News

WSU Tri-Cities team in UW business competition ‘sweet 16’

April 28, 2017   |  WSU News RICHLAND, Wash. – A team from Washington State University Tri-Cities whose business plan is to commercialize a WSU-patented jet fuel technology has advanced to the University of Washington Business Plan Competition’s “sweet 16” round. The sweet 16 round of the UW Business Plan Competition kicks off May 25. [ full […]

Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge

April 3, 2017  |  WSU News RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University Tri-Cities technology and a business plan for converting the plant material lignin into biojet fuel won third place among 21 teams at the Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge finals last week. The team of Libing Zhang, postdoctoral researcher, and Manuel Seubert, master’s of […]

New way to characterize cellulose, advance bioproducts

MARCH 23, 2017  |  by Maegan Murray, WSU Tri-Cities RICHLAND, Wash. – Researchers at Washington State University Tri-Cities and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have found a new way to define the molecular structure of cellulose, which could lead to cheaper and more efficient ways to make a variety of crucial bioproducts. For the first time, […]

Predicting Phenology: A New Tool from AgWeatherNet

Spring 2017  |  Viticulture and Enology Extension News Phenology refers to “the science of appearance”. This translates into understanding nature’s “calendar” of plant development. Important phenological events in viticulture include bud break, bloom and veraison, which are tied closely with management practices. Predicting when these events will occur can be difficult; most key phenological stages of grape are sensitive to climate and seasonal weather. Seasonal changes can include […]

Washington State Professor Finds Sky-high Opportunities for Drones in Agriculture

February 27, 2017  |  Washington Farm Bureau Many farmers and ranchers are already benefitting from drone technology, but the work of researchers like Dr. Lav Khot is showing that we’ve only scratched the surface of what this relatively new technology can do for agriculture. Khot works for Washington State University’s Center for Precision and Automated […]

Youth get hands-on lessons in biofuels, food engineering, robotics

Feb 2017 | CAHNRS News Graduate students from CAHNRS’ Department of Biological Systems Engineering brought their research to life for students at Lincoln Middle School in Pullman. In three 2016 visits, student researchers shared concepts in areas like food engineering, bioenergy and agricultural automation with middle school students in science teacher Marla Haugen’s class. [ […]

Plant biologists welcome their robot overlords

Old-school areas of plant biology are getting tech upgrades that herald more detailed, faster data collection. January 25, 2017 |by Heidi Ledford, Nature – International Weekly Journal of Science At Washington State University in Pullman, biological engineer Sindhuja Sankaran’s lab is preparing to deploy drones carrying lidar, the laser equivalent of radar. The system will scan […]

Agtech: Higher yields, lower costs, better environmental protection

Fall 2016 | Washington Business Magazine, by Richard S. Davis Advanced technology has contributed to tremendous growth in production since the middle of the 20th century, while farmers have been able to reduce inputs, including labor, chemicals, and energy.  The agricultural and food industry accounts for 13 percent of Washington State’s economy. Biotech, “flying tractors”, designer orchards, and […]

Brian Bodah Joins NYSAES Leadership Team

Brian Bodah’s experience and success in agricultural research at WSU helped lead him to a place “where he envisions opportunities for NYSAES to continue its impact in New York and around the world.” After graduating from BSYSE in 2013, Brian took a post as Director of WSU Pierce County Extension in Tacoma, and also went […]