BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND EXTENSION EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES (BSU-REEU) IN COLLABORATION WITH EGERTON UNIVERSITY, KENYA.

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: ACTIVE
• Funding Source: AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1021729
• Grant No.: 2020-67038-30659
• Cumulative Award Amt.: $498,574.00
• Proposal No.: 2019-05072
• Project Start Date: Jun 1, 2020
• Project End Date: May 31, 2025
• Grant Year: 2020
• Program Code: [A7401]- Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates

Recipient Organization
BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY
14000 JERICHO PARK ROAD, RM 115
BOWIE,MD 207153319

Performing Department
Natural Sciences

Non Technical Summary
The proposed Bowie State University Agricultural Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates (BSU- REEU) seeks to develop a pathway for minority undergraduate students that leads to careers in food and agricultural sectors as well as graduate program. This will be done through exposure to an international research and extension internship as well as domestic research . The BSU-REEU will be done in collaboration with Egerton University, Kenya for a total of eight weeks in summer. A total of six (6) students per year for five years (2020- 2025) will be immersed in international research and extension experiences yielding participation of a total of thirty (30) students. Another (100) one hundred students per year (total 500) will be impacted by this project by infusion of research in the General Botany Curriculum. The goal of this project will be achieved by i) Involving predominantly minority students in a summer international research experience in food and agriculture making them competitive in a global sector; ii) Exposingpredominantly minority students to a summer international extensionexperience in food and agriculture; iii)Infusing agricultural research into the STEM curriculum that will deliver science based knowledge, iv) Developing student teamwork, leadership, problem solving and presentation skills through lab activities, weekly professional development workshops, research forums, and conferences; and v) Increasing students' interest in pursuing graduate studies. Developing this pathway will lead to an adequate supply of suitably skilled labor which is vital in optimizing US's agricultural productivity and enhancing innovation, strengthening competitiveness, boosting resilience and a developing a larger capacity for the agriculture industry.

Animal Health Component

30%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

70%

Applied

30%

Developmental

0%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
102	0199	1060	100%

Knowledge Area
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships;

Subject Of Investigation
0199 - Soil and land, general;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems);

Keywords

plant health

plant production and products and hydroponics

Goals / Objectives
The proposed Bowie State University (BSU), Agricultural International Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates (BSU- REEU) seeks to develop a pathway for predominantlyminority undergraduate students from Bowie State University and other minority serving Institutions that leads to careers in food and agricultural sectors as well as graduate program.Specifically the goal of this project will be achieved by i) Involving predominantly minority students in a summer international research experience in Food and Agriculture thereby making them competitive in a global sector in collaboration with Egerton University Kenya; ii) Exposing predominantlyminority students to a summer international extension experience in Food and Agriculture in collaboration with Egerton University Kenya; iii)Infusing agricultural research into the STEM curriculum that will deliver science based knowledge to develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills; iv) Developing student teamwork, leadership, problem solving and presentation skills through lab activities, weekly professional development workshops, research forums, and conferences; and v) Increasing students' interest in pursuing graduate studies. Developing this pathway will lead to an adequate supply of suitably skilled labor which is vital in optimizing the United States' agricultural productivity and enhancing innovation, strengthening competitiveness, boosting resilience and developing a larger capacity for the agriculture industry to capitalize on opportunities and contribute to global food security.

