Where the Best Ideas Take Wing.

Discusses the role of alchemist David Emery in a project to convert the poultry industry's trash into a lucrative venture. How the innovative lab at Unsung ARS converts feathers and quills to an airy fiber which can be used to make auto parts and medical devices; Cooperation between the ARS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find high-tech solutions to problems such as how to eradicate plant and animal diseases; Support from the government for the employment of unused agricultural products in places other than landfills; Efforts of ARS to raise its profile in the business community be passing out information on CD-ROMS at trade shows and sending executives e-mail updates on new technologies available for licensing. INSET: A HALF-CENTURY OF INVENTION.