Food and Agriculture

Global crop yields are at their highest in recorded history, but to prioritize higher yields farmers are incentivized to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These can disrupt the crop’s ability to extract micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids from the soil, which ultimately produces a less nutritional crop. A solution developed in recent years has been regenerative farming - a collection of sustainable practices whose primary focus is revitalizing farm soil while maintaining yield. This review will explore the long-term decline in iron, zinc, and copper concentrations for many crops, its implications for the human immune system, and how regenerative farming can alleviate these trends.

Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is a preventative measure against food allergies that introduces increasing doses of an allergen to a patient under medical supervision. Research has sought to understand the benefits of introducing allergens in different age groups, but studies have yet to be compared to find the ideal window of time for children to be introduced to allergens. This literature review aims to determine whether this window exists in early childhood or the fetal stages to prevent the development of allergies using OIT.

One of the most extensively used insecticides is imidacloprid, which functions by inhibiting the central nervous system in insects. That mechanism is indiscriminate, so while it harms pest species, it also harms other biota. Current research indicates that imidacloprid is infiltrating freshwater systems as a result of agricultural runoff, adversely affecting both the aquatic environment and persisting into human drinking water. This review will provide an overview of the extent to which imidacloprid pollutes freshwater systems and discuss the efficacy and viability of two sustainable methods of removing it: plant and bacterial remediation.

Investigating replacements for inorganic chemical controls of pests and pathogens is essential to preserve the productivity and longevity of our agricultural lands. One solution is vermicomposting, a safe, scalable, and regenerative method of managing organic waste that involves the use of worms to convert organic matter into compost. This literature review examines the effects that vermicompost and vermicompost teas have on harmful accumulations of pests, pathogens, and toxins found within our agricultural systems.

Scientists at the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul have identified the first Mastrevirus, a plant virus causing disease in crops worldwide, to infect both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. While this finding has interesting implications for gene editing via viral vectors, it may also impact pathogen management and food security.

Total methane emissions from both dairy and meat cattle represent 14.5% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. To mitigate climate change, it is necessary to create solutions to reduce methane emissions from cattle. For long-term solutions, scientists are focusing on increasing feed and production efficiency via genetic selection, as producing the same amount of milk or meat from a smaller herd of cattle will reduce methane emissions. In the short term, there has been a recent surge of studies exploring dietary supplements that could reduce the emissions of cattle in existing commercial farms. This article will primarily focus on the emissions produced by dairy cattle, including in vitro experiments and in vivo feeding trials.

Cannabis, hemp, pot – are these all synonyms for the same plant? Also known as Cannabis sativa L., hemp is a tall, leafy green plant, with an herbaceous stem and palmate, serrated leaves. Each part of the plant has a use, from food products to construction materials to clothing. However, hemp and marijuana are unfortunately frequently conflated as the same plant, despite having significantly different chemical and physical properties and separate historical uses. Hemp is a misunderstood, underutilized plant crop, and its textile use is an untapped source in American markets.

Approximately 10% of the world’s population is affected by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common gastrointestinal disorder that is notable for abdominal pain and bloating. These appear as several subtypes of symptoms that likely result from individuals’ unique microbiota and response to psychological stress. This literature review investigates the factors that lead to IBS and its diverse treatment options.

Every year, staggering numbers of male chicks, calves, and piglets are killed in the U.S. The animal welfare issues encompassing the culling and castration of unwanted male animals in food production can be addressed through a multitude of sex determination methods. This review examines the potential of sperm sexing by flow cytometry, the CRISPR/Cas9 system, and spectroscopy methods as efficient and economically viable measures for industry.

Integrating dietary treatments with chemotherapy and immunotherapy has emerged as a viable technique to improve cancer treatment success in recent years. One such example are ketogenic diets, which have garnered attention for their anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory characteristics among various dietary treatments. This review examines the effect of a ketogenic diet in combination with chemotherapy or immunotherapy on cancer patient survival rates.