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As of February 2010, all webpages for the National Soybean Research Laboratory have been remodelled, including this page. For updated information, please visit us at www.nsrl.illinois.edu
Soy News - Hot Off the Press!
The latest news from NSRL on soybeans
NSRL and ISA Ship Soy-Based Soup Mix to Haiti - January 2010
Hans Stein Selected as NSRL Interim Director - January 2010
NSRL Fall Bulletin - December 2009
Biodiesel Kit Ready for Your Classroom- November, 2009
NSRL and ISA Ship Soy-Based Soup Mix to Haiti
URBANA, Ill — In response to the tragic earthquake in Haiti, the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) in conjunction with the National Soybean Research Laboratory (NSRL) at the University of Illinois announced today plans to ship a container of soy-based soup mix to Haiti for distribution by the Haiti National School Lunch Program.
 ISA and NSRL have secured a shipping container through Breedlove Food Inc., located in Lubbock, Texas, that will depart for Port-au-Prince, Haiti loaded with packages of soup mix containing Textured Soy Protein (TSP), lentils and rice. The ready-to-prepare recipe requires water and heating and will provide 975,000 servings for immediate nourishment and fortification for the people of Haiti. TSP is an easy-to-incorporate dry soy food made from defatted soy flour that has been texturized through an extrusion process and formed into granules. TSP, when hydrated, resembles meat and takes on the flavor of the other ingredients it is combined with.
“Our thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by the devastation in Haiti, especially our friends at the Caroline Chauveau Girls School whom we have been working with to provide soy-enhanced mid-day meals, “ said Bridget Owen, associate director for NSRL. “We will continue to monitor the situation and look for additional ways that we can assist in the relief efforts.”
Alix Douyon, a local consultant, will be on the ground in Haiti to work with Josette Turnier, a leader in the Haiti National School lunch program to ensure the soup mix is distributed to students, their parents and other families in need.
"By acting quickly, now, we hope to help a few of those most affected by this disaster in their time of need.” said Lyle Roberts, chief executive officer of ISA. “The soy-based soup mix shipment is funded by Illinois farmers who have contributed through Illinois soybean checkoff and this is our way of providing food assistance to the many people impacted by the earthquake.”
Since 2004, food prices in Haiti have increased almost 20 percent causing a rise in the number of Haitians who go hungry. Haiti produces 45 percent of the food it needs annually, but severe weather events including hurricanes and floods have devastated much of Haiti’s agricultural harvest in recent years. The earthquake has left a country already struggling with poverty, political unrest and natural disasters even more vulnerable.
Haiti, a country of 8.5 million people, is considered the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. The per capita annual income is less than $400 and 80 percent of the population lives in poverty. Haiti has long battled malnutrition. Twenty-three percent of Haitian children face malnutrition and that number is trending up as food prices increase and agricultural production deals with financial crisis.
NSRL, located on the University of Illinois Urbana – Champaign campus, working in concert with the Illinois Soybean Association, is involved in a broad range of projects and programs that promote soybean research, education and outreach in the areas of production, nutrition and international economic development in Haiti and around the world. For over five years NSRL has worked in Haiti on school feeding programs, soy-enhanced beverage products and training and education regarding soy processing and utilization. More information about ISA and NSRL can be found at http://www.ilsoy.org/ and http://www.nsrl.uiuc.edu/
Hans Stein Selected as NSRL's Interim Director
URBANA, Ill — Associate Professor Hans H. Stein has been selected as Interim Director of the National Soybean Research Laboratory (NSRL) at the University of Illinois in Urbana – Champaign, according to Robert Hauser, Professor and Interim Dean of the College of ACES.
“We are pleased that Hans is willing to help define NSRL’s future,” Hauser said. “In this exciting era of innovative ideas and new directions in soy research, Hans brings leadership, research expertise, and a passion for soy that will enable NSRL to continue its leadership role in the industry both domestically and internationally.”
Stein is a nationally respected leader in swine production and nutrition, an accomplished scholar, educator and author and one of the nation’s foremost experts in digestion, absorption and utilization of energy and macronutrients in feed ingredients fed to monogastric animals. He and his graduate students have completed numerous research experiments to investigate the nutritional value of soybean meal and other soy products in diets fed to pigs and poultry.
