Thompson presents $1.2M to Oberholster for smoke exposure research

From left, Ned Spang, Rep. Mike Thompson, David Block and Anita Oberholster.

Congressman Mike Thompson presented a check for $1.2 million to Anita Oberholster, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology, on Aug. 30 for smoke exposure research. Thompson secured these research funds in the 2023 federal appropriations government funding bill. 

“I worked to secure this funding for researchers at UC Davis to investigate how smoke exposure changes the composition ofwinegrapes and other products,” said Thompson, whose district includes all or parts of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties. 

The $1,205,966 will enable Oberholster to purchase two pieces of equipment: a gas chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and an ultra high-pressure liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometer. These are essential for smoke exposure research.  

Oberholster was joined by Edward “Ned” Spang, director of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, and David Block, chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology, as she accepted the check.

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