Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences [Department of Plant Biology and Pathology]

Associated Centers and Resources

Research Centers,  Institutes and Programs:

  •  Adelphia Plant Science Research & Extension Center
      • Director: William Meyer
      Phone: 732-932-0091 x160
      Email: wmeyer@aesop.rutgers.edu
      Fax: 732-932-9441
      Center Mailing Address: 594 Halls Mill Rd, Freehold, NJ 07728
      On-Site Phone: 732-462-9120
      On-Site Fax: 732-462-5692
      Turf Trailer: 732-761-9257; Fax: 732-761-9214
      The Rutgers Plant Science Research and Extension Farm in Adelphia (Monmouth County) support research and extension programs directly applicable to turf, field, agronomic crops, and plant and soil interaction. The center's research is used in solving problems relating to the production of food, feed, or fiber and problems relating to environmental or aesthetic quality.

  •  Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment
      • The Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment conducts and applies research in genetic engineering and related biotechnology to improve crop production, conserve natural resources, and enhance environmental quality. The center was jointly established by Rutgers University and the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology.

  •  The Center for Controlled-Environmental Agriculture
      • The Center for Controlled-Environment Agriculture promotes interdisciplinary research and technology transfer of controlled-environment agriculture and greenhouse technology among industry, growers, and researchers. The center develops high-tech; environmentally sensitive systems capable of reliably producing high-value products close to consumers while conserving natural resources.

  •  Continuing Professional Education
      • The Cook College Office of Continuing Professional Education seeks to measurably improve the quality of life of the residents of New Jersey and beyond through education and public service. Through the commitment and teamwork of our instructors and staff, we are dedicated to helping our society achieve a sustainable balance among the goals of human development, economic prosperity, and environmental quality.
      The Cook College Office of Continuing Professional Education has become a nationwide leader in providing quality outreach and public service programs. By working closely with Rutgers Cooperative Extension, university faculty and staff, private industry and local, regional, and nationwide organizations, we have attracted a team of dedicated instructors who consistently exceed our customers' expectations. We strive to make quality and customer service the hallmark of our programs.
  •  Cream Ridge Fruit Research & Extension Center
      • The Rutgers Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center in Cream Ridge (Monmouth County) conducts and disperses research applicable to the production of high-quality tree and small fruits, including apples, peaches, apricots, nectarines, brambles, strawberries, and grapes. The center increases production efficiency and protects fruit crops against environmental and biological hazards, while decreasing production costs and pesticide use.

  •  IR-4 Center for Minor Crop Pest Management
      • Director: Dr. Robert Holm
      Phone: 732-932-9575 x604
      Email: holm@aesop.rutgers.edu
      Fax: 732-932-8481
      Office Location: Technology Centre of N.J., 681 U.S. Highway #1 S, N. Brunswick, NJ 08902-339
      Web Site: http://ir4.rutgers.edu
      The IR-4 Project, headquartered at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, is a federal program that helps commodity producers obtain registrations and reregistrations for pest control products on minor crops, where economic considerations preclude private sector involvement. IR-4 coordinates research among state and federal cooperators, provides funding for field and laboratory studies, and develops petitions for submission to EPA. The project is a partnership involving state agricultural experiment stations; Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES); USDA; US EPA; agrichemical companies; growers; and grower organizations. IR-4 is particularly important to states that grow a large variety of specialty crops, such as California, Texas, and New Jersey.

