News and Events
Graduate student Pooja Kumari wins NSF award at International Plant Phenotyping Symposium
October 30, 2024
Graduate student Pooja Kumari recently attended the 8th International Plant Phenotyping Symposium (IPPS-8) held in Lincoln, Nebraska, from October 7th to 12th, 2024. At the event, Kumari was honored with an NSF Award for her research presentation.
"The symposium was an incredible platform to learn about cutting-edge phenotyping technologies, explore diverse techniques, and gain valuable industry exposure," Kumari shared. "It also gave me the opportunity to connect with researchers and professionals working in related fields, which was truly inspiring."
Kumari is a Ph.D. student in Genomics, Phenomics, and Bioinformatics at North Dakota State University (NDSU). Her research centers on predictive modeling of foliar diseases in spring wheat breeding using UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) data. She also studies the genetics of host-pathogen interactions, with a particular focus on Septoria nodorum blotch.
Sittal Thapa presents at IWC
October 10, 2024
Graduate student Sittal Thapa was awarded with "Wheat Initiative free student registration award" and "Wheat Initiative Travel Support Award" to present his research at 3rd International Wheat Congress (IWC) in Perth, Australia. The conference was held between September 22-27, 2024, and was organised by the Centre for Crop & Food Innovation & WA State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. This Congress provided a platform for researchers to present their findings, share insights, and exchange ideas, which can contribute to enhancing the sustainability and resilience of wheat production systems. Mr Thapa presented a poster entitled 'Haplotype and Transcriptome Analyses Reveal Genes and Gene Regions Promoting FHB Resistance in Wheat'.
Mr Thapa is a Ph.D. student in Genomics, Phenomics, and Bioinformatics program at NDSU, focuses his research on finding the genetic resistance against fungal diseases in wheat.
New 2024 GPB student association executives elected
May 06, 2024
The GPB Student Association extends heartfelt gratitude to all members who participated in the election of the association's new executives. Congratulations to President Oluwatayo Moses and his team. Sittal Thapa will serve as Vice President, Hayat Khan as Secretary, Pooja Kumari as Treasurer, Basanta Dhungana as Public Relations Officer, and Peter Beerbower as Organizing Secretary. The new executive team is committed to supporting the growth and success of the program. The organization's purpose is to serve as a source of contact, provide networking opportunities, offer academic support, and advocate for the needs and concerns of GPB students.
Josephine Johnson successfully defends PhD
April 5, 2024
Congratulations to Josephine Johnson, who successfully defended her PhD thesis titled "Leveraging Genomics and Transcriptomics for Gene Discovery in Dry Pea." Johnson expressed her gratitude for the incredible support she received during her education and acknowledged the significant role of her mentors. Additionally, she announced that she has accepted a full-time position as a Bioinformatician at the University of Pennsylvania. Johnson specifically thanked Dr. Nonoy Bandillo and other lab members for their friendship, guidance, and mentorship throughout her journey.
Shailesh Raj Acharya presents at 2024 NPGA Annual Convention
January 23, 2024
Graduate student Shailesh Raj Acharya presented a poster titled “Genetic Architecture of Salinity Tolerance in Field Peas” at the 2024 NPGA Annual Convention. The event was organized by the Northern Pulse Growers Association and held in Minot, ND.
The Northern Pulse Growers Association is a nonprofit association representing dry pea, lentil, chickpea, lupin and fava bean growers from Montana and North Dakota. The Northern Pulse Growers Association strives to increase pulse producers profitability through education, research, domestic and international marketing and government relations.
Shailesh Raj Acharya presents at BIC-NAPIA
November 05, 2023
Graduate student Shailesh Raj Acharya recently presented at the BIC-NAPIA Biannual Meeting in Greenville, SC, organized by the Bean Improvement Cooperative (BIC) and the North American Pulse Improvement Association (NAPIA). Acharya delivered an oral presentation titled “The Genetic Architecture of Salinity Tolerance in Field Peas.” In recognition of his work, he was awarded the “BIC Travel Award” by the conference organizers.