Project Methods
The overarching goal of this project is enhance the Plant Science curriculum in the Biology Program of the Natural Sciences Department by introducing infusing research activities in the department. This will be done by infusion of SMART Agriculture, HYDROPONICS into the Plant Science curriculum for the production of supper Foods using Elicitation approaches to enhance nutrition without the scare of Traditional Agriculture. It is predicted that in the coming decades, the global population will increase by almost half with nearly all the growth occurring in developing regions of the world where hunger and poverty are already widespread. Thus, the world's producers will need to provide food for an additional 3 billion people, in many cases with less land per person, increased competition for scarce water and land resources, and under less predictable circumstances due to increased climatic variability, (Bruinsma, 2009 and Royal Society 2009). To meet this food security challenge under constraints of limited agricultural land availability and increased climatic variability, the world will need to support and develop scientific and technological innovations that increase agricultural productivity in an environmentally sound manner while improving the availability of nutritious foods. The evidence supports the need for considerable research investment in adaptation and mitigation actions toward a "climate-smart food system" that is more resilient to climate change influences on food security, (Wheeler and Joachin, 2013). Furthermore, according to USDA, the under representation of minorities in the field of agriculture has been a concern relative to workforce diversity goals and training a pool of talented prospective employees for the public and private sectors. Innovative methods must be found to recruit and retain students in agricultural fields. This project by recruiting and training quality students will compliment efforts being made to satisfy the need of minorities trained in agricultural sciences.Bowie State University is determined to provide hands-on and inquiry based experience for all students through Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). CURE enables all students registered in a class to have access to research. This proposal provides a platform for BSU to give hydroponic-based research experiences to all students taking Biol 105 which is a mandatory course for all biology students. Hydroponics techniques are used to grow and produce food in a closed-loop system that reduces the use of water resources without the need for chemical fertilizers.Research goal. Hydroponic (and Aquaponic) systems and Elicitation to enhance the bioactive compound, Lycopene in tomatoes and or Basil (Flavonoids). This program seeks to understand the effect of nutrient dynamics in a hydroponic system on the nutrient metabolite synthesis in tomatoes and basil. The project further uses elicitation approaches to enhance the metabolite levels of the same plants grown hydroponically with emphasis on the compound Lycopene in Tomatoes and (of Flavonoid in Basil). This research goal builds on the research that the PI and BSU undergraduate minority students did as a result of the recently concluded NSF Targeted Infusion project (Award # 1332572). The work has resulted in two research publications, one additional manuscript accepted for publication and many student posters presented at local and national conferences as the Emerging Researchers Conference. The theme of the research was elicitation of Lycopene in tomatoes grown traditionally in soil. Now the research seeks to grow the tomatoes hydroponically and study the growth technology and the effect on the final lycopene level.To further project goals, specific objectives of the proposed research include.Objective 1. Growth studies of the traditionally grown tomatoes (soil) and Hydroponically grown ones.Students that take the class with the hydroponic research component will be able to do the following:Students will grow plant (tomatoes and Basil) in a regulated environment in water only (hydroponically) with required nutrients but no soil added. Grow the same in soil, traditional approach. Compare the growth of the plants in the two growth regimes.Objective 2. Elicitation approaches in traditionally grown tomatoes and Basil (soil) and Hydroponically grown ones. Plants will be treated with elicitors, such Methyl Jasmonate and Salicylic acid which is expected to enhance the level of metabolites, Lycopene(tomatoes) and (flavonoids) for Basil as per research in the Osano laboratory. Elicitors mimic abiotic plant stressors resulting in synthesis of metabolites. Osano's laboratory has done these studies and now adds the hydroponic components to the study.Objective 3 . Metabolomic Analysis of Metabolites.Use of metabolomics analysis to study Lycopene levels in traditionally grown tomatoes (soil) and hydroponically grown tomatoes and basil (flavonoids). We will particularly use High Liquid Chromatography to study the metabolite enhancement in these experimental plants.Objective 4. Compare Phytochemical components of the two growth regimes.New ExperimentsContent TopicsStudent Outcomes1. Grow a Plant of choice( Basil or Tomatoes hydroponically)Plant growth and developmentHydroponic technologyStudents will be able Grow plants under diverse greenhouse conditions including hydroponically2. Subject the plant to stress factorsPlant growthElicitation approachesStudent will understand how stress factors influence metabolite production.3. Study time course production of the metabolitesMetabolomicsStudents will understand how stress affects metabolite production.1. 4. Collect and analyze dataMetabolomicsAcquire data analysis techniques2. 5. Write Results in Journal style presentationPlant growthMetabolomicsStudents will demonstrate the ability to conduct literary searches in preparation for a paper3. 6. Present results in class and bowie state symposiumPlant metabolomicsStudents will learn the techniques in oral and poster presentations.A research evaluation tool will be used to evaluate the research. There is however no room to add the intrument here.