Stein is currently Associate Professor of Swine Nutrition in the Department of Animal Sciences. He was awarded a Green Diploma from the Farmers’ Agricultural School in Gråsten, Denmark and a Master of Science in Animal Science from The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, Denmark. He received a Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of Illinois in 1998. Following professional employment in Odense, Denmark, and at South Dakota State University in Brookings, he returned to the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois in 2006.
Stein is known worldwide for his scholarship, making invited presentations on swine production and nutrition in the Midwest, Canada, Europe and South America. He has served on numerous boards and committees, and as a reviewer of research proposals. In addition to 67 refereed publications, his credits include nearly 200 other published documents, and $2.3 million of research funding since 2006. He was recently presented with the 2009 Pork Information Partner Award by the Illinois Pork Producers Association.
As Executive Director, Stein will provide leadership and strategic direction regarding soybean research, outreach and education efforts from production through consumption. Stein will serve as a liaison between the University and industry stakeholders forming affiliations and alliances that dynamically respond to the evolving technological and marketing conditions of the soybean industry. Stein’s priorities will be to expand the scope and size of the soybean industry and the profitability of soybean farmers.
Stein said his vision for NSRL includes: continuing and enhancing production and nutrition programs both in the U.S. and internationally, expanding animal research involving soy and uncovering and securing funding sources that support the soy synergies already in existence at NSRL.
Biodiesel Curriculum Kit Now Available
URBANA, Ill. - Participants in the 2009 National FFA Convention had the opportunity to produce biodiesel using the new
Biodiesel Basics: Curriculum and Production Kit developed by the National Soybean Research Laboratory (NSRL) at the
University of Illinois. Students and teachers followed production steps, which included heating up raw soybean oil, mixing a
catalyst with methanol, and then combining it with the oil.
Biodiesel Basics: Curriculum and Production Kit can be purchased for use by high school classrooms. The curriculum, encourages
evaluation of the economic and environmental benefits of using bioenergy. It includes four lesson plans that introduce students
to energy, the need for alternative energy sources, the soybean, and in-depth information about biodiesel.
The curriculum is used in conjunction with a production kit that lets students produce fuel from raw soybean oil in the
classroom or laboratory. The kit comes complete with everything needed to make 200ml of biodiesel. Very specific instructions
and safety guidelines are also provided.
"This curriculum is a great way to introduce applied science into the classroom," said Danny Erickson, training coordinator
at the NSRL. "It will increase student awareness and understanding of bioenergy."
"Teachers will have the opportunity to expand and enhance their curriculum with new material and it could be treated as a
multidisciplinary subject," said Erickson. "Chemistry teachers can benefit from using this curriculum, as well as agricultural
and business teachers."
According to the National Biodiesel Board, biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable
resources such as plant oils, animal fats, used cooking oil and even new sources such as algae. Biodiesel is simple to use,
biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.
"By educating young people about bioenergy and the positive impact it can have on our environment we are furthering the
research, education and outreach efforts at the University of Illinois," said Bridget Owen, Associate Director of the National
Soybean Research Laboratory. "Future generations will need a good understanding of alternative fuels, like biodiesel, to solve
the complex energy needs of a global economy."
Biodiesel Basics: Curriculum and Production Kit is available for sale through ITCS Educational Publishing at the University
of Illinois. It can be purchased by school districts, teachers, individuals, or groups through the PubsPlus online store at
https://pubsplus.illinois.edu. Lab kit replenishment materials will also be offered, so teachers can continue to use the
curriculum and kit for many years to come.
NSRL leads the way in developing innovative processing and marketing techniques involving soy. NSRL educates society on the
advantages of a soy enriched diet along with promoting the health benefits of eating soy. NSRL engages in soybean production
research that benefits producers. NSRL also explores the genetics of soybeans, responds to marketplace challenges, assists in
expanding the scope and size of the soybean industry and the profitability of U.S. soybean farmers.
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