OARDC Announces Research Poster Winners

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) has announced the winners of a scientific poster competition held during its 2017 research conference on April 20 in Columbus.

The competition, which drew 83 entries, recognized outstanding research posters by OARDC-supported graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and research assistants and associates.

OARDC is the research arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University.

PhD students

• First place: Yangyang Li, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, “Life Cycle Assessment of Value-Addition to On-Farm Organic Residues Through Anaerobic Digestion and Composting.” Adviser: Ajay Shah, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering.
• Second place: Christopher Okonkwo, Animal Sciences, “Feasibility of Producing 2,3-Butanediol From Lignocellulosic Biomass.” Adviser: T.C. Ezeji, Animal Sciences.
• Third place: Ashish Manandhar, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, “Life Cycle Environmental Impacts of Cellulosic Feedstock Supply in Baled and Pelletized Formats.” Adviser: Ajay Shah, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

Master’s degree students

• First place: Brian Hodge, Plant Pathology, “Brome Mosaic Virus: A Potential Threat to Wheat Productivity and Profitability in Ohio.” Adviser: Pierce Paul, Plant Pathology.
• Second place: Yvan Delgado de la Flor, Entomology, “Urban Greenspace Design Influences the Taxonomic and Functional Composition of Ground-Dwelling Beetle Communities.” Adviser: Mary Gardiner, Entomology.
• Third place: Dipak Kathayat, Food Animal Health Research Program, “Identification of Novel Small-Molecule Compounds With Antimicrobial Activities Specific to Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli.” Adviser: Gireesh Rajashekara, Food Animal Health Research Program and Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.

Postdoctoral researchers

• First place: Sankar Renu, Food Animal Health Research Program and Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, “Formulation and Characterization of Bioadhesive Polyanhydride Nanoparticles Based Salmonella Vaccine for Oral Delivery in Poultry.” Advisers: Renukaradhya J. Gourapura, Food Animal Health Research Program and Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, and Ramesh Selvaraj, Animal Sciences.
• Second place: Se Woon Hong, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, “CFD Simulations of Fate and Transport of Pesticide Droplets Discharged From Air-Assisted Sprayers in Orchards.” Adviser: Lingying Zhao, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering.
• Third place: Xiaofeng Zhuang, Horticulture and Crop Science, “Construction and Application of the Draft Genome of Taraxacum kok-saghyz, an Alternative Natural Rubber Resource.” Adviser: Katrina Cornish, Horticulture and Crop Science and Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

Research assistants and associates

• First place: Edna Ariel Alfaro Inocente, Entomology, “Discovery of Organic Repellents and Insecticides Against the Mosquito Vector of Zika Virus (Aedes aegypti).” Adviser: Peter Piermarini, Entomology.
• Second place: Ana Trabanino Pino, Entomology, “Potential Soybean Aphid Populations Tolerant to Thiamethoxam in North America.” Adviser: Andrew Michel, Entomology.
• Third place (three-way tie): Revathi Shanmugasundaram, Animal Sciences, “Embryonic Thermal Manipulation Induces Heat Shock Protein 70 and Helps the Duck Immune System Mature Embryonically”; adviser: Michael Lilburn, Animal Sciences. Yosra Mohamed, Food Animal Health Research Program, “Probiotic E. coli Strain Nissle 1917 as Antibiotic-Alternative Approach to Control Campylobacter jejuni Infection in Poultry”; adviser: Gireesh Rajashekara, Food Animal Health Research Program and Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. Nicole Hoekstra, School of Environment and Natural Resources, “Can Vacant Lots Buffer Ecosystem Service Loss in Cities?”; adviser: Mary Gardiner, Entomology.

The first-place winners in each category received $500; the second-place winners, $300; the third-place winners, $150.

The conference featured three main speakers on a theme of “Biological Resistance: Opportunities and Challenges for Agriculture and Society.” It took place on Ohio State’s campus in Columbus.