Graduate Student/Postdoc Microscopy, 2nd Place. Shelby Boyd. Color-enhanced polarized light microscopy frame from a video of the zinc chloride trihydrate freezing. By studying the crystallization rate of this ionic liquid at various temperatures, we can develop models of crystal nucleation and growth that are valid across a wider range of conditions than current models.
Graduate Student/Postdoc Photography, 1st Place. Evan Jevnikar. Deep in the desert, the team of paleontologist carry back to their base camp the bones of a dinosaur that weighs close to 200 pounds. Not many dinosaurs have been found in the rock layers within this Southwestern desert, so every discovery is a crucial advancement in reconstructing the ancient environment. It took three long days of shoveling, pick-axing, and even buzz-sawing to uncover remains that have been buried for millions of years. Now the already exhausted team, comprised of undergraduates, graduates, and volunteers, make one last push to bring back the fossil for more detailed examination.
Graduate Student/Postdoc. Photography, Honorable Mention
Alejandro Valdes and Aymee Alvarez. Phenyl pyruvic acids derivatives are very useful building blocks used for the synthesis of synoxazolidinones and pyrrolidinediones, among other many chemical compounds. In the Pierce Lab, we access phenyl pyruvic acids through hydrolysis of azlactones that form via Erlenmeyer reaction. In this picture, para-trifluoro phenyl pyruvic acid synthetized in gram scale yielded this deep red-colored solution. The immobile solvent surface allows to see NC State’s north campus on the horizon, visible through a lab window on the 8th floor of Dabney Hall.Faculty/Staff Photography, 2nd Place. David Suchoff. Hemp is now a federally legal crop and is defined as Cannabis sativa that contains less than 0.3% THC. Once THC levels go above 0.3% it is classified as marijuana and considered an illicit material that must be destroyed. Many NC farmers grow hemp to extract CBD, a similar cannabinoid to THC. Unfortunately, as CBD concentrations increase within the plant so does THC. Farmers walk a thin line between maximizing CBD production and maintaining THC levels below 0.3%. Currently, no recommendations exist for optimal harvest timing. This study is a collaborative effort among researchers in the Departments of Crop and Soil Sciences, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Horticultural Science, and Plants for Human Health Institute. The objectives are to understand the production of CBD and THC over time, the genes that regulate these cannabinoids, and the use of hyperspectral imaging for a quick, non-invasive means to measure CBD and THC concentrations.
Graduate Student/Postdoc Graphics, 1st Place. Remi Fayad. In this project, we used a light absorber based on earth-abundant elements confined in a micelle and an energy acceptor to generate a high energy photon (deep blue) from 2 lower energy photons (cyan blue) in water. This process, known as photochemical upconversion, was achieved by triplet-triplet annihilation of the energy acceptor excited states. While this process is very well studied in organic solvents, it proves to be challenging in water for multiple reasons. The micellar design (see image) provided a viable route to circumvent these challenges and to realize photochemical upconversion in neat water which can open the scope of studying many photoredox applications that operate under environmental-friendly conditions and using earth-abundant copper metal as the photosensitizer.
Graduate Student/Postdoc Microscopy, Honorable Mention. Mariam Sohail. Our research focuses on design of environmentally friendly agrochemical spray formulations that can improve agrochemical treatment efficacy through reduced losses of the Active Ingredient (AI) from the target site. AI loss from applied spray treatments causes environmental pollution in addition to necessitating application of multiple sprays in order to achieve the desired crop yield. By binding the AI to a suitable matrix, AI losses can be reduced. However, choosing a suitable matrix and an appropriate dispersant for the matrix pose a challenge. Our recent work revolves around design of environmentally benign water dispersible polymer particles that can encapsulate agricultural AI and improve the spray retention on different leaf surfaces. The improved retention is particularly desirable since AI wash off from leaf surfaces due to rain is a major cause of AI loss and leads to inefficient treatment. The image taken is a confocal microscope image of polymer micro particles retained on tomato leaves after a simulated heavy rain fall. The micrograph clearly demonstrates the small particles trapped in cracks and crevices on the leaf surface.Graduate Student/Postdoc Microscopy, 1st Place
Sarah Orr. Brushlegged mayfly (Isonychia sp.) collected from the Eno River in Durham, NC. Our freshwater ecosystems are becoming saltier from human activities such as resource extraction and road salting. Important aquatic insects, such as mayflies, are disappearing in streams affected by salinization and we aim to understand the physiological reasons behind this phenomena. We use field-collected aquatic insects in laboratory experiments to explore the mechanisms of osmoregulation. Using radiotracers (Na-22, SO4-35, or Ca-45) we can track ion movement and calculate uptake rates, efflux rate, and major ion accumulation in insects. We have established major ion kinetics across multiple ions and species of aquatic insects. We believe that the energetic cost of osmoregulation in salinized waters ultimately leads to toxic consequences in aquatic insects.