Progress 06/01/23 to 05/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The first group of targets are atleast 6 (six) minority undergraduates students recruited national from Universities in the US for an 8 weeks research experience in Egerton University for International and global engagement. Additional, the program infuses reserach into Plant Sciences at Bowie State University where the target audience reached by my effort in this reporting period are a total of 200 minority undergraduate students enrolled in the General Botany ;( Biol 105;) courses in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 and Plant Physiology course ( Biol 415) in Spring 2024. The students were required to perform research in Agricultural topic for the whole semester, present their work to the class and write a paper as part of the class.They also presented their research at the annual Bowie State University Research symposium in April 2024. The General Botany Research was on Aquaponics while the Plant Physiology research was on Hydropoics for food production technology. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Objective:Developing students' identity as scientists. SALG survey instrument was used to assess the impact of international research experience and global engagement on developing students' identity as scientists. The SALG is a web-based instrument consisting of statements about the degree of "gain" (on a five-point scale) which students perceive as they have made in specific aspects of the class/activity. Specifically we wanted to know how the overall experience resulted in any changes in attitude or behaviors as a scientist and or a researcher.A mean of 3 is interpreted as average gain and 4 signifies above average or great gain. In order to develop the students' identity, the approach is to allow students to training experience and assess their ability to think as a scientist. There were three sets of questions that were asked during the survey to inform their thinking, namely i). application of knowledge to research; ii) personal gains related to research work and iii)gains in skills.Each category had a set of questions that students had to respond to Specific Objective:To assess the engagement impact on students thinking and working like a scientist, the questions addressed the following categories 1. Application of knowledge to research. 2. Personal gains related to research work 3. Gains in SKILLS 4. Overall research experience 5. Research experience Objective: Developing student teamwork, leadership, and problem solving and presentation skills through lab activities, weekly professional development workshops, research forums, and Conferences. SALG learning gain instrument questions used to measure learning gain in the following areas I presented a talk or poster to other students or faculty. I presented a talk or poster at a professional conference. I will present a talk or poster to other students and faculty. I will write or co-write a paper to be published in an academic journal. I will write or co-write a paper to be published in an undergraduate research journal. I will present a talk or poster at a professional conference Objective: Educating student researchers for a global age,( Global Experience) Specific objective: To assess how much the students exposure to the global site impacted their culture responsiveness. 1.Openness to diversity 2. Cultural adaptability Results. Developing students' identity as scientists Thinking and working like a scientist: The research experience was very impactful for most participants with many categories reporting 80% great to good and moderate outcomes ( 5,4,3 means). These are categories include: figuring out the next step in their research project; problem solving; identifying limitations of research designs and designs; understanding the theory and concepts guiding my research project and understand the relevance of research. Personal gains related to research work. Overall, the research experience was impactful for most, with all experiencing significant personal gains related to research work. The report shows that 100% of participants had a great gain, good gain and moderate gain, in: confidence to do research and comfort in discussing scientific concepts with others as.. These results show great success in the engagement. The rest categories reported 80% excellent to good and moderated gain. These include: Confidence in my ability to do well in future science course, Ability to work independently, Developing patience with slow pace of research; Understanding what everyday research work is like; and Taking greater care in conducting procedures in the lab or field. Gains in skills. 80% participants gained in : writing scientific reports or papers, conducting database or internet searches; managing my time". The rest of the categories reported 75 %( Explaining my project to participants outside my field, keeping a detailed lab notebook; conducting observations in the lab or field and Working with computers and Understanding journal articles Overall research experience and about any changes in your attitudes or behaviors as a researcher. This is a key outcome because this the SALG survey outcome show that we were able to meet our goal of "Developing students' identity as scientists". The greatest gain and impact of the research experience is shown in this category of questions. The report showed that engaging in real-world science research was highly beneficial, with 100 % experiencing excellent gains as well as think creatively about the project and Feeling as a scientist scored 80%. Feeling responsible for the project scored high with 100% of participants reporting good or great gains as well as Work extra hours because you were excited about the research, Interact with scientists from outside your school. This suggests strong engagement and accountability among participants. The rest categories reported 80% such as Feel a part of a scientific community. Students' Mentor Relationship. 80% of participants reported that working relationship with the research mentor was very good and that they had a good working relation with their research group as well as the amount of time spent with research mentor. Overall experience was graded as excellent by 60% of the participants while 40% found it fair. Research experience. Development of presentation skill 100% of participants intend to write or co-write a paper for publication in an academic journal while .This reflects a highly productive research experience, emphasizing strong scholarly engagement and contribution to the academic community. All students presented their research at closing symposium even though on 80% reported that they presented their research Graduate studies. Research Experience Question: Compared to your intentions BEFORE doing research, HOW LIKELY ARE YOU NOW to pursue graduate school. Written Responses I wanted my bachelor's in science, but now I want to get my PhD in chemistry Future Career Plans. Question: How did your training/research experience influence your thinking about future career and graduate school plans? Please explain. Written Responses "Being around like-minded individuals who intend to go further has solidified my decision to pursue higher education." The impact of Global Experience on the goal to produce global scientists. Students' openness to diversity. This was the most impactful engagement with participants reported 100% scores in almost all questions and categories such as; Strong appreciation of other cultures; Flexible in thinking and ideas; Comfortable talking about diversity; Communicate in different ways with different cultures; Adapt language in different cultural spaces and Enjoy learning about cultural differences and Open to different lifestyles: Students' Cultural adaptability. The survey shows that 100 % (60%-strongly agree and 40% agree that they can) adapt their behavior when interacting with other cultures; Adapt communication style to others' cultural background; Easily adapt actions to changing circumstances; Easily resolve misunderstandings with other cultures ; Develop/maintain relationships with different backgrounds. This reflects a high level of cultural adaptability among respondents. