Hoyer Secures $5.9 Million for BARC Bio-Research Projects
WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) announced that the Agriculture Appropriations bill for FY 2010, which passed the House on Wednesday, includes $5.9 million to support facilities and research projects at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Beltsville, MD. Funding for all projects listed below was included at Rep. Hoyer's request.
"The research conducted at BARC contributes to the safety of our food, the preservation of our environment and the health of our citizens, among other things," said Congressman Hoyer. "I am pleased that the House made a commitment to supporting the critical work done at this world-class institution, which is renowned for its groundbreaking research in the areas of agriculture and nutrition."
Congressman Hoyer helped secure funding for the following funding for BARC research projects:
BARC Buildings and Facilities Needs - $3,000,000
The Beltsville Agricultural Research Center is our nation's flagship agricultural research facility. Many of the facilities currently utilized at BARC were constructed prior to World War II, and BARC continues to have significant modernization needs which this funding seeks to address. This investment will enable Federal researchers performing groundbreaking research focusing on agriculture and nutrition to undertake their critical work in modern and efficient laboratory and office space.
BARC Program Restoration - Biomedical Materials in Plants - $1,700,000
This funding will support important research into biomedical materials in plants that they may be used to improve animal and human health. This research is a component of efforts to discover potentially new and more efficient means to deliver pharmaceuticals.
BARC Program Restoration - Foundry Sands/Chesapeake Bay Agricultural and Industrial Byproduct Reuse - $638,000
This investment will enable BARC to undertake research on improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay by examining the potential beneficial reuse applications of agricultural and industrial byproducts.
BARC Program Restoration - Poultry Disease - $408,000
This funding will support studies into the susceptibility of poultry to avian coccidiosis and pneumovirus, which have a multi-billion dollar impact on the industry every year.
BARC Program Restoration - Medicinal and Bioactive Crops - $111,000
The U.S. National Arboretum, a unit of BARC, has well-established and respected programs in plant germplasm and improvement and genetic engineering. This investment will help carry out research essential to identifying plant components that have human health benefits and also in developing value-added varieties of plants.
BARC Program Restoration - Potato Disease - $61,000
Funding will be used to support research for improving the disease resistance of potatoes through plant breeding and marker assisted selection.