UF/IFAS

Drs. Angelica Ahrens and Eric Triplett are both microbiology researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville. They recently published new research that found markers in the umbilical cords of children who were later diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Their research may lead to more effective treatment of the common condition.

After a winter that hit harder than anyone expected, freezing blossoms and fruit and bruising hopes, Florida blueberry growers are working to recover from this chilly season.

You’ve bought the turkey. You’ve prepped the brine. You’ve maybe even baked and frozen the pies. You’re ready for Thanksgiving dinner. But have you thought about being prepared for leftovers?

With Florida’s citrus industry declining, it’s important for growers to have robust backup crops to prevent financial loss. Dr. Zhanao Deng and his team with the University of Florida are decoding blackberry DNA to help Floridian growers.

The University of Florida’s Plant Diagnostic Center recently received significant acknowledgement as the first university-based lab in the nation to earn accreditation from the National Plant Diagnostic Network.

As National Honey Bee Day approaches this Saturday, beekeepers are celebrating the buzzing pollinators that support our food supply, as well as the success of a University of Florida accelerator that elevated bee-based small businesses.

Florida experts break down the buzz on the myth of mosquito-repelling plants.

About 70% of the world’s crop production relies on pollinator insects for survival.That makes it helpful to know how many pollinators are out there. As a citizen scientist, you can participate in this year’s Great Southeast Pollinator Census.Agents with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension are looking for volunteers to count pollinators. The census is a regional event that includes Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Boasting more than 80 distinct ecosystems, Florida is a biodiversity hot spot. More than 4,000 animal species, in fact, are native to the Sunshine State.As the weather continues to warm, a growing number of species are on the move, meaning interactions with humans are increasingly common.

Florida is home to more than 500 nonnative species, more than 50 of which are reptiles. Current monitoring techniques depend on visual surveys by scientists, and this is far from an exact science because reptiles — particularly snakes — are extremely elusive. A new technique being developed by scientists at University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) can identify DNA traces of Burmese pythons — as well as northern African pythons, boa constrictors, and rainbow boas — weeks after they have left an area using soil or water samples.