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?All students presented their research work at closing Symposium at the end of the engaement and at Bowie State Annual Summer undergraduate symposium Research Projects Assessment of the preferred diet of the Freshwater Shrimp Caridina nilotica ("Ochonga") for Applied Use in Sustainable Aquaculture Techniques in Kenya Jazmine Compton1, Alex Mecha2, Elick Otachi2, Anne Osano3 Joshua Ogendo2 Assessing the Impact of Capacity Building to Promote the Production of Certified Seed Potatoes Amongst Smallholder Farmers in Nyandarua County, Kenya Makda Demelash1, Enoch Rugut2, Lincoln Njiru3, Maurice Udoto3, Stephen Maina3, Anne Osano4, Joshua Ogendo2 Sustainable Aquaculture: Increasing Caridina nilotica Population via Egg Cultivation Keonna Smith1, Alex Mecha2, Elick Otachi2, Anne Osano1, Joshua Ogendo2 Efficacy of Ultrasonic Disinfection Technique in Eliminating Pathogenic Microorganisms From Aquaponic Systems Meilin Scott1, Cersey Ochieng2, Oscar Donde2, Anne Osano3, Joshua Ogendo4 Efficacy of Ultraviolet Radiation Disinfection Technique in Eliminating Pathogenic Microorganisms from Aquaponic Systems Esther Olawunmi1, Oscar Donde2, Ochieng Cersey2, Anne Osano1, Joshua Ogendo2 REEU student, Meilin Scott wins second place at the Emerging Researchers' Conference ( ERN)- Washing DC, April 14-16,2024 Efficacy of Ultrasonic Disinfection Technique in Eliminating Pathogenic Microorganisms From Aquaponic Systems Meilin Scott1, Cersey Ochieng2, Oscar Donde2, Anne Osano3, Joshua Ogendo4 The folllowing student also presented at the ERN conference Efficacy of Ultraviolet Radiation Disinfection Technique in Eliminating Pathogenic Microorganisms from Aquaponic Systems Esther Olawunmi1, Oscar Donde2, Ochieng Cersey2, Anne Osano1, Joshua Ogendo2 2023 Annual Biomedical ResearchConference(ABRCMS) in Phoenix, Arizona during Nov. 15-18. Meilin also presented at the above conference She writes: About 50 people attended my talk in-person. Iam proud that out of the ~3000 student participants, I was selected as 1 of the 9 students presenting an in-person oral presentation for microbiology What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to immerse atleast six more minority students in research at International research at Egerton University for both research and Global engaement.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? What was accomplished under these goals? What was accomplished under these goals? Objective (1) Educating student researchers for a global age 1. Exposing predominantly minority students to a summer international extension experience in Food and Agriculture in collaboration with Egerton University Kenya; Students were immersed in Food Security research and other activities in a global setting in Kenya, Africa for 8 weeks, being mentored by international research scientists and peer students from different cultures. The interns had a chance to experience working and living in different culture from their own. The Following students were selected and participated in this experience A total of 7 students participated in summer research hosted at Osano Hydroponics lab at Bowie State University. Below are the abstracts from the research. Compton, Jazmine Portland State University [e-mail] 541-905-3308 Demelash, Makda Montgomery College [e-mail] 571-276-9157 Goldson, Natasha Bowie State University [e-mail] 301-543-7593 Olawunmi, Esther Bowie State University [e-mail] 240-839-8788 Scott, Melin Western Washington University [e-mail] 509-251-9906 Smith, Keonna Bowie State University [e-mail] 202-421-3818 Tedjouteu Lekane, Valdel Bowie State [e-mail] 240-714-0847 Global Engagement Research Experience for undergraduates in Kenya in summer 2023 The main activities. The activities were coordinated by Dr. Anne Osano and assisted by Prof. Joshua 0. Ogendo the Kenyan host. Pre Travel Activities. Sept 2022- May 2023: Recruitment of REEU Fellows 2023, Pre­ arrival Research Mentorship & Logistics for Travel to Kenya. April 19 - May 31 2023: Boot Camp and Orientation in USA: Virtual meeting with Mentors: Project assignment, Review Literature & Proposal development (Mentors­ Mentees sharing): Student research topics. Assessment of the preferred diet of the Freshwater Shrimp Caridina nilotica ("Ochonga") for Applied Use in Sustainable Aquaculture Techniques in Kenya Jazmine Compton1, Alex Mecha2, Elick Otachi2, Anne Osano3 Joshua Ogendo2 Assessing the Impact of Capacity Building to Promote the Production of Certified Seed Potatoes Amongst Smallholder Farmers in Nyandarua County, Kenya Makda Demelash1, Enoch Rugut2, Lincoln Njiru3, Maurice Udoto3, Stephen Maina3, Anne Osano4, Joshua Ogendo2 Sustainable Aquaculture: Increasing Caridina nilotica Population via Egg Cultivation Keonna Smith1, Alex Mecha2, Elick Otachi2, Anne Osano1, Joshua Ogendo2 Efficacy of Ultrasonic Disinfection Technique in Eliminating Pathogenic Microorganisms From Aquaponic Systems Meilin Scott1, Cersey Ochieng2, Oscar Donde2, Anne Osano3, Joshua Ogendo4 Efficacy of Ultraviolet Radiation Disinfection Technique in Eliminating Pathogenic Microorganisms from Aquaponic Systems Esther Olawunmi1, Oscar Donde2, Ochieng Cersey2, Anne Osano1, Joshua Ogendo2 Week1 (June 5-9, 2023)-Arrival & Orientation in Kenya and Independent research begins. week 2- week 8. Independent research. The students were involved in research 40 hours /week when they have other official project activities listed here. Each student had a professor mentor as well as a graduate student mentor. The Students and Mentor Professors met every morning from 9:00 - 10:00 AM from Monday to Thursday to discuss the project progress. Research forum:The Students and Mentor Professors met alternative Thursdays for two hours between 2:00 -4:00 PM for Research Updates [each student expected to make a PPT presentation (5 slides for a 10 minutes') on individual student's research progress. Professional Development. (Prof. Anne Osano and Prof. Joshua Ogendo). This meeting took place alternative Thursdays. Topics of discussion include Ethics in Science; Graduate School; Proposal &Scientific Writing and Presentation Techniques (Seminars; Design and Preparation of Posters); Life Competencies Workshop-All mentors share their life experiences with students. Proposal and paper writing/preparation (Prof. Anne Osano). This was done on Monday from 9:00- 11:00AM. This activity focused on Research Proposal development, Implementation & Writing of Individual Scientific Papers. Research Field trips:This was done on Fridays/Saturdays. Every Lab group does at least a research related trip to collect samples for analysis. The activity is led by Professor Research mentors but coordinated by Prof. Osano and Prof. Ogendo. The rest of the students are welcome to accompany the lab doing the trip as different labs will have specific days. iii)Infusing agricultural research into the STEM curriculum that will deliver science based knowledge to develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills A total of 200 minority undergraduate students enrolled in the General Botany ;( Biol 105;) courses in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 and Plant Physiology course ( Biol 415) in Spring 2024. The students were required to perform research in Agricultural topic for the whole semester, present their work to the class and write a paper as part of the class.They also presented their research at the annual Bowie State University Research symposium in April 2024. The General Botany Research was on Aquaponics. General Botany Research Paper- 2023 Nutrient availability in Aquaponic Systems: Investigating the impact on lettuce growth Chisom Obasi, Ophilia Salubi, Abdullahi Iro, Anne Osano Nutritional Analysis of (Brassica oleracea) in an Aquaponics Planting System Michal Belle, Luigi Salcedo, Ophilia Salubi, Abdullahi Iro, Anne Osano Basil Aquaponics: The Study and Quantification of the Growth, Nutrient Absorption, and Waste Metabolites of Basil Plants in Aquaponics using Nile Tilapia. Cameryn L. DuBose, Ophilia Salubi, Abdullahi Iro, Anne Osano The Effect of Nutrient Levels on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Growth in an Aquaponic System Fathia Tom-Alli, Ophilia Salubi, Abdullahi Iro, Anne Osano Growing Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) In Aquaponics system: Creating a Nutrient-Rich Environment. Natalya Armenta, Ophilia Salubi, Abdullahi Iro, Anne Osano Bell Pepper Production in Aquaponic Systems. Franklin Stout, Ophilia Salubi, Abdullahi Iro, Anne Osano

