The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) launched a newly designed website that improves access to information about ARS research. The new site features mobile responsiveness allowing users to better navigate and view information on both mobile and desktop devices.
ARS maintains scientific information stemming from research conducted by nearly 2,000 Federal scientists researching animal and crop health, human nutrition, food safety, and natural resources. The ARS website features more than 300,000 dynamic pages.
“This new design better showcases the research generated by our scientists and allows us to better share ARS research findings that have impacted our nation and our world,” Paul Gibson, ARS Chief Information Officer.
Visiting the site, one can learn the stories of ARS’s role in mass-producing 
penicillin; in developing new crops like seedless grapes, carrots, watermelon, and tomatoes; in preventing foodborne pathogens; in developing low-fat cheese; and about countless other ARS discoveries.
Notable new features added to the site include “I Want To,” “Trending Topics,” and “ARS Research in Your State.” ARS has nearly 4,000 active research projects and more than 77,000 publications on its website. The first two features make it easier to quickly find hot topics from ARS’s vast research portfolio.
The new format also allows ARS to spotlight the Agency’s extensive Image Gallery. These images document ARS scientists and research in action and are available for download free to the public.
Image credit: (top left) Showy colors, bizarre shapes, or surprising textures of exotic lettuces may brighten salads of the future. In California’s Salinas Valley, where much of America’s lettuce is produced, ARS researcher Edward Ryder and colleague William Waycott, scrutinize an exceptional array of unique lettuces./Photo by Patrick Tregenza