Muhammad Sulman’s passion for his research is infectious.

The Master of Science in Biotechnology student’s compelling 60-second video about his research, which illuminates the hidden world of unidentified viruses, earned him the top prize at Brock’s 2025 GRADflix competition.

His winning submission, “Shedding Light on Viral Dark Matter: Using AI to Predict Relationships Between Viruses,” explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can predict relationships between unknown viruses.

“I’m honestly shocked. I didn’t think people would find my research all that interesting, it’s mostly math and models,” said Sulman. “But I’m really happy to see people connecting with it, even if they don’t have a science background.”

As a Research Associate with Agriculture Canada, the research-based graduate student has a rare opportunity to apply his work in a federal lab.

Master of Science in Biotechnology student Muhammad Sulman

His research focuses on developing computational tools to study microbiology, specifically using AI to better understand the vast, often-undetected world of viruses.

“When I started working at Agriculture Canada, I was introduced to bioinformatics and everything clicked,” said Sulman. “I realized I could apply machine learning to solve real-world biological problems. That mix of computer science and biology is where I found my passion.”

Some of Sulman’s day-to-day work includes tackling fire blight, a rapidly evolving antibiotic-resistant disease threatening crops, using natural treatments. His goal is to develop the next gold-standard tool for viral classification.

Communicating this research and his vision in under 60 seconds wasn’t easy. Sulman had to distill highly technical concepts into visuals that were digestible and engaging, all without losing meaning.

“I learned that what fascinates me might not click with everyone else,” he said. “But once I started showing friends and listening to what piqued their interest, it helped me reshape how I told the story.”

He also leaned on skills he picked up during Brock’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition and brought the visuals to life using Adobe Animate.

GRADflix is an annual video competition hosted by Brock’s Faculty of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs. Open to master’s and doctoral students, the challenge invites participants to communicate their research creatively to a non-specialist audience.

“Sulman’s video is a great example of research communication done right,” says Suzanne Curtin, Vice-Provost and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs. “He not only explains a deeply complex topic, but he also brings it to life in a way that invites curiosity and makes the viewer want to learn more. That’s what GRADflix is all about.”

For Sulman, making research accessible goes beyond winning competitions. He believes public understanding is essential to enhancing the field of science.

“A lot of research doesn’t get noticed or funded because it’s not communicated clearly,” he said. “Whether it’s funding committees, the public or even other scientists, if they can’t understand the work, they won’t know it’s importance.”

As for future GRADflix participants or research communicators, Sulman’s advice is to keep it simple, know your audience and keep it visual.

“Don’t try to cram everything in. Think about what really matters and what is palatable with a general audience,” he said. “And pay attention to key words that spark curiosity. Something like ‘shedding a light on dark matter’ resonates better than “I’m going to classify unknown viruses.’”

Brock’s 2025 GRADflix competition committee judged nine quality graduate student videos, showcasing a wide array of research and disciplines. Winners include:

• First place – Muhammad Sulman, Master of Science in Biotechnology, “Shedding Light on Viral Dark Matter: Using AI to Predict Relationships Between Viruses”
• Second Place – Renan Santiago, Master of Arts in Game Studies, “Gaming with queer principles”
• Third Place – Isabela Fetter, PhD in Biological Sciences, “The secret life of fungal specialists”