By T.H. Kao PSU Inv. Matthew D. Smith A Penn State researcher has identified the plant gene responsible for self-incompatibility in petunias. By neutralizing the incompatibility gene with standard genetic-engineering techniques, the inventor has reversed the petunias inherited inability to fertilize themselves and enabled these plants to produce seeds. By R.B. Beelman and M.R. Spolar PSU Inv. Ronald J. Huss Methods have been developed for the Selenium enrichment of mushrooms.
Selenium is a nutritionally essential trace element.
By F. Zhang, et al . Nutrients in feed ingredients are not known with certainty. Ronald J. Huss Both natural and synthetic chemicals have been used to preserve foods and beverages against microbial spoilage. For example, propionic acid produced by bacteria in cheese making is now used as a preservative in many other foods. Medium chain-length fatty acids have also been shown to have antimicrobial properties and have been evaluated as food preservatives.