University of California, Berkeley joins US$17.5m African Biofortified Sorghum Project

A Project of the Grand Challenges for Global Health Initiatives

NAIROBI, Kenya, April 10, 2005 – The University of California, Berkeley has joined the African Biotechnology Sorghum (ABS) Project, a Grand Challenges for Global Health initiative funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Dr. Florence Wambugu, the CEO of Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International and the ABS Project leader said, “UC Berkeley will focus on the digestibility portion of the project, based on studies that have been underway for over a decade in the laboratories of Professors Bob Buchanan and Peggy G. Lemaux.”

Professor Buchanan is professor of plant and microbial biology while Professor Lemaux is Cooperative Extension specialist in plant and microbial biology. Their contribution will complement approaches being pursued by other ABS project consortium members.

“University of California, Berkeley’s efforts provide a second avenue to ensure success in achieving the important goal of increasing digestibility, and we are extremely happy to offer our expertise and materials for this important project for the public good,” stated Lemaux.

“The seeds the UC Berkeley scientists will develop should have enhanced protein and starch digestibility so people can obtain improved nutritional value from their sorghum consumption,” said Buchanan.

The ABS project consortium was one of more than 1,500 applicants for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Grand Challenges in Global Health (GCGH) initiative, which seeks to harness the power of science and technology to dramatically improve health. The Grand Challenges initiative is supported by $450 million from the Gates Foundation (which includes a $200 million commitment managed by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health), $27.1 million from the Welcome Trust, and $4.5 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

The ABS Project brings together nine organizations, of which seven are based in Africa: Africa Harvest, project lead; African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF); International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT); South African-based Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); Agricultural research Council (ARC); University of Pretoria; and Ghana-based Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA). The two U.S. organizations are Pioneer Hi-Bred, International, Inc., a subsidiary of DuPont, and the University of California, Berkeley.

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Contact:
Daniel Kamanga
Communications Director
Africa Harvest
International: +27 82 787 4799
Email:

The Africa Biofortified Sorghum (ABS) Project is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Grand Challenges for Global Health, which seeks to harness the power of science and technology to improve the health of the world’s poorest people. With the goal of improving nutrition to promote health, the ABS project focuses on developing a “super sorghum” that grows well in harsh climates and contains high levels of essential nutrients for the people in sub-Saharan Africa. The project is a 9-member consortium of public private and academic organizations led by a Project Steering Committee, which includes Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International (www.ahbfi.org); DuPont, through its subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. (www.dupont.com, www.pioneer.com); and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (www.csir.co.za). For more information on the ABS Project, visit www.supersorghum.org.