Bozeman (M. Becker) - A seed coating that can increase plants' abilities to withstand salt and a new tool for fighting cancer are two new technologies available for licensing to interested companies and entrepreneurs through Montana State University's Technology Transfer Office.

The first technology, a coating that can be applied to many species of plant seeds, can increase plants' salt tolerance, growth and yield. MSU and U.S. Geologic Survey researchers found that fungi living symbiotically with plants in stressful, high-salt conditions confer tolerances to the plants, a phenomenon the researchers call adaptive-symbiosis. By isolating these fungi, researchers substantially increased, over the course of a single growing season, a plant's tolerance for salt-levels as high as those found in seawater.

Helena -The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is issuing a Fiscal Year 2009 Call for Grant Applications under Section 319(h) of the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA).

Section 319(h) are funds for projects which are distributed competitively to support the most effective and highest priority projects to address Non Point Source (NPS) water pollution. There are three categories for competitive projects; Watershed Restoration, Ground Water Protection / Restoration, and Education and Outreach