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: The Effect of Nutrient Levels on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) Growth in an Aquaponic System Fathia Tom-Alli, Ophilia Salubi, Abdullahi Iro, Anne Osano
• Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Growing Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) In Aquaponics system: Creating a Nutrient-Rich Environment. Natalya Armenta, Ophilia Salubi, Abdullahi Iro, Anne Osano
• Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Bell Pepper Production in Aquaponic Systems. Franklin Stout, Ophilia Salubi, Abdullahi Iro, Anne Osano
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Otachi, E., Osano, A., & Ogendo, J. (2024). Gut analysis of the freshwater shrimp Caridina nilotica (Ochonga) for its conservation in the face of its extensive utilization in aquaculture and climate change in Lake Victoria, Kenya. Sustainable Aquatic Research, 3(3), 151160. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14559437
• Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2024 Citation: Efficacy of Ultrasonic Disinfection in Removing Bacteria from Aquaponic Systems Meilin Scott1*, Cersey Ochieng2, Oscar Donde2, Anne Osano3, Joshua Ogendo4 Under review for resubmission in a new journal
• Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2024 Citation: Efficacy of Ultrasonic Disinfection in Removing Bacteria from Aquaponic Systems Meilin Scott1*, Cersey Ochieng2, Oscar Donde2, Anne Osano3, Joshua Ogendo4
• Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2024 Citation: Probiotic properties of Lactobacillus spp. From Lake Victoria as potential feed supplement in aquaponic production system. TyNiah Dates1*, Loretta Harrison1*, Cersey Onyango2, Lucy Wanga3, Oscar Donde2#, Anne Osano1, Joshua Ogendo4
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Assessment of the preferred diet of the Freshwater Shrimp Caridina nilotica (Ochonga) for Applied Use in Sustainable Aquaculture Techniques in Kenya Jazmine Compton1, Alex Mecha2, Elick Otachi2, Anne Osano3 Joshua Ogendo2 Research Symposium
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Assessing the Impact of Capacity Building to Promote the Production of Certified Seed Potatoes Amongst Smallholder Farmers in Nyandarua County, Kenya Makda Demelash1, Enoch Rugut2, Lincoln Njiru3, Maurice Udoto3, Stephen Maina3, Anne Osano4, Joshua Ogendo2
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Sustainable Aquaculture: Increasing Caridina nilotica Population via Egg Cultivation Keonna Smith1, Alex Mecha2, Elick Otachi2, Anne Osano1, Joshua Ogendo2 Research symposium
• Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2023 Citation: Basil Aquaponics: The Study and Quantification of the Growth, Nutrient Absorption, and Waste Metabolites of Basil Plants in Aquaponics using Nile Tilapia. Cameryn L. DuBose, Ophilia Salubi, Abdullahi Iro, Anne Osano