Graduate Student/Postdoc Graphics, 2nd Place. Sharda Pandit. Chemotherapy given precisely at the tumor location reduces side effects to the healthy tissue. To allow such treatment, drugs are given using a gel or implant. But, placement of such materials is sometimes very difficult due to tissue properties like stiff tumors. Therefore, we have developed a method where drugs can be injected directly in the tumor. These drug molecules are modified so that they can attach to the tumor tissue after injection. To study what happens to such drugs after injection and how these drugs are dispersed in the tissue, we injected a dye labelled molecule in the tumor. When tumor was removed and chemically treated to make it transparent, imaging was done to clearly see the dye (in red) attached to the tumor (white).
Faculty/Staff Microscopy, 1st Place. Matt Bertone. To the public, thrips are a little-known group of tiny (<2mm) insects, but to those who grow plants they can be a common pest, feeding on the cell contents of various crops and ornamental plants. Direct damage to plants by thrips can cause them to be unsightly, but these insects are also destructive by transmitting various plant viruses, including the extremely important Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). Recent work lead by Dr. Dorith Rotenberg (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology) and a team of experts, produced a genome of this species, the first for a thrips. The thrips used for the photograph is from an 11-year-old, 10th generation inbred line (sib-sib) that was the biological source of the genome sequence.Faculty/Staff Photography, 1st Place. Matt Bertone. Insects and other arthropods are constantly shifting geographic ranges and invading new areas. This stink bug was submitted to the NC State Plant Disease and Insect Clinic because it was preying upon caterpillars a North Carolina homeowner was rearing. After rearing the specimen to adulthood and identifying it as the giant strong-nosed stink bug, Alcaeorrhynchus grandis (Pentatomidae), Dr. Matt Bertone recognized that this species was new to the state. Although it is a native US species, it had been previously known only from more southern regions, especially the Gulf Coast states. To clarify the distribution of this species, Bertone and Andrew Meeds (Arizona State University-West Campus) summarized photographic and museum records to clarify the current distribution of this stink bug in the United States, adding several new state records.
Graduate Student/Postdoc Microscopy, 1st Place. Siyao Wang. Highly selective and light-weight protective suits featuring excellent breathability, mechanical robustness and catalytic degradation performance towards toxic chemicals are highly desirable for first responders. However, current multilayered chemical/biological (CB) protective textiles exhibit several drawbacks including high thermal burden and secondary contamination. New materials with light weight and breathability need to be developed. Here we are studying a novel class of polymer named Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIMs) with comparable surface area and porosity to activated carbon. PIM-1 Fibrous mat was made via electrospinning, where the fiber morphology could be controlled by adjusting different parameters including solution properties, voltage, feeding rate etc. Morphology control using this new material helps us better understand the polymer/solvent interactions and also improve the material functionality. The image depicts the morphology of PIM-1 fiber electrospun with a mixture of toluene and tetrahydrofuran which looks like glowing neurons with a colored filter and shiny dots (by photoshop).
Graduate Student/Postdoc Photography, Honorable Mention. Andrew Blythe. As the largest species of foxtails, Giant foxtail is common across the United States and can often be found in crops, roadsides, turf, and many other habitats. This species is visually different from the other foxtails by the curvature of the seedhead and by the presence of hairs on the upper leaf surface.Graduate Student/Postdoc Microscopy, Honorable Mention. Matthew Neubauer. The image depicts an Arabidopsis root that has been treated with the plant hormone ethylene. The cells walls have been stained with propidium iodide, resulting in the magenta color shown. This plant contains a transgene that responds to ethylene treatment by expressing a fluorescent protein that is targeted to the nucleus. The green fluorescence is observable in specific cells at the root tip.
