NSF Minority Postdoctoral Fellowship for FY 2009

这项行动为2009财年的NSF少数民族博士后研究奖学金提供资金，并根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）提供资金。该研究金支持研究员在东道实验室的研究和培训计划，研究员还提出了扩大生物学参与的计划。Andrea Torres-Barragan的研究和培训计划的标题是“蚯蚓粪中昆虫病原体的多样性及其作为生物控制剂的潜力”。“这项研究的主办机构是北卡罗来纳州州立大学，由Yasmin Cardoza博士赞助。蚯蚓堆肥是由有机废物物质经厌氧消化产生的，具有很高的微生物活性和营养成分，使其在农业中对促进植物生长和健康很有用。 最近已经表明，当用于经济上重要的植物时，蚯蚓粪赋予植物对许多害虫的抗性，并且可以广泛用于控制作物上的害虫。 这种抗性的来源尚不清楚，但可能是在蚯蚓粪中发现的有益微生物菌群。 本研究调查了两种商业来源的蚯蚓粪中微生物的存在和多样性及其对各种玉米相关害虫的影响。培训目标包括提高微生物学方面的技能和学习防治虫害的新方法。这一基础研究的更广泛影响可能会导致经济上重要的节肢动物害虫的创新管理策略。 美国和墨西哥科学家之间的国际合作以及来自代表性不足群体的学生的参与也在发展之中。

This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2009 and is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Andrea Torres-Barragan is "Diversity of insect pathogens in vermicomposts and their potential as biological control agents." The host institution for this research is the North Carolina State University under the sponsorship of Dr. Yasmin Cardoza.Vermicompost is produced by earthworm digestion of organic waste matters and has high microbial activity and nutritional content, making it useful in agriculture to promote plant growth and health. Recently it has been shown that vermicompost confers plant resistance to many insect pests when used on economically important plants and may be widely useful in control of insect pests on crops. The source of this resistance is unknown but may be beneficial micro-flora found in vermicompost. This research investigates the presence and diversity of micro-organisms in two commercial sources of vermicompost and their effects on a variety of corn related insect pests. Training objectives include improving technical skills in microbiology and learning new methodologies of pest control. The broader impact of this basic research may lead to innovative management strategies for economically important arthropod pests. Also being developed are international collaborations between US and Mexican scientists and the involvement of students from underrepresented groups.