money, yale, u of conn., plum island ct.

[Guest guest]

starting to get paranoid...

steere named lyme in 1972 or 73? this program started in 72. (see paragraph

titled " scientific innovations " )

http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/states/CT.html

ation Between Israel

and the State of Connecticut

Exports to Israel in 1998: $45,417,321

Percentage change from 1997: -1

Israel's rank as trade partner: 29

Total exports since 1991: $449,539,711

Military Contracts with Israel in 1998

Using Foreign Military Financing: $10,292,581

Jewish Population in 1997: 97,000

Jewish Percentage of Total Population: 3.0

Binational foundation grants shared by Connecticut institutions:

BARD (1987-98): $1,336,000

BSF (1987-98): $1,953,250

BIRD (1977-98): $7,003,331

Recipients of grants from U.S.-Israel binational foundations:

Alcide Corp.

Canberra Industries Inc.

CAS Medical Systems Inc.

Corometrics Medical Inc.

Executone Information Systems

General DataComm

Kollmorgen Motion Tech.

Lansco Inc.

MacDermid Inc.

Micromint Inc.

Packet/PC Inc.

Timex Corp.

TranSwitch Corp.

University of Connecticut

University of Connecticut Med School

Yale

Yale Medical School

Agreements with Israel

In 1988, Governor O'Neill signed an agreement that led to the

creation of the Connecticut-Israel Exchange (CONNIX). The purpose is to

expand economic, scientific, educational, technological, commercial,

industrial and cultural cooperation and exchange.

Partners For Change

The U.S.­Israel relationship is based on the twin pillars of shared values

and mutual interests. Given this commonality of interests and beliefs, it

should not be surprising that support for Israel is one of the most

pronounced and consistent foreign policy values of the American people.

The two nations cooperate on a wide variety of projects that reinforce our

common beliefs. These SHARED VALUE INITIATIVES cover everything from energy

to science to education to health.

Since its inception, BIRD has funded more than 500 joint high­tech R & D

projects. Products developed from these ventures have generated sales of

more than $5 billion, tax revenues of more than $200 million in the United

States alone and created an estimated 20,000 American jobs.

Scientific Innovations

Institutions in Connecticut have shared with counterparts in Israel nearly

$2 million in grants awarded by the Binational Science Foundation (BSF) in

the last ten years. BSF was established in 1972 to promote research

cooperation between scientists from the United States and Israel. It has

awarded more than 2,300 grants, involving scientists from nearly 400

institutions located in 42 states. Yale and the University of Connecticut

are among the grant recipients.

Agriculture Benefits

The Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) was created

in 1978 with equal contributions by the United States and Israel. Since its

inception, BARD has funded more than 800 projects that have led to new

technologies in drip irrigation, pesticides, fish farming, livestock,

poultry, disease control and farm equipment. In 1998, projects were funded

at 19 U.S. institutions in 13 states. The University of Connecticut has

shared in grants worth more than one million dollars since 1987.

Crain, a professor of molecular and cell biology at the University

of Connecticut at Storrs has received grants from both BARD and BSF. One

project involves the investigation of what regulates the aging process (for

example, why leaves lose their green color) in plants. The long­term

application would be to develop improved methods for storing vegetables to

retard the aging process.

A second project looks at plant responses to environmental changes. Crain

wants to understand, for example, why some plants wilt easily. The study, he

said, applies to plant reactions to conditions such as drought, changing

light and variations in salt content.

The grants allow Crain to travel to Israel, which is important for allowing

him to interact and exchange ideas with his colleagues. BARD also allowed

him to hire a graduate student to work in the lab for three years. And, most

important, the collaboration results in prestigious publications.

A project with implications outside Connecticut involves the study of cow

reproduction. Bob Milvae of UConn is studying structures in the ovary of

cows to try to understand the biochemical messages that determine whether a

calf will develop. Dairy cows only produce milk after having calves.

Ideally, cows would give birth every 12 months, but today the interval is 14

months and the two-month difference costs the dairy industry millions of

dollars. Milvae hopes his research will help bridge the gap.

Milvae's research may also have important implications for humans, such as

understanding why women have early, spontaneous abortions even if an embryo

is healthy. " I couldn't do the research without funding from BARD, " Milvae

said, adding that he and his collaborator have different techniques and labs

and therefore benefit from looking at the problem from different

perspectives.

An earlier BARD project conducted by researchers at Yale, Israel's Kimron

Veterinary Institute and the USDA Plum Island Animal Diseases Center in New

York, developed a test for Rift Valley Fever. This test has improved

detection of a virus that infects cattle, sheep and humans in many

developing countries.