- Author: Hanif Houston, The VINE
A series of VINE Build workshops aimed at equipping academic innovators with essential pathways to bring new inventions to market is being sponsored by The VINE, an initiative of University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), in collaboration with Farmhand Ventures. These workshops are designed to empower participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the complex landscape of technology commercialization.
"These workshops represent a unique opportunity for academic innovators to gain invaluable insights into the commercialization process," said Gabe Youtsey, UC ANR chief innovation officer and founder of the VINE. "By bridging the gap between academia and industry, we aim to catalyze innovation and propel advancements in technology and agriculture so we can enjoy the benefits sooner."
The half-day sessions will explore various aspects of commercialization as a mechanism for technology transfer. Led by industry experts, the workshops will cover user-centered design principles, inclusive innovation basics, the role of commercialization in technology translation, commercialization strategies, intellectual property licensing, transitioning from academia to business, and the differences between non-dilutive and dilutive funding.
"For academics looking to make a real impact, these workshops provide an invaluable platform," said Connie Bowen, co-founder and managing partner of Farmhand Ventures. "By participating in these sessions, innovators have the opportunity to turn their great ideas into tangible products that address the big challenges facing our industry today."
People involved in applied food and agriculture research – including professors, graduate students, undergraduate students and others – are encouraged to participate.
The workshops will be held across various locations in California on the following dates:
- Fresno: May 9, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., Smittcamp Alumni Center, Fresno State
- San Diego: May 23, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., Salk Institute Foyer, San Diego
- Davis: May 29, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m Physical Sciences and Engineering Library, Conference Room, UC Davis
- Santa Cruz: Date and location to be determined.
For more information and to register for the workshops, please visit: https://bit.ly/vine-build-workshop
- Author: Mark P Bolda
- Author: Yu-Chen Wang
Following the rain of this past week Saturday, we've been hearing about a pretty significant outbreak of angular leaf spot in strawberry. We include some pictures from a field of Cabrillo taken the morning of May 6.
In the way of review, angular leaf spot in strawberry is caused by the bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas fragariae, and manifests itself as you can see in all the photos below. In particular, the underside of the leaf will take on a watery appearance in vein delimited areas of the leaf (Photo 3), and in often in the morning have a sort of goo there (and it is real sticky, brush your finger over it and you will know, this is the cytoplasm from the lysed plant cells).
Addressing the question: Is this a time to worry? All things considered, we think probably not, unless it rains again. What is very likely the cause of this heavier than average outbreak of angular leaf spot this year is the greater frequency of rainstorms, in other words unlike last year with huge intense rains interspersed with longer periods of dry, this year has experienced lighter rains but at more frequent intervals, creating lengthier durations of free moisture on the leaves which has created good growth conditions for Xanthomonas fragariae.
So if the trend from here on out is dry as it is supposed to be, there is less reason to worry about this outbreak becoming worse and causing trouble.