Progress 06/01/22 to 05/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The target group was mainlyminority groups. For the International Reserach experience, 6(six) undergraduate students were recruited from all over the US. Atleast 50% of the cohort were recruited from Bowie State University which is a minority servng Institution. The students spent 8 weeks at Egerton University for global experience as well as research and extension experience. All students were expected to perform research or extension, present their findings at the closing Research symposium. Throughout the program, students presented their progress in a biweekly Research Forum and attended an alternate biweekly professional development. There were opportunities for global experience during research field trips as well as other actvities. For domestic researchactvities, the target audience reached by my effort in this reporting period are a total of 200 minority undergraduate students form Bowie State University enrolled in the General Botany ;( Biol 105;) courses in Fall 2022and Spring 2023and Plant Physiology course ( Biol 415) in Spring 2023. The students were required to perform research in Agricultural topic for the whole semester, present their work to the class and write a paper as part of the class.They also presented their research at the Anual Bowie State University Research symposium in April 2023. The General Botany Research was on Aquaponics while the Plant Physiology research was on Hydropoics for food production technology Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The summary of the main activities are as follows. Meeting with mentor- Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:00 am. Independent research- Monday to Friday Research forum- Alternative Wednesday 2:00 - 4:00 PM Professional development- Alternative Wednesdays 2:00 - 4:00PM Research poster preparation -at the Final symposium. a). Research Forum - Biweekly: Each student research team gave a formal 10 minute / five slides review of their research objectives and progress and their plan for a search activity for the following two weeks every Tuesdays, followed by 10 minutes of related discussion. Faculty mentors were present for these reviews. b).Bi- weekly Professional Development workshops. These professional development workshops were done alternative weeks with research forum on Tuesdays. The topics discussed included; Research Methods/ Ethics. CV/Resume Writing Workshop Applying to graduate School Workshop Scientific writing and Research Presentation Prep Workshop How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? All the six (6) 2022 summer research fellows presented their work at closing symposium where many people from the Egerton University community were present. WEDNESDAY 27TH JULY 2022. All the six (6) 2022 summer research presented their work at closing BSU Summer Undergraduate Research Institute ( SURI) symposium where many people from the Bowie State University community were present. Three students presented their research World Congress on Undergraduate Research (WorldCUR) held from April 3 - 6 at the University of Warwick in Birmingham, England enabling undergraduate researchers to showcase their projects on how to combat food insecurity that impacts millions around the globe daily Max Sahi : Determination of Morpho-Physiological Mechanisms of Salt Tolerance in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) Madison Marshall : Diversity of Endophytes in Sunn Hemp (Crotalaria Junicea). Vanessa Chery : Biophysical Characteristics of Fungus Fermented Napier Grass Pennisetum Purpureum S. 4.One student presented her research at the Emerging Researchers conference, Feb 9-11, 2023, Washington DC. Vanessa Chery : Biophysical Characteristics of Fungus Fermented Napier Grass Pennisetum Purpureum S. 5Two student groups, General Botany group and Plant Physiology group presented their research at the Bowie State Research and Innovations conference, April 21-26, 2023. Plant Physiology Class SMART agriculture for innovative vegetable production: Comparative studies of Aquaponics, Hydroponics and Traditional Agriculture for the production of Kale and Bell Pepper Valdel Lekane1, Cambly Morales1, Abdulhari Iro2 Anne Osano2,Natural Sciences Department. General Botany Class. ?Nutrient Availability in Aquaponics system for Tomato(Solanum lycopersicum) and Turmeric(Curcuma longa) growth. Ophilia Salubi, Okwudindu Ogbuji-Emmanuel, Abdullahi Iro and Anne Osano What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?I plan to continue with the goals i) Involving predominantly minority students in a summer international research experience in food and agriculture making them competitive in a global sector; ii) Exposing predominantly minority students to a summer international extension experience in food and agriculture; iii) Infusing agricultural research into the STEM curriculum that will deliver science based knowledge, iv) Developing student teamwork, leadership, problem solving and presentation skills through lab activities, weekly professional development workshops, research forums, and conferences; v) Increasing students' interest in pursuing graduate studies. Developing this pathway will lead to an adequate supply of suitably skilled labor which is vital in optimizing US's agricultural productivity and enhancing innovation, strengthening competitiveness, boosting resilience and a developing a larger capacity for the agriculture industry

