* A research team headed by K-State E. coli O157:H7 expert T.G. Nagaraja has been tapped by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study both the connection between feeding distillers' grains and E. coli 0157:H7 in cattle and several strategies to reduce the presence of the naturally occurring pathogen in the animals. The group has received a $939,220 National Research Initiative in Food Safety grant. Nagaraja, a university distinguished professor of microbiology, said the issue of meat safety is receiving full attention from both researchers and the meat industry and is being addressed. This research project will greatly enhance our understanding of the exact relationship between dietary distillers' grains and E. coli 0157:H7 in cattle, as well as provide us with an opportunity to look at novel ways to mitigate the potential risks of feeding this valuable co-product. The research team also includes K-State professors David Renter, Mike Sanderson and Dan Thomson, and doctoral student Megan Jacob. August 2008
* Megan Montgomery, a third-year student in veterinary medicine, is among the 43 veterinary students worldwide selected for the Morris Animal Foundation's Veterinary Student Scholars Program. The program provides veterinary students an opportunity to become involved in research that enhances the health and welfare of companion animals and wildlife. Montgomery is receiving a $5,000 stipend to participate in a short-term clinical or basic veterinary research project under the guidance of an experienced researcher. Her project is evaluating the oral bioavailability of terbinafine in horses and in some dogs. Her faculty mentor for the project is Butch KuKanich, assistant professor of anatomy and physiology. Montgomery also has been invited to attend the Morris Animal Foundation's 2009 annual meeting in Colorado, where her project will be reviewed by the foundation's scientific advisory boards. June 2008
* Recognizing the expertise in swine medicine and nutrition at K-State, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently approved a $4.8 million grant to bring a comprehensive program to fight porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome to the university. The Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Coordinated Agricultural Project, to be headed by virologist and professor Bob Rowland, is charged with guiding the national effort to eradicate the syndrome. The project encompasses not only research efforts, but educational ones as well. The grant will provide $1.2 million a year for the next four years. May 2008
* K-State researchers Randy Phebus and Dick Oberst have been tapped by the U. S. Army Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center in Natick, Mass., to ensure what soldiers eat and drink is free of pathogenic microorganisms or biological toxins. Since 2005, Phebus and Oberst have taken tests used in the food industry to detect pathogens and evaluated them relative to the military mission. With about $1.7 million in research funding to date, they've looked at a few different methods and used them on about a dozen food types. April 2008
* Steven L. Stockham, professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at K-State, and co-author Michael A. Scott, an assistant professor at Michigan State University, have written a second edition of "Fundamentals of Veterinary Clinical Pathology," available now from Blackwell Publishing. The book offers information about common clinical laboratory tests that veterinarians use to evaluate domestic mammals like dogs, cats, horses and cattle. Students can learn what the tests measure, conditions that affect results and what those results indicate about the animal's health or illness. The second edition offers students information on additional disorders and includes new images and illustrations. April 2008
* Millions of Chinese pigs are dying each year of a disease that isn't fully understood. But thanks to the expertise of K-State virologist Dick Hesse who recently visited China with a team of specialists, Chinese officials are a step closer to understanding the root of the problem. As part of the scientific delegation, Hesse, director of diagnostic virology at K-State, worked with four research centers and traveled to several farms to help officials better diagnose the disease . The team found that ailing pigs were most often suffering from more than one virus and noted several steps to enhance biosecurity in the U.S. February 2008
* K-State has brought together nearly 10 percent of the nation's veterinary board-certified clinical pharmacologists for an advanced laboratory where researchers can get quick results. PharmCATS, the latest addition to K-State's laboratory capabilities, serves both university and industry clients in need of bioanalytical services. A nonprofit support organization for K-State, PharmCATS is in the university's research park. Its mission is to provide rapid, accurate analytical services to support toxicological and pharmaceutical research conducted in both academic and private industry settings. The lab has already started working with clients in the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, which stretches from Manhattan to Columbia, Mo. The corridor is significant because it is home to 120 animal health organizations and 13,000 specialists. January 2008
* Natalie Turner Barrett, a fourth-year student in veterinary medicine, Escondido, Calif., is a 2008 recipient of the $10,000 National Simmons Educational Fund Business Aptitude Award. The fund is an educational foundation created by Simmons and Associates to educate practitioners and students about the business of veterinary medicine. The fund awards $1,500 to one veterinary student at each participating school in the nation through its Business Aptitude Award Program. From these winners, one student is chosen to receive a $10,000 award based on their solution to the competition's business case study. Barrett was selected from among a broad pool of national candidates based on her resume and her solutions to the case study. January 2008