The Importance of Infants' Exposure to Micro-Organisms
The New York Times, 2/5/2018

Research indicates that cesarean deliveries and limited breast-feeding can distort the population of microorganisms in a baby’s gut and may explain the unchecked rise of worrisome health problems in children and adults. To counter the effects of a surgical birth on the infant’s microbiome, a growing number of women whose babies are delivered by cesarean are requesting that medical staff transfer microbes from the mother’s vagina to their infants soon after birth. Dr. Suchitra Hourigan, a pediatric gastroenterologist and director of the Inova Translational Medicine Institute in Falls Church, Va., is planning a three-year study of 800 babies delivered by a scheduled cesarean, half of whom will get vaginal seeding, to help determine if the technique is safe and beneficial. (Dr Sourigan, andMaria Gloria Dominguezare PIs in the study.)

Rowan president spices up hot sauce - for scholarships
The Inquirier, Philly.com, 2/6/2018

Ali Houshmand of Rowan University took an idea from the garden to his kitchen to kick-start his signature line of hot sauces, which has raised almost $20,000 for Rowan' Student Scholarship Fund... Beginning with a greenhouse on campus that he would visit daily to water and tend to his peppers, Houshmand went on to collaborate with theRutgers Food Innovation Centerin Bridgeton, which helped him create the three flavors of Houshmand's Hazardous Hot Sauce sold today.

New Jersey farmers willing to invest in growing hops wanted
The Press of Atlantic City, 2/6/2018

Craft breweries have been popping up all over the state. But the hop plants that are needed to make strong, bitter beers? Not so much... It is tricky to grow, harvest and store the cones properly,Rutgers University researcher Megan Muehlbauersaid in a workshop presentation. Time, oxygen and heat are the enemies of hop quality, she said. "The clock starts ticking as soon as the hop bine is cut," said Muehlbauer.

2018 Tyler Prize awarded to two US-based biological oceanographers
Mongabay.com, 2/6/2018

It was announced today that the 2018 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement will go to two biological oceanographers based in the United States:Paul Falkowski, a professor of Geological and Marine Science at Rutgers Universityin the U.S. state of New Jersey; and James J. McCarthy, professor of Biological Oceanography at Harvard University in the state of Massachusetts... "The main message of my work is that microbes really are the stewards of our planet," Falkowski told Mongabay. "They made Earth habitable and, thankfully, are extremely robust; they will survive our destructive forces and ultimately help clean up our waste. They are not only intimately critical in greenhouse gas emissions, but also are the major actors in recycling elements across the globe."

How Privatizing Water Systems Costs Taxpayers -- & Endangers Them
Heavy.com, 2/7/2018

Daniel Van Abs, Rutgers associate professorof practice for water, society & environment, says it's almost impossible to tell whether higher costs are a result of better service or higher profit margins due to private companies overbuilding infrastructure that isn't needed. "It's a black box. We don't know if a system is investing too much or not enough, or if it's overstaffed or understaffed." And since cities can borrow much more cheaply on the municipal bond markets than private equity companies can with investors, there is no reason they can't be just as cost-effective, if not more. "Any medium- to large-size publicly owned utility should be able to operate themselves just as well as an investor-owned utility," says Van Abs. "If not, it's a failure of political will or focus."

Gov. Murphy addresses state ag convention
Morning Ag Clips, 2/8/2018

Gov. Philip D. Murphy addressed the 103rd New Jersey State Agricultural Convention Wednesday. After a welcome from NJDA Secretary Douglas H. Fisher, the governor assured the audience that agricultural needs will be a priority during his administration... Gov. Murphy also emphasized the importance of all sectors of agriculture needing to support each other so progress can continue. “This will require a new focus on our state’s agricultural experiment stations, and expanded partnerships withRutgers Universityand other researchers,” Gov. Murphy said. “It will need better pest management principles and policies, whether we talk about the deer who visit at night, or the hungry insects who sneak in undetected.

