About

Dr. Morrie Craig is a former Oregon State University (OSU) professor who directed the institution’s Endophyte Testing Laboratory for two decades and performed testing of straw and hay being exported to Korea, Japan, and China. Dr. A. Morrie Craig's work ensured that exported feed and straw did not present a toxicological risk to their livestock.

With training in veterinary toxicology and biophysics, Dr. Craig began his work as an OSU professor in the late 1970s focused on research into tansy ragwort, a toxic plant responsible for the deaths of many cattle and horses. A key finding was that sheep ruminal microorganisms were able to degrade the toxic alkaloids in the plants, in the process making them nontoxic to sheep and the broader environment.

Subsequent studies were on munition toxins left from war efforts and common in American West military bases. Dr. Craig undertook research that demonstrated that cool-season grasses such as perennial ryegrass and tall fescue could accomplish Phyto-Ruminal-Bioremediation of the soil. These plants were shown to uptake the munitions and ruminal microorganisms in sheep grazing them could break down the munitions, without any harm to the sheep. This ultimately led to studies on encapsulation of the microbes, such that the microorganisms could potentially be delivered to a range of ruminal species, from goats to camels.

He is also knowledgeable of Greyhound care and helped author a pair of books on the subject. He worked with the National Greyhound Association in setting in place drug testing protocol and earned him inclusion into the National Greyhound Hall of Fame.