Brock graduate students have earned four spots in the Top 40 of a national video competition.<\/p>\n
Michelle Przedborski (Physics), Angel Phanthanourak (Applied Health Sciences), Dan Hughes (Earth Sciences) and Larissa Barelli (Biotechnology) are now asking for the public\u2019s help to place in the next\u00a0round of the Science, Action! Competition, sponsored by one of Brock\u2019s major funders, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).<\/span><\/p>\n Each student submitted a one-minute video and a 100-word summary of their research to NSERC.<\/span><\/p>\n The 25 videos within the Top 40 that receive the most views on YouTube between Feb. 1 and Feb. 28 will advance to the final round, where a panel of judges will select the winners.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI am absolutely thrilled that four of our extremely talented graduate students have been selected as part of the Top 40,\u201d said Dr. Jens Coorssen, Dean of Graduate Studies.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is important recognition of some of Brock\u2019s strong and rapidly evolving research areas and also highlights our recognition of the critical importance of public outreach in knowledge translation,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThese students are making great strides in their fields of study and we are honoured to have them representing research at Brock. I would encourage everyone in our campus, local communities and beyond to support these student researchers by watching their videos and sharing them with others.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Larissa Barelli<\/b>, a doctoral student in Brock\u2019s Biotechnology program, has been working with supervisor Dr. Michael Bidochka to study how a certain type of fungus that kills insects transfers nutrients from the bugs to plants and how plants transfer nutrients back to the fungus. This could lead to the development of a natural fertilizer that would replace the chemical-laden options that are typically used.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTo be able to promote plant health, increase stress tolerance in crop species and integrate a form of pest control all through one association would redefine food production and the agricultural industry,\u201d Barelli said.<\/span><\/p>\n Her video, \u201cInsects, a Dinner for Two,\u201d explains how this research will ultimately benefit the agricultural industry.<\/span><\/p>\n