Graduate Student/Postdoc Photography, 2nd Place. Ryan Bohannon. An early-morning fog shrouded this stand of green ash trees as the sun rose over our research site in Wake County. Many of these trees have been left bare and broken by the emerald ash borer (EAB), an invasive insect that has killed tens of millions of ash trees as it has spread across North America. We are studying the life cycle of the EAB by debarking trees and using traps to collect EAB throughout the year. Our warm climate allows the EAB to develop more rapidly than in northern regions, so this research aims to increase our understanding of EAB development in North Carolina. This information will be used to improve the timing and effectiveness of EAB management efforts as this insect spreads into the southern United States.
Graduate Student/Postdoc Video, Honorable Mention. Maria Aleman. The vortex shedding behind a cylindrical object affects the amount of pressure acting on it. When the vortices are shed asymmetrically, the pressure on the body becomes asymmetric and that generates a force acting longitudinally on the body, which is referred to as lift force. This lift force changes direction depending on whether the vortex near the body is rotating clockwise or counterclockwise. When the vortex shedding becomes symmetric, the lift force acting on the body can be cancelled.
Graduate Student/Postdoc Video, 2nd Place. Keith Hillaire. Bare Eutectic Gallium Indium (EGaIn), a room temperature liquid metal alloy, has an interfacial tension of 500 mN/m, which is about 7 times greater than the surface tension of water. The extreme surface tension should not allow it to form fingering instabilities. Oxidizing the EGaIn lowers its surface tension by orders of magnitude, allowing it to spread, and leading to perturbations on the spreading interface, due to gradients in the oxide, which grow until the fingers form. By increasing the volume of EGaIn, the height of the EGaIn film is increased, which increases the stable wavelength of the fingers. All experiments are under a constant potential of 1 Volt, in a bath of 1 M sodium hydroxide, and the EGaIn is wet to a copper sheet, which is what allows it to have flat leading edge.
Graduate Student/Postdoc Video, Honorable Mention. Joseph Gutierrez. Nature has inspired art and science with its endless beauty and cleverness, prompting biomimicry on the creation, study, and reproduction of color, shapes, and functions. Color is an essential function in nature that many living organisms rely on, such as survival (camouflage) and reproduction (aesthetic). The brilliant blue color of the Morpho butterflies or the dazzling rainbow coloration of some fishes has long attracted scientific interest. These examples are a special form of coloration, called iridescence, produced not for a specific chemical but a micro or nano-organized structure. The reproduction of these so-called structural colors can result in numerous bio-inspired applications for optics, paint, cosmetic, paper, and textile industries. Our researchers have isolated natural nanocrystals from wood, creating structural coloration on demand on different surfaces, like wood and textiles. This sustainable and renewable material represents the next step in the industry for many nature-inspired color applications.
Graduate Student/Postdoc Video, 1st Place. Farnaz Fazelpour. The behavior of assemblies of grains can be very complex to describe. They are disordered at the grain level but behave like a solid or a fluid at the macroscopic level. One of the most promising recent advances has been the development of models that capture behavior of assemblies of grains without the need to provide detailed particle dynamics. We perform laboratory tests on idealized materials to test the efficacy of such models. The material we are using are photoelastic disks. Photoelastic material allows us to visualize, and quantitatively measure, what is usually invisible to our naked eye: internal forces. Particles that appear brighter and with more fringes are those experiencing large forces. Furthermore, photoelastic material allows us to observe the force evolution and distribution during material failure which helps us understand and maybe even predict natural disasters such as landslides.
Faculty/Staff Video, 2nd Place. Justin Johnson. This project explores the design of a virtual reality experience for mental restoration, using video game development software, virtual reality technology, and a substantial body of research connecting nature visuals to mental restoration. I aim to create an interactive experience that has the potential to reduce stress and provide positive affect to people who play. The visuals and interactivity are grounded in theories from landscape preference and evolutionary psychology and will evolve as the project unfolds through a human centered approach.
Faculty/Staff Video, 1st Place. Roland Kays. This shows seasonal migrations of animals using over 15 million animal tracking locations from the Arctic Animal Movement Archive. Hundreds of researchers worked together to create this dynamic collaborative archive documenting 3 decades of animal movement.
