Impact of CGIAR maize germplasm in sub-Saharan Africa

Open Access ArticleThis study reports on the adoption and impacts of CGIAR-related maize varieties in 18 major maize-producing countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) during 1995–2015. Of the 1345 maize varieties released during this timeframe, approximately 60% had a known CGIAR parentage. About 34% (9.5 million ha) of the total maize area in 2015 was cultivated with ’new’ CGIAR-related maize varieties released between 1995 and 2015. In the same year, an additional 13% of the maize area was cultivated with ’old’ CGIAR-related maize varieties released before 1995. The aggregate annual economic benefit of using new CGIAR-related maize germplasm for yield increase in SSA was estimated at US$1.1–1.6 billion in 2015, which we attributed equally to co-investments by CGIAR funders, public-sector national research and extension programs, and private sector partners. Given that the annual global investment in CGIAR maize breeding at its maximum was US$30 million, the benefit-cost ratios for the CGIAR investment and CGIAR-attributable portion of economic benefits varied from 12:1–17:1, under the assumption of a 5-year lag in the research investment to yield returns. The study also discusses the methodological challenges involved in large-scale impact assessments. Post-2015 CGIAR tropical maize breeding efforts have had a strong emphasis on stress tolerance

Market intelligence for informing crop-breeding decisions by CGIAR and NARES

Crop breeding by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), in partnership with national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) and privately owned seed companies, forms the backbone of the research and development (R&D) effort needed to ensure future food security in developing regions. Over the past decades, varieties derived from CGIAR germplasm have helped provide food for hundreds of millions living in harsh and vulnerable environments. However, the capacity to deliver increased benefits from crop breeding will depend on effective strategies to address the stubbornly slow rate of uptake of improved varieties. Meeting the challengewill require, among other inputs, deeper insights on the evolving preferences and requirements of farmers, processors and consumers. In short, breeding will need to be led more by demand. Key to the success of demand-led breeding will be the availability of reliable and timely intelligence on the current and future preferences and requirements of farmers, processors and consumers. Although ‘market intelligence’ has existed in various forms in CGIAR’s social science research agenda, an opportunity exists for increased relevance based on shared approaches and tools and new partnerships, both within CGIAR and between CGIAR and its partners. Beginning in 2022, a coordinated effort through the CGIAR Initiative on Market Intelligence looks to build cross-functional and transdisciplinary teams to provide market intelligence in support of crop breeding and seed-system development

Workgroup report: Public health strategies for reducing aflatoxin exposure in developing countries

10.1289/ehp.9302Environmental Health Perspectives114121898-190

Early detection and surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 genomic variants in wastewater using COJAC

The continuing emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants of interest emphasizes the need for early detection and epidemiological surveillance of novel variants. We used genomic sequencing of 122 wastewater samples from three locations in Switzerland to monitor the local spread of B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta) and P.1 (Gamma) variants of SARS-CoV-2 at a population level. We devised a bioinformatics method named COJAC (Co-Occurrence adJusted Analysis and Calling) that uses read pairs carrying multiple variant-specific signature mutations as a robust indicator of low-frequency variants. Application of COJAC revealed that a local outbreak of the Alpha variant in two Swiss cities was observable in wastewater up to 13 d before being first reported in clinical samples. We further confirmed the ability of COJAC to detect emerging variants early for the Delta variant by analysing an additional 1,339 wastewater samples. While sequencing data of single wastewater samples provide limited precision for the quantification of relative prevalence of a variant, we show that replicate and close-meshed longitudinal sequencing allow for robust estimation not only of the local prevalence but also of the transmission fitness advantage of any variant. We conclude that genomic sequencing and our computational analysis can provide population-level estimates of prevalence and fitness of emerging variants from wastewater samples earlier and on the basis of substantially fewer samples than from clinical samples. Our framework is being routinely used in large national projects in Switzerland and the UK

People Interpret Robotic Non-linguistic Utterances Categorically

We present results of an experiment probing whether adults exhibit categorical perception when affectively rating robot-like sounds (Non-linguistic Utterances). The experimental design followed the traditional methodology from the psychology domain for measuring categorical perception: stimulus continua for robot sounds were presented to subjects, who were asked to complete a discrimination and an identification task. In the former subjects were asked to rate whether stimulus pairs were affectively different, while in the latter they were asked to rate single stimuli affectively. The experiment confirms that Non-linguistic Utterances can convey affect and that they are drawn towards prototypical emotions, confirming that people show categorical perception at a level of inferred affective meaning when hearing robot-like sounds. We speculate on how these insights can be used to automatically design and generate affect-laden robot-like utterances

CGIAR Research-for-Development Program on Mycotoxins

The major mycotoxins studied at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) institutes are aflatoxins in maize, peanut, sorghum and cassava, Fusarium toxins in maize, wheat and sorghum, and ochratoxin in cocoa and cashew. Genetic enhancement (both through plant breeding and biotechnology), biological control, habitat management, risk assessment, institutional capacity building and public awareness are among the tools in the "CGIAR research-for-development kit" to fight mycotoxins worldwide. A holistic approach should be pursued to deal with mycotoxins that includes the following elements: (i) an integrated crop management package that combines mycotoxin-resistant germplasm, biological control, habitat control and soil-amendments; (ii) low-cost mycotoxin detection technology for rapid appraisal that also should facilitate trade; (iii) a participatory process for mycotoxin assessment in commercially important crops; and (iv) a high-level panel composed of scientists, NGOs, farmers, traders, consumers, health officers and policy makers to monitor mycotoxin intervention strategies and to organize awareness campaign

PORCN moonlights in a wnt-independent pathway that regulates cancer cell proliferation

10.1371/journal.pone.0034532PLoS ONE74

Reggie-1/flotillin-2 promotes secretion of the long-range signalling forms of Wingless and Hedgehog in Drosophila

The lipid-modified morphogens Wnt and Hedgehog diffuse poorly in isolation yet can spread over long distances in vivo, predicting existence of two distinct forms of these mophogens. The first is poorly mobile and activates short-range target genes. The second is specifically packed for efficient spreading to induce long-range targets. Subcellular mechanisms involved in the discriminative secretion of these two forms remain elusive. Wnt and Hedgehog can associate with membrane microdomains, but the function of this association was unknown. Here we show that a major protein component of membrane microdomains, reggie-1/flotillin-2, plays important roles in secretion and spreading of Wnt and Hedgehog in Drosophila. Reggie-1 loss-of-function results in reduced spreading of the morphogens, while its overexpression stimulates secretion of Wnt and Hedgehog and expands their diffusion. The resulting changes in the morphogen gradients differently affect the short- and long-range targets. In its action reggie-1 appears specific for Wnt and Hedgehog. These data suggest that reggie-1 is an important component of the Wnt and Hedgehog secretion pathway dedicated to formation of the mobile pool of these morphogens