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? i) Involving predominantly minority students in a summer international research experience in Food and Agriculture thereby making them competitive in a global sector in collaboration with Egerton University Kenya; ii) Exposing predominantly minority students to a summer international extension experience in Food and Agriculture in collaboration with Egerton University Kenya; A total of 6 students participated in international summer research and extension experience hosted by Egerton University, Kenya.. Below are the abstracts from the research. Student research projects funded by USDA- NIFA, Research Experience and Extension for Undergraduates (REEU). Summer 2022. John King :Water Quality Monitoring in the Affordable Domestic Fish Farming Technology at Egerton University. Max Sahi :Determination of Morpho-Physiological Mechanisms of Salt Tolerance in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.). Justin Leslie :Cape Gooseberry Domestication in Baringo County Kenya. Vanessa Chery :Biophysical Characteristics of Fungus Fermented Napier Grass Pennisetum Purpureum S. Dayanna Robb :Nutrition of Fungus Fermented Napier Grass (Pennisetum Purpureum S.). Madison Marshall :Diversity of Endophytes in Sunn Hemp (Crotalaria Junicea). iii) Infusing agricultural research into the STEM curriculum that will deliver science based knowledge to develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills; Agricultural research was infused into the Plant science curriculum. A total of 200 minority undergraduate students who enrolled in General Botany courses in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 participated in the Agricultural research. Each student was required to perform research in aquaponics as well as literature research on Hydroponics production of selected vegetables Students conducted research and produced research papers presented at the Annual Bowie State University research Symposium. Here are selected papers students work Plant Physiology Class SMART agriculture for innovative vegetable production: Comparative studies of Aquaponics, Hydroponics and Traditional Agriculture for the production of Kale and Bell Pepper Valdel Lekane1, Cambly Morales1, Abdulhari Iro2 Anne Osano2, Natural Sciences Department. General Botany Class. Nutrient Availability in Aquaponics system for Tomato(Solanum lycopersicum) and Turmeric(Curcuma longa) growth. Ophilia Salubi, Okwudindu Ogbuji-Emmanuel, Abdullahi Iro and Anne Osano iv). Developing student teamwork, leadership, problem solving and presentation skills . This was done through lab activities, weekly professional development workshops, research forums, and conferences.

