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2Blades Newsletter
Issue 20 | September 2024
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Dear Diana,
As Fall arrives in the Northern hemisphere, temperatures are cooling and the pace of events is heating up. At 2Blades, we look forward to a host of opportunities to learn from and connect with colleagues all along the innovation chain, as we seek to strengthen this framework and drive the delivery of outcomes for agriculture.
We're especially looking forward to the World Food Prize gathering in October and the events we will convene there, including a panel on "Evolving the Innovation Chain for Agriculture: Bringing Private Sector Efficiencies to Food Security" that we will co-host with BIO and USAID. We hope to see many of you there.
We are excited to soon unveil a new website, retiring our current one that has served us well for more than 8 years. The new site will reflect changes we have made as an organization over the past few years and provide a fresh experience. Stay tuned!
Thank you for your interest and support,
Diana Horvath
President
dmh@2blades.org
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New "Pocket-K" on Asian Soybean Rust
2Blades has released a new Pocket-K (Pockets of Knowledge) entitled “Rust-Resistant Soy for Africa,” that sheds light on the escalating threat of Asian soybean rust in Africa.
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2Blades Signs Memorandum of Understanding with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
The MOU seeks to foster greater cooperation between the two organizations and their activities in soybean in Africa. The scope of the MOU includes exchanging information, materials, and training opportunities in pursuit of developing resistance to Asian soybean rust in tropical soybean.
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Interview with Habtamnesh Habtemariam
Ms. Habtemariam is challenging what the future holds by pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. 2Blades is pleased to support her research on Asian soybean rust and provide mentorship with our key scientists in collaboration with IITA and SIL.
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Lesley Milnes
Lab Technician, 2Blades Group @ The Sainsbury Laboratory
Lesley joined the 2Blades lab in 2016 to help identify PRRs conferring resistance to fungal diseases of corn using a high-throughput screening platform. She has since helped to develop the platform in soybean and collaborate with labmates to identify resistance genes against Phakopsora pachyrhizi, the causal agent of soybean rust.
SPOTLIGHT: Q & A with Lesley Milnes
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Jack Luft Joins 2Blades Team
2Blades is pleased to announce the hiring of Jack Luft as its Business Development Manager. Jack will foster 2Blades' relationships with business partners and explore research, technology, and trait licensing opportunities.
Prior to joining 2Blades, Jack led business development and sales for startups and growing companies in agtech and mechanical testing of advanced materials for the past 8 years, including 4 years spent in East and Southern Africa. Those companies included Nabaco, Psylotech, and InspiraFarms. A firm believer in the value of market intelligence, he has helped companies develop and grow leading customer bases in the US, Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
An English major, Jack obtained his master's degree in Public Policy and Development Management in Argentina from a joint degree program offered by Georgetown University and the Universidad de San Martin. He began his career doing research for a range of organizations, including the Economist Intelligence Unit and Dalberg's Initiative for Smallholder Finance.
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Top Honors Awarded to 2Blades' Board Members
Sylvia Wulf and Appolinaire Djikeng
Sylvia Wulf was awarded the Rosalind Franklin award by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). The Rosalind Franklin Award recognizes a pioneering woman in the agriculture and/or environmental biotechnology sectors who has made significant contributions to advancing the bioeconomy and biotech innovation. It is named after Rosalind Franklin, who was instrumental in the discovery and greater understanding of the molecular structure of DNA through her use of X-ray diffraction images. It honors women who have shown exemplary leadership, led the way through previously uncharted territory, and made significant contributions to the industry. Click here to read the full announcement.
Appolinaire Djikeng was chosen as a Top Agri-food Pioneer by the World Food Prize Foundation. The inaugural list of Pioneers honors 38 change-makers from 20 countries who are leading the way in food and agriculture. Djikeng, along with the other pioneers, will be celebrated at the 2024 Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, IA. Click here to read the full announcement.
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2Blades to Launch New Website
in Fall 2024
2Blades will unveil a new website in the coming months that will provide enhanced features, improved accessibility, and an updated experience.
Follow us on X (formerly know as Twitter), LinkedIn, and Instagram to be the first to hear when our new website launches!
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Connect with 2Blades at these upcoming events:
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2Blades, based in Evanston, Illinois in the US, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit company dedicated to the discovery, advancement, and delivery of durable disease and pest resistance in crops. 2Blades establishes and manages development programs addressing significant unsolved crop threats, working at the 2Blades Groups at The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK and at the University of Minnesota, and in collaboration with leading research institutions around the world. We translate discoveries into products with key downstream delivery partners for commercial and smallholder agriculture. 2Blades manages a portfolio of specific traits and enabling technologies that it implements in its own programs and out-licenses for broad use. |
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Help keep pathogens from taking a bite
out of our food supply.
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