91传媒, USDA-ARS kick off new research unit focused on geospatial, environmental epidemiology
Contact: James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擲cientists from 91传媒 and the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 Agricultural Research Service, along with other federal and academic organizations, met recently to solidify plans for a new 91传媒/USDA-ARS partnership focused on geospatial and environmental epidemiology.
The USDA Agricultural Research Service is starting a new research collaborative, the ARS Geospatial and Environmental Epidemiology Research Unit, in partnership with 91传媒鈥檚 Geosystems Research Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. The new unit builds on long-standing partnerships between 91传媒 and USDA-ARS, the USDA鈥檚 principal in-house research agency.
The mission of the new unit is to harness advanced geospatial analysis, artificial intelligence and machine learning to focus on new approaches to cropping practices, predictive biology and disease epidemiology. The new unit brings together 91传媒 and USDA-ARS scientists to develop new research tools and capabilities, as well as new insights by combining multiple sources of data and information.
With offices adjacent to the 91传媒 campus in Starkville and the Thad Cochran National Warmwater Aquaculture Center in Stoneville, USDA-ARS has significant research partnerships already in place with 91传媒. In 2020, 91传媒 and ARS launched Atlas, a new high performance computing cluster housed at 91传媒 that supports USDA research computing needs.
鈥淭his has been a very valuable relationship and all of us working together makes us better,鈥 said 91传媒 Vice President for Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine Keith Coble. 鈥淭his is an opportunity to continue multidisciplinary work in partnership with ARS, and we are truly excited about it.鈥
The recent workshop with scientists was used to develop project priorities and outline multi-year plans.
The meeting included an overview of several related multidisciplinary research efforts at 91传媒, such as mapping disease transmission risk in cattle feedlots, understanding disease susceptibility and evolution in poultry and livestock, using sound monitoring in aquaculture ponds to predict disease risk and developing a coupled sensor-radar system that can be used to predict parasite and disease spread in honeybees and other species.聽
91传媒 is a national leader in agriculture research, most recently ranking No. 11 nationally for agriculture and natural resources research and development expenditures. The Geosystems Research Institute uses advanced sensing technologies and geospatial data to advance knowledge of geographic systems. The College of Veterinary Medicine boasts significant expertise in animal epidemiology, which is used to inform food production practices around the state and world. The Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station conducts statewide research on agricultural and animal production that enhances economic prosperity and environmental stewardship, builds stronger communities and improves the health and well-being of families.
For more on the ARS Geospatial and Environmental Epidemiology Research Unit, visit .
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