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Linking Utah's Innovation Community
USTAR Radio
USTAR Radio is our name for a collection of podcasts and videocasts that highlight some of the exciting research taking place at Utah State University and the University of Utah.
Nutritional Pathways to Protection - In the latest podcast (November 2008), USTAR researcher Dr. Michael Lefevre of Utah State University talks about compounds in the food we eat that may provide protection from the modern day scourges of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
The podcast highlights the work of the Center for Advanced Nutrition at Utah State University. Interest in the topic of nutritional pathways to protection against disease is high, given the country’s focus on increasing healthcare costs.
You can access the six-minute podcast at Nutrition podcast .
In the podcast, Dr. Lefevre talks about a wide range of topics and trends including:
• A pending study that looks at the effects of plant compounds on blood cholesterol levels. The study may point the way to treatments for people with low tolerance for statin-based, cholesterol-reducing drugs.
• Pigments found in strawberries, grapes and blueberries that may combat obesity
• Surprising effects that coffee may have on treating diabetes
Biofuels: From Gunk to Gas - In September 2008, Jeff Muhs, executive director of the Energy Lab at Utah State University explored the realistic concept of producing biofuels from algae domestically vs. sourcing fossil fuel from overseas.
The five-minute podcast is available at Biofuels podcast .
In the podcast, Muhs talks about a wide range of topics and trends including:
• How algae-based biofuels promise to be a more productive, second-generation approach vs. first-generation corn-based ethanol production.
• How developing new technologies requires a multidisciplinary approach, combining engineering to fiber optics to analysis of specific algae strains.
• How algae production has the promise of creating “green-collar” jobs, particularly in places such as Utah, with its high number of sunny days.
Muhs oversees an USTAR-funded project to explore the production of biofuels using sophisticated bio-reactors that grow oil-rich algae. The USU team is working hard to reduce America’s dependence on foreign energy supplies and make algae-based fuel production a cost-effective alternative energy source.
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