The Agriculture Department received 51 patents and unveiled 180 inventions during fiscal 2013, according to its annual Report on Technology Transfer. The discoveries include a flour “made from chardonnay grape seeds that can prevent increases in cholesterol and weight-gain,” said USDA. The Mayo Clinic is conducting human clinical trials on the product. AgSec Vilsack said each $1 in agricultural research returns $20 to the economy. Among the 2013 discoveries were a process for turning old tires into zinc fertilizer and a handheld device that uses gold nanoparticles to detect West Nile virus in blood samples.