Why you'll want to double check your paycheck in February
Fox News, 2/8/2018

You've probably heard by now that the new tax reform bill will hit your paycheck as soon as February. But the change may not accurately reflect your ultimate tax bill... How can I make sure my pay is accurate? Wait for your first paycheck that accounts for the new withholding tables before making any changes, saidBarbara O'Neill, a CFP and a financial management specialist at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Then, you can estimate what you think it should be and adjust accordingly.

Kluchinski, Roszels Honored for Distinguished Service to Agriculture
AHHerald, 2/8/2018

Long-time Allentown High School teachers and FFA Advisors Jack and CyndeeRoszel and lateRutgers Cooperative Extension specialist Dan Kluchinskiwere honored February 7 with Distinguished Service to Agriculture Citations by the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture during the New Jersey State Agricultural Convention in Atlantic City... Kluchinski, who passed away on October 16 after an incredible fight with cancer, joined the faculty of Rutgers University in 1988, serving as County Agricultural and Resource Management Agent in Mercer County, achieving the rank of Professor in 2004. Dan's area of expertise included agronomy and sustainable agriculture supporting growers in Mercer County and the state. His greatest programmatic efforts were research into the use of municipal collected tree leaves as a soil amendment.

NJDA names distinguished service honorees
Morning Ag Clips, 2/9/2018

Long-time Allentown High School teachers and FFA Advisors Jack and CyndeeRoszel and lateRutgers Cooperative Extension specialist Dan Kluchinskiwere honored Feb. 7 with Distinguished Service to Agriculture Citations by the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture during the New Jersey State Agricultural Convention in Atlantic City. "New Jersey has many people who are dedicated to agriculture and the Roszels and Dan Kluchinski have been outstanding examples of that," said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher. "While we are saddened by Dan's recent passing, he leaves a legacy that will be carried on by those who knew him and those involved in New Jersey agriculture."

Warren Co. teen named Equestrian of the Year
Morning Ag Clips, 2/9/2018

Maddie Crisp, a 17-year-old Hackettstown High School senior from Great Meadows in Warren County, was named the 2018 New Jersey Equestrian of the Year by the New Jersey Equine Advisory Board on Jan. 28 at the annual New Jersey Breeders' Luncheon in Eastampton. She represented4-H of New Jersey.

Year-Round Farm Market Under Construction in Rutgers Gardens
New Brunswick Today, 2/9/2018

The Rutgers Gardens will soon be opening a new, year-round farmers market under a state-of-the-art, green roof structure. The 101-year-old, 130-acre property is home to botanical gardens and farms, and has hosted a farm market since 2008, according toDirector Bruce Crawford."The building of the structure has been in the works for a couple years," said Crawford. "Rutgers Gardens received an anonymous donation of $150,000 three years ago, which they had to match in their own fundraising."

Satellites Show Warming Is Accelerating Sea Level Rise
US News and World Report, 2/12/2018

Melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are speeding up the already fast pace of sea level rise, new satellite research shows. At the current rate, the world's oceans on average will be at least 2 feet (61 centimeters) higher by the end of the century compared to today, according to researchers who published in Monday's Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences... "Antarctica seems less stable than we thought a few years ago,"Rutgers climate scientist Robert Koppsaid.

Rutgers Seminar Focuses On Equine Gastrointestinal Health
TapInto.net, 2/12/2018

Horse owners gathered on a rainy Feb. 11 to learn more about gastrointestinal health and management at the Horse Management Seminar hosted by the Rutgers Equine Science Center and Rutgers Cooperative Extension...Dr. Carey Williamspresented the results of the "Gastrointestinal Health and Management of Eventing Horses" survey.Doctoral student, Jennifer Weinert, talked about some her future research, and "Microbiome and Metabolism of Horses on Pasture." The study will look at the effect of grazing on the microbiome. Test pastures will have warm or cold season grasses and a mixture of both.

We invite you to send an email lerting us when you are quoted in a story or if your program is mentioned in the news. Please send links of news,as it happens, as some media outlets do not retain online links beyond a week.

Visit the newly redesigned SEBS and NJAES Newsroom atsebsnjaesnews.rutgers.edu.