency and sustainability of rangeland based enterprises, (2) designing multiple use management strategies that ensure and sustain productivity, bio diversity and stability of rangeland ecosystems and (3) expand humankind's understanding of range lands and their ecology. Areas of emphasis include: Weeds and Restoration Ecology; Watershed and Riparian Ecology and Management; Ecology of Woody Plant Communities; Agroforestry; Grazing Management; and Water Quality. Research is conducted primarily in the field and principally on private lands. Currently, research is active in over half of the counties in Oregon. Rangeland research is a primary emphasis of the Eastern Oregon Agriculture Research Center in Burns and Union. The research program at these branch stations is coordinated with and cooperative with the programs managed centrally.
Oregon State University Research Office
312 Kerr Administration Building, Corvallis, OR 97331
Phone 541-737-3467 Fax 541-737-9041
researchsupport@oregonstate.edu
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