| Dr. Ralph Dean, professor and director of NC State’s Center for Integrated Fungal Research, led a research team that uncovered the mystery of rice blast, a disease that each year kills enough rice to feed 60 million people worldwide. Dean’s team deciphered the genome of the fungus by determining the order or sequence of all genes. By mapping the genome, Dean’s group was able to unlock the mysteries of how the fungus causes rice blast disease - the first step in the process of its eradication.
Dean’s research project is one of many examples of how NC State helps protect the nations and world’s food supply. We’re working to understand how to avoid toxic residues, as well as help protect humans from food-borne diseases such as E. Coli and Salmonella. NC State also is the lead institution in an 18-university consortium studying a range of food safety issues, from bioterrorism to proper food preparation.
Research that saves lives, changes lives, and enriches society. NC State: Achieve!
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