Gurminder Singh receives travel award
September 01, 2023
Graduate student Gurminder Singh was selected to receive the Graduate Student Travel Award to present his research at the ACS Tri-Societies (ASA-CSSA-SSSA) International Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri. The ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting offers a chance for leading scientists, researchers, educators, policymakers, students, exhibitors, and government institutions to gather to discuss cutting-edge developments in agronomy, crops, and soil science and features groundbreaking research. The meeting includes scientific sessions, workshops, poster Sessions, an exhibit Hall, and student-focused programming.
Gurminder Singh receives two awards
June 28, 2023
Gurminder Singh was selected as a recipient of the 2023 GPB Graduate Research Award. The financial assistance he received significantly advanced his research, and he is grateful for this recognition and support from the NDSU Genomics, Phenomics, and Bioinformatics (GPB) program. Additionally, Singh was chosen as an Encompass Scholar for the 2023-24 academic year. The Encompass Scholars program, sponsored by Bayer Crop Science, offers graduate students a unique opportunity to engage in professional development and industry networking.
Gurminder Singh receives award
March 3, 2023
Graduate student Gurminder Singh was recently awarded the prestigious Gerald O. Mott Meritorious Graduate Student Award in Crop Science. Singh, a Ph.D. student in Genomics, Phenomics, and Bioinformatics program at NDSU, focuses his research on cloning the tan spot susceptibility gene in wheat.
Singh is very honored to have been selected. "I am grateful for the support of my department and mentors, and I am inspired to continue pursuing excellence in my field and making meaningful contributions to crop science research."
The Gerald O. Mott Meritorious Graduate Student Award in Crop Science recognizes top-notch graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in crop science disciplines. Departments select students based on academic achievements, research and teaching contributions, leadership accomplishments, service activities and personal qualifications. The award is offered by the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) and recipients receive a certificate and are recognized in the CSA News. The award honors the first CSSA President Gerald O. Mott, who trained 75 graduate students during his 45 year career at Purdue University and the University of Florida. Many of his students have become eminent forage scientists.
David Adeleke receives travel fellowship
April 12, 2023
Graduate student David Adeleke was recently awarded with a travel fellowship for the Great Lakes Bioinfomatics Conference (GLBIO) 2023. GLBIO is organized by the Great Lakes Bioinformatics Consortium to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the discussion of research findings and methods. An important goal for the conference is to foster long term collaborative relationships and networking opportunities within the domain of computational approaches to biology. The program will include oral presentations, poster presentations, invited keynote speakers and tutorials.
Students start GPB association
April 11, 2023
Students in the NDSU program of genomics, phenomics, and bioinformatics have recently gotten together to form an association for students within the program. The first meeting of the group took place on March 24th, where president George Boateng-Sarfo introduced all the interim executives followed by a short presentation on the purpose of the association and how the organization will serve as a source of contact, provide networking opportunities and academic support, as well as advocating for the needs and concerns of GPB students.
Additionally, the group talked about creating opportunities for students to collaborate on research projects and share ideas on relevant and recent technologies in the field to help members stay informed about the latest trends and developments and provide opportunities to network with professionals and other students.
Computer science professor and director of the program Changhui Yan discussed the steps and procedures necessary to complete the oral and comprehensive and oral exams for PhD students.
Peter Beerbower receives travel award
January 29, 2023
Graduate student Peter Beerbower was selected to receive the Graduate Student Travel Award to present his research at the 2023 IWGC (International Weed Genomics Consortium) Annual Meeting in Arlington, Virginia. The event is designed to provide resources, tools, and training to those who wish to expand their research efforts into the field of weed genomics, with the goal of both synergizing ongoing efforts and increasing the number of scientists engaged in this exciting new frontier.
Peter Beerbower is currently a PhD student under Michael Christoffers in the Plant Sciences department, working on the generation of protoplasts from the pigweed species waterhemp, with the aim of completing CRISPR-mediated gene editing to reverse the mutation of a gene linked to ALS-inhibiting herbicide resistance within waterhemp populations. Additionally, Dr. Yan has described him as a "veteran" of the program, as he completed his master's at NDSU in the GPB program (when it was only Genomics and Bioinformatics) under Dr. McClean, where he helped map a bean rust resistance gene within common bean.
Have a news item you would like to share? Help us get the word out by submitting it as a Breakthrough Alert. This online form is an easy, step-by-step guide that will walk you through the process. For more information contact kathleen.t.cox@ndsu.edu.