Kofinas Presents at the National Academy of Science

Professor Peter Kofinas.

The National Academy of Science's Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources (BANR) recently invited Fischell Department of Bioengineering Professor Peter Kofinas to participate in a workshop for a new project supported by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. According to the BANR web site, the project, "A Study of Technologies to Benefit Farmers in Africa and South Asia," will "identify the scientific foundations of sustainable farming systems and management practice and the social, economic and political factors that influence their use and wide scale adoption." The workshop, which focused on plant genomics and nanotechnology, was held August 16-17 at the Keck Center in Washington, D.C.

Kofinas, who currently has 2 grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), spoke on how nanotechnology can improve life and increase production for subsistence farmers. He highlighted several areas of his research, including the production of less costly diagnostic tests for viruses, fungi, bacteria, and parasites; the development of flexible batteries that could power more portable equipment in areas without electricity; and nanofiltration systems for wastewater.

Learn more about Professor Kofinas’ research »

Published August 22, 2007