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Data Science Institute at Columbia


Less rice, more nutritious crops will enhance India's food supply

A new study from Columbia University suggests that planting less rice and more nutritious crops like finger millet, pearl millet, and sorghum can enhance India's food supply while reducing environmental impact. This diversification could increase protein by 1 to 5%, iron supply by 5 to 49% and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2 to 13%.

SourceData Science Institute at Columbia·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 4, 2019

Columbia researchers controlled the behavior in a mouse's brain with single-cell precision

Researchers at Columbia University have successfully controlled a visual behavior in mice by activating specific groups of neurons in their visual cortex. The study used high-resolution optogenetics and two-photon calcium imaging to identify and target individual neurons, demonstrating the causal role of neuronal ensembles in behavior.

Machine learning to the rescue

The team aims to develop a sorting-machine prototype using pupae images and machine-learning algorithms to process tens of thousands of images daily. They also design a robot to sort the pupae based on the result of the algorithm, with the goal of reducing tsetse populations in sub-Saharan Africa.