2023 Image of Research

Image of Research 2023 Winners

First Place

Name: Li-Dunn Chen
Level: PhD
Department: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology

Life in a Sea of Death

Depicted in this image is a single live sperm surrounded by a sea of its fallen comrades. This photo was taken using a camera mounted to a fluorescent microscope and highlights the utility of fluorescence microscopy for measuring a critical metric when evaluating sperm quality: cell viability. Live cells fluoresce bright green and dead cells fluorescence bright red; when a cell dies, membrane integrity is lost and allows for the red fluorescent stain to enter the pores of the dead cell. At the Conservation Physiology Lab at MS State, we apply several assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to support conservation breeding programs for threatened amphibian species at zoos and aquariums all over the United States. Ultimately, ART is used to increase population numbers and to introduce new genetic diversity into endangered animal populations both in the wild and for animal species kept under human care.

Second Place

Name: Daniel Dillon
Level: Master's
Department: Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures

From Past to Present: Analyzing Social Collapse in Mycenaean Greece

This image, taken at the Palace of Knossos in Crete, connects the past to the present by providing a glimpse of the palace ruins and a reconstruction of its destruction. My research looks at the immense social collapse that took place at the end of the Late Bronze Age in which palace sites such as this one were ransacked and burned to the ground. It is through looking at the ruins and the individuals who may have inhabited them that we can gain a better understanding of how this collapse may have happened, who may have been affected, and how life was able to continue after the tumultuous end of an era. Though this occurred 3000 years in the past, the ruins of such immense, powerful sites are still able to provide us with useful information about Mycenaean Greece at the palatial economy’s inception, height, and eventual collapse.

People’s Choice

Name: Zonia Elizabeth Caro Carvajal
Level: Master's
Department: Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion

Ensuring food safety and public health through microbiological detection of mold

Molds are microscopic fungi that flourish on living tissues. They thrive in warm, moist environments and can grow on a variety of different foods, including bread, cheese, fruits, and vegetables. While some types of mold are harmless, others may produce mycotoxins that could cause foodborne diseases. In addition to the health risk, mold can result in food spoilage and unpalatability. This is a particular concern for the food industry, where spoiled or contaminated food may lead to outbreaks and product recalls. Researchers at the Department of Food Science work on isolating and characterizing mold in foods. They perform microbiological identification and classification of molds, which play an important role in monitoring food safety as well as food spoilage to prevent future contamination. By identifying the specific type of mold present in a food product, the contamination source is determined, and further steps can be considered to prevent, manage, and control the risk.

2023 Honorable Mentions

To see a full program, including images and descriptions of the 2023 Image of Research Finalists, see the program below.