For more than sixty years the Western Regional Research Center of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service has conducted research in support of food and fiber quality, utilization and production at its Albany, CA location.

The Center’s present-day mission is three-fold:

To enhance the healthfulness of foods, by understanding food components which promote human health and well being, and by studying ways to reduce microorganisms or contaminants that are harmful.

To conduct research supporting the development of new foods and non-food industrial products from agriculture and other renewable resources.

To protect and enhance the quality of the environment, by developing methods for controlling unwanted pests using biological control and other environmentally friendly approaches.

The Center’s research program emphasizes the development and application of new technologies, including agricultural genomics, proteomics, and biotechnology, to accomplish the three missions. It also includes the transfer of technology to commercial partners, and collaboration with scientists in academia, other agencies, and the private sector.

This Web Site is a great way to learn more about the Western Regional Research Center and the Agricultural Research Service. I hope that it will give you a taste of Center accomplishments, and let you know how you can interact with the Center. We are always interested in hearing from new partners and potential employees. And we value your comments and suggestions.

If the Web Site does not answer all your questions, please call me at 510-559-5600 or send an e-mail message to me at jseiber@pw.usda.gov.