Two members of Research Associate Professor Uma Aryal’s lab in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology recently received noteworthy recognition during the 140th Indiana Academy of Science conference hosted in Indianapolis. According to the Indiana Academy of Science, since 1885, its annual conferences have served as the only multidisciplinary scientific meetings that take place in the state. The event on March 22 attracted hundreds of senior and junior scientists from Indiana and across the Midwest.
The program included presentations by Aryal Lab members Rodrigo Mohallem, Punyatoya Panda, Malyka Ram, and Aryaman Dewan, who shared about their latest proteomics and lipidomics research through talks and poster presentations. Their research focuses on leveraging mass spectrometry to understand how proteins contribute to the progression of age-related physiological changes in the brain.
Mohallem received the first-place prize in the Emerging Scientist Oral Competition and gave credit for his achievement “…to the unwavering and immense support of my advisor, Dr. Aryal, and all the help from the Aryal Lab members.” Dewan won the second-place award in the Emerging Scientists Research Poster Competiton for his presentation in the Microbiology category. His work examined how light cycles and nitrogen levels affect the lipid profile of C. subtropica, a marine cyanobacterium.
“This achievement would not have been possible without the incredible mentorship of Dr. Aryal and the invaluable support of Punyatoya Panda, whose insights were instrumental in refining my poster,” Dewan said. “I also want to give a shout out to Malyka Ram and Priyanshu Datta Roy for their contributions to the project.” Dewan explained that Crocosphaera subtropica ATCC 51142 is a unicellular, diazotrophic cyanobacterium, which is emerging as an important research model for studying photosynthesis and biological nitrogen fixation — two incompatible biological processes with significant potential for applications in renewable energy, including hydrogen as a source of biofuel.
Participants in the annual Indiana Academy of Science meeting included senior and junior scientists from industry and academia, graduate and undergraduate science students, engineers, science educators from the state’s public and private high schools and middle schools, and science enthusiasts. The meeting agenda included nearly two hundred oral and poster research presentations, hot topic presentations, workshops, and panel discussions delivered by experts from in and around Indiana and across the United States.
Congratulations to Rodrigo Mohallem and Aryaman Dewan and the entire Aryal Lab team!