  •  Global Institute for Bio-exploration (GIBEX)
      • GIBEX is guided by the pioneering "Reversing the Flow" paradigm intended to bring pharmacological screens to developing countries (Screens-to-Nature technology) and reverse the human 'brain drain'. GIBEX does not remove any natural resources from partnering countries. Instead, it arms scientists in these countries with innovative drug-discovery tools designed to transform forests, savannas, deserts and marshes of the world into modern pharmacological laboratories. In addition to adapting the process of drug discovery and commercialization to the needs of partnering countries, GIBEX promotes sustainable infrastructure and capacity improvements, local intellectual property ownership, conservation, educational opportunities and entrepreneurship.
      US faculty and student participation: Currently GIBEX has 14 active faculty members at Rutgers from nine departments or centers and five at University of Illinois. Some of GIBEX-affiliated faculty are recognized leaders in bioexploration, known for converting their discoveries into valuable pharmaceutical products. GIBEX will actively recruit students to participate in all aspects of its activities, thus creating major educational and internationalization opportunities for Rutgers.
      Member countries: The countries listed below have been visited on one or more occasion by US-based GIBEX faculty in the last 18 months and have pledged participation in GIBEX through their major universities and research institutions. Eleven of these countries have signed MOUs or LOIs with Rutgers expressing their willingness to become GIBEX participants.
        Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda
        Americas: Chile, Dominican Republic, USA
        Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Israel
        Oceania: New Zealand
        In addition, GIBEX will partner with the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences (IMCS) to establish GIBEX-Oceans.
  •  Mid-Atlantic Consortium, W.K. Kellogg Food Systems
      • The Food Systems Professions Education (FSPE) Initiative is a national activity started by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation which seeks to catalyze changes in educational programs throughout the United States to better prepare food systems professionals to be responsive to the dynamic and complex food systems issues of the 21st century. The Mid-Atlantic Consortium is one of 14 such initiatives working towards this challenge.
      A plentiful, safe, and accessible food system of the future is one of the most important challenges we face. Issues such as hunger, food safety, plant and animal agriculture, and environmental sustainability affect us all. How will our educational system help people to meet the challenges ahead? The Mid-Atlantic Consortium (MAC) is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, together with colleges and universities in this region, to improve dramatically the education of food systems professionals now and in the future. A big challenge faces us. If we are going to meet this challenge, we must form strong new partnerships. Higher education institutions need to change, but they cannot make meaningful contributions if they change in a vacuum.
      The MAC is a group of partners that includes ten educational institutions, business, community and government organizations in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and, we hope, you.
  •  New Jersey Ecocomplex
      • The New Jersey EcoComplex is a multi-institutional, multidisciplinary environmental center that harnesses research and education resources towards the development and industrial application of innovative environmental technologies. Our goal is to promote growth in New Jersey that is both economically viable and environmentally sustainable.
      The mission of the EcoComplex is to promote economic development in the environmental arena, including the remediation and protection of environmental quality, and the compatible sectors of food and innovative agriculture. By targeting these areas with integrated programmatic thrusts in research, education and economic development, the EcoComplex provides a distinctive focus. By harnessing the strengths of multiple institutions, the EcoComplex presents an array of capabilities unique in the nation.

  •  Philip E. Marucci Center, Blueberry/Cranberry Research
      • The Philip E. Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension in Chatsworth (Burlington County) develops and distributes research to ensure the continued production of high-quality blueberries and cranberries. The center develops new cultivars for industry and is researching how to minimize the use of pesticides in the culture of these crops.

  •  Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science
      • The Center for Turfgrass Science generates and disseminates knowledge, training, and education in the turfgrass sciences by fostering nationally recognized multidisciplinary research; undergraduate, graduate, and continuing professional education; and service programs that support the turfgrass industry.

  •  Snyder Research & Extension Farm
      • The Snyder Research and Extension Farm near Pittstown (Hunterdon County) is Rutgers' center for sustainable agriculture. Snyder Farm initiates and disseminates research applicable to the production of a variety of food and fiber products, including rain crops, tree and small fruits, turfgrass, and ornamentals. The farm's 390 acres provide a valuable capacity to research soil and climate conditions and crops of northern New Jersey.

  •  Upper Deerfield Research & Extension Center
      • The Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Upper Deerfield (Cumberland County) generates and dispenses research applicable to the production of high-quality vegetable crops, ornamentals, field crops, and tree and small fruits. The center stimulates the production of crops with maximum benefit to the New Jersey economy and minimum risk to the environment.

  •  The Waksman Institute for Microbiology
      • The Waksman Institute's mission is to conduct research in microbial molecular genetics, developmental molecular genetics, plant molecular genetics, and structural and computational biology.

    Collections:

  •  Chrysler Herbarium (CHRB)
      • Holdings: 117, 500 plant specimen sheets are arranged and catalogued systematically, according to the Engler system of families for vascular plants. The vascular and algal plants have been pressed and dried, treated for insects, identified, annotated (in part), mounted on 100% rag-content paper, labeled with the name of species, geographical locality, collector's name, habitat, altitude, soil type, and collection date. Specimens consist of algae, mosses, lichens, and vascular plants of the world, with emphasis on New Jersey. The vascular plants are geographically listed for New Jersey on filed map cards and county cards. Rare and endangered plant species of New Jersey are mapped also. All folders reside in insect-proof steel cabinets. The former Douglas Herbarium collection (10,000 sheets) and that of Princeton University are incorporated in the Herbarium. The Willowwood Arboretum collection of cultivated trees and shrubs is housed here also.
      Library: Approximately 625 books and pamphlets, including manuals, keys, and floras for many U.S. states and foreign countries.

  •  Rutgers Mycological Herbarium (RUTPP)
      • Holdings: The Rutgers Mycological Herbarium (RMH) has been estimated to contain more than 40,000 fungal collections. The process of data-basing the collections began June of 2000. The specimens data-based to date are available on the linked page. We will be updating the database every six months. The RMH herbarium contains the collections of the New Jersey Mycological Association.

