New Investments for One Health Solutions in Agriculture

Feb 18, 2025

RDAR, a major Canadian agriculture research funder, and Genome Alberta are pleased to announce the approval of approximately $3.3 million in funding for several important One Health projects. One Health recognizes the intrinsic link between the health of people, animals, and the environment. This approach is essential for anticipating, preventing, detecting, and controlling diseases that spread between plants, animals, and humans.

To read the Press Release and learn more about the funded projects, please visit: RDAR Delivers Multi-Million Dollar Investment to make One Health Solutions A Reality

In collaboration with RDAR, Genome Alberta facilitated the Accelerating Agriculture Innovation One Health Solutions competition to address the priority issues of Chronic Wasting Disease, Feral Pigs, African Swine Fever, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Livestock through a One Health approach. Supported research projects utilize genomic-enabled technologies, which offer collaborative, effective and cost-efficient approaches to provide solutions to One Health challenges and benefit Alberta producers.

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Video: Designing a Robotic Berry Picker

Since blackberries must be harvested by hand, the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. To support a growing blackberry industry in Arkansas, food science associate professor Renee Threlfall is collaborating with mechanical engineering assistant professor Anthony Gunderman to develop a mechanical harvesting system. Most recently, the team designed a device to measure the force needed to pick a blackberry without damaging it. The data from this device will help inform the next stage of development and move the team closer to the goal of a fully autonomous robotic berry picker. The device was developed by Gunderman, with Yue Chen, a former U of A professor now at Georgia Tech, and Jeremy Collins, then a U of A undergraduate engineering student. To determine the force needed to pick blackberries without damage, the engineers worked with Threlfall and Andrea Myers, then a graduate student.