MPR: Ten Ways U Research Affects You

Ten Ways U Research Affects You
By Melanie Sommer, February 2001

The University of Minnesota touches the lives of all of us in many ways, large and small. Every time you buckle your seat belt, fly in an airplane, drive through a traffic jam, or bite into an apple, you benefit from research conducted at the U. Over the past 150 years, U researchers have developed new crops, new breeds of livestock, new veterinary drugs, and new herbicides to improve our food supply. They have developed varieties of trees, shrubs, and flowers that grow in cold climates. They have been leaders in developing organ transplantation, open-heart surgery, and drug therapies for heart disease and AIDS.

Trying to choose a "top ten" list of the university's most important research accomplishments is nearly impossible. We chose 10 which have had a dramatic impact on the daily lives of Minnesotans and people around the world.

1. The world can feed more of its people, thanks to Norman Borlaug, father of the "Green Revolution"

2. Mental illnesses and disorders are more easily diagnosed, thanks to the MMPI - Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

3. Many heart-attack victims were saved, thanks to a heart drug developed at the U

4. Traffic flow is better regulated, thanks to the Autoscope traffic-management system

5. People with HIV/AIDS have a greater chance for survival, thanks to an AIDS drug developed at the U

6. Open-heart surgery is safe and successful, thanks to pioneering research at the university's medical school

7. Research into treatment for Alzheimer's disease is progressing, thanks to a genetically modified mouse developed at the U

8. Driving a car or flying in an airplane is safer, thanks to the work of "Crash" Ryan

9. We're more aware of the risks of heart disease, thanks to the man who invented K-rations

10. Information retrieval on the Internet was made easier, thanks to the Internet Gopher Protocol.

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