    Facilities:

  •  Floriculture and Vegetable Greenhouses
      • Manager: Nicki Graf
      Phone: 732-932-9301
      Email: graf@aesop.rutgers.edu
      Fax: (732) 932-9441
      Location: 64 Nichols Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901
      Greenhouse facilities are available for teaching purposes (Floriculture and Vegetable greenhouses). Greenhouses contain approximately 30,000 square feet of benches and are used primarily for teaching activities -- but a variety of research projects are being conducted in the facilities.

  •  NJAES Research Greenhouses
      • A greenhouse facility serves as the focal point for applied research in the agricultural sciences. The 27,000 so. ft. computer-controlled facility is used extensively by the Plant Pathology faculty and contains the following features:
    • 16 (40' X 40') greenhouse zones
    • 3 (20' X 20') and 3 (10' X 20') contained greenhouse zones for transgenic plant research
    • 16 state-of-the-art controlled environment chambers totaling more than 500 so. ft. of bench space
    • a large plant preparation area

  •  NJAES Machine Shop
      • The NJAES Machine Shop is a service facility available to NJAES and Cook College faculty and staff. The shop has a large variety of machining and fabrication equipment. Technicians can fabricate and repair virtually any material. They can also work on wiring and plumbing associated with research equipment and apparatus. The technicians have broad experience in mechanical and electrical fabrication and repair of certain types of laboratory instruments and machinery. The shop has been providing services to the Cook College community for over fifty years.

  •  Plant Diagnostics Laboratory & Nematode Detection Service
      • Manager: Richard Buckley
      Phone: 732-932-9140
      Email: clinic@rce.rutgers.edu
      Fax:732-932-1270
      Location: Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Ralph Geiger Turfgrass Education Center, 20 Indyk-Engel Way, North Brunswick, NJ 08902
      Mailing Address: Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, P.O. Box 550, Milltown, NJ 08850-0550
      Website: http://www.rce.rutgers.edu/plantdiagnosticlab/
      The Plant Diagnostic Laboratory is a full-service plant health diagnostic facility sponsored by Rutgers Cooperative Extension, the outreach component of Cook College and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Our mission is to provide accurate and timely diagnoses of plant health problems for the residents of New Jersey. Located on the Cook College campus, the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory provides plant health diagnostic services in cooperation with Rutgers Cooperative Extension faculty and staff. There is a user fee for this service.
      The Plant Diagnostic Laboratory is staffed with two full-time diagnosticians who are trained in all aspects of plant health. Seasonal employees and students assist in the lab. The Plant Diagnostic Laboratory staff works in close cooperation with Rutgers Cooperative Extension specialists, county faculty, and other university personnel, to provide accurate diagnosis and up-to-date recommendations.
    Library Resources:

  •  Stephen And Lucy Chang Science Library
      • The Stephen And Lucy Chang Science Library, the newest physical library in the Rutgers University Library System, is located on the first floor of Foran Hall, on Cook Campus. The principle focus of the Chang Science Library is support of research in agriculture, environmental studies, and natural resources. The collection includes books, indexes, and journals in the fields of agriculture, animal science, aquaculture and fisheries, bio-resource engineering, environmental studies, food science, human ecology, marine science, and plant science. In 1998, Chang's collection comprised nearly 5500 monographs, over 13,000 volumes of bound periodicals, and subscriptions to 194 journals.

  •  Library of Science and Medicine
      • The Library of Science and Medicine (LSM) houses the primary print research collections for the following disciplines: behavioral science, biological science, earth and geological science, engineering, medical science, pharmaceutical science. Research collections serving other disciplines such as agricultural biotechnology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics are held in separate branch libraries. LSM also serves as a depository library for government documents dealing with science, contains a U.S. patent collection and patent search facility, and maintains a large map collection. In 2001 LSM owned over 259,000 monographs, 210,600 bound periodical volumes, approximately 478,000 government documents, 792,000 microform items, thousands of maps, and held subscriptions to over 2600 serials. Thousands of science journals are also accessible online at LSM (and university-wide), and the number continues to grow. Online journal resources in the sciences include major publisher packages such as ScienceDirect, the American Chemical Society journal collection, the American Physical Society collection, the BioOne collection, and many others. Literature searching across the full spectrum of the sciences is supported by access to dozens of databases including Biosis Previews for the life sciences, GeoRef for earth science and geology, IEEE Xplore for engineering, INSPEC for physics, Medline for medicine, PsycInfo for behavioral science, SciFinder Scholar for chemistry, Web of Science for interdisciplinary studies, and numerous others.

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