Publications

Progress 06/01/21 to 05/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience reached by my effort in this reporting period are a total of 200 minority undergraduate students enrolled in the General Botany ;( Biol 105;) courses in Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 and Plant Physiology course ( Biol 415) in Spring 2022. The students were required to perform research in Agricultural topic for the whole semester, present their work to the class and write a paper as part of the class.They also presented their research at the anual Bowie State University Research symposium in April 2022. The General Botany Research was on Aquaponics while the Plant Physiology research was on Hydropoics for food production technology. Changes/Problems:Covid-19 continues to be a threat to travel. However we have planned to travel this summer What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?There was no travel due to Covid so research done locally at BSU. Research was done in in the lab at BSU and host mentors' labs.Activities summary are listed below. . The summary of the main activities are as follows. Meeting with mentor- Monday, Wednesday and Friday Independent research- Monday to Friday Research forum- Alternative Wednesday 2:00 - 4:00 PM Professional development- Alternative Wednesdays 2:00 - 4:00PM Research poster preparation. a). Research Forum - Biweekly: Each student research team gave a formal 10 minute / five slides review of their research objectives and progress and their plan for a search activity for the following two weeks every Tuesdays, followed by 10 minutes of related discussion. Faculty mentors were present for these reviews b).Bi- weekly Professional Development workshops. These professional development workshops were done alternative weeks with research forum on Tuesdays. The topics discussed included; Research Methods/ Ethics; Kahoot game @ end CV/Resume Writing Workshop Applying to graduate School Workshop Research Presentation Prep Workshop How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Students presented their research at various forums. The details are above. 2021 Summer research presented their work at closing symposium where many people from the university community were present 2. . Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) 2021. November 11-14, 2021. 3. The Bowie State Annual Research Symposium, April 202 What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We have planned International summer undergraduate research in kenya and will be able to give students global undergraduate research experience. Therefore, we will be doing to report on all objectives.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? What was accomplished under these goals? Involving predominantly minority students in a summer international research experience in Food and Agriculture thereby making them competitive in a global sector in collaboration with Egerton University Kenya; Due to Covid -19 travel ban there was no international travel so this objective was not done Exposing predominantly minority students to a summer international extension experience in Food and Agriculture in collaboration with Egerton University Kenya; Due to Covid -19 travel ban there was no international travel so this objective was not done Domestic summer research experience: A change in scope was requested to allow 8 students to participate in research experience in the US in the summer of 2021. A total of 7 students participated in summer research hosted at Osano Hydroponics lab at Bowie State University. Below are the abstracts from the research. Student research projects funded by USDA- NIFA, Research Experience and Extension for Undergraduates(REEU). Summer 2021. Analysis of Flavonoids in Hydroponically Grown Magnesium Deficient Tomatoes and Carrots. Beckyshirley Sama, Anne Osano & Supriyo Ray; Department of Natural Sciences, Bowie State University, 20715 Bowie Research Experience and Extension for Undergraduates (REEU) Summer 2021 The Study of the Effects of a disease model (Escherichia coli (E. coli) on a Hydroponically grown Lettuce. Jordan Bond, Anne Osano & Ray Supiyo; Bowie Research Experience and Extension for Undergraduates (REEU); Summer 2021 Optimization and Physiological Characterization of Hydroponically Grown Tomatoes with PAM Imaging: REEU Summer 2021 Kern Jerome, Dr. Anne Osano and Dr Supriyo Ray, Department of Natural Sciences, Bowie State University, 14000 Jericho Park Road, Bowie MD 20715 The Estimation of Flavonoids in Hydroponically Grown Boron Deficient Tomato Plants Morgan Robinson, Dr Anne Osano and Dr Ray Supiyo; REEU, Natural Sciences Department, Bowie State University, Summer: 2021 OPTIMIZATION AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF HYDROPONICALLY GROWN PLANTS Naomi Beach, Dr. Anne Osano, Dr. Supriyo Ray; Natural Sciences Department, Bowie State University, Bowie 20715 Optimization and Physiological Characterization of Hydroponically Grown Carrots, Magnesium Deficiency and Photosynthetic Pigment Estimation of Tomatoes. Aaliyah Muhammad, Dr Anne Osano & Dr. Supriyo Ray. Metagenomics Analysis of Basil and Lettuce Roots Grown Hydroponically in the Greenhouse at Bowie State University. Alvine Momo, Anne Osano, Supriyo Ray, Natural Sciences Department, Bowie State University, Bowie 20715 Survey Intrument was used to assess the impact of summer research on students. Below is some results. Gains in THINKING AND WORKING LIKE A SCIENTIST: APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE TO RESEARCH WORK. Greatest gain; Understanding the theory and concepts guiding my research project. Understanding the relevance of research to my coursework. Both have all students showing good to great gain (total 78%). This means that students begin to appreciate research Least gain: Problem solving and data analysis scored the least (44% of students recorded great gain). This may be because data analysis was not necessary for the type of research students. PERSONAL GAINS RELATED TO RESEARCH WORK Great gain: Personal gains seems to show the greatest gain. Confidence in my ability to contribute to science and Comfort in discussing scientific concepts with others. All students great gain scoring highest in all categories of 67% out of 77% comfort in working collaboratively with others. Ability to work independently; Developing patience with the slow pace of research; Taking greater care in conducting procedures in the lab or field and Comfort in working collaboratively with others all scored 56% out 77% great gain. Gains in SKILLS Great gain: Explaining my project to people outside my field; Preparing a scientific poster scored the highest (67% out of 77% total); Making oral presentations and Calibrating instruments needed for measurement; scored 44% out of 77% great gain. Students presented their research every two weeks and at a final symposium at the end of the program. This is reflected in these figures. Keeping a detailed lab notebook; Working with computers; Understanding journal articles and Conducting database or internet searches all scores highly with great gain of 44% out of total 77%. Least Gain: Field work scored the least because there was no filed work Gain in Skills The following questions ask about your overall research experience and about any changes in your attitudes or behaviors as a researcher. There was the greatest gain as all students reported the greatest gain in all the following categories. They all felt that they were engaged in real-world science research and they felt responsible for the project; (78% of 78%). Feeling like a scientist; think creatively about the project, Interact with scientists from outside your school; Feel a part of a scientific community all scored 67% out of 78% total great gain. This means this experience had a great impact on the students until they began to feel and think as a researcher. Research experience. The students over all experience as well as the time thy spent on doing their research scored the highest in this category (67% great gain out of total 78%). The likelihood of enrolling in a Ph.D. program in science, mathematics or engineering scored 33% in great gain category and 33% in good gain making a total of 66% out of 78%. This means that the students were encouraged to pursue graduate school which is one of our goals. So we met our goal. The likelihood of students getting into a master's program scored 44% for both great gain and good gain. The research program. The application process scored highest with 56% out of total of 78%. Workshop(s)on science writing and presentation also scored the same 56%. Infusing agricultural research into the STEM curriculum that will deliver science based knowledge to develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills; Agricultural research was infused into the Plant science curriculum. A total of 200 minority undergraduate students who enrolled in General Botany courses in Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 participated in the Agricultural research. Each student was required to perform research in aquaponics as well as literature research on Hydroponics production of selected vegetables Students conducted research and produced research papers presented at teh Annual Bowie State University research sympsium. Here are selected papers students work A study on the mineral elements availability in Aquaponics system, their impact on vegetable productivity. Abdullahi Iro, Alvine Mumo, Kern Jerome , Ophilia Salubi, Lawrence Schaefer and Anne Osano Metagenomics Analysis of Basil and Lettuce Roots Grown Hydroponically in the Greenhouse at Bowie State University. Alvine Momo, Abdullahi Iro, Anne Osano, George Ude. Natural Sciences Department, Bowie State University, Bowie 20715 Plant Physiology Research Physiological Characterization of Hydroponically Grown Mineral Deficient Tomatoes using PAM Imaging: Kern Jerome, Supriyo Ray and Anne Osano . Department of Natural Sciences, Bowie State University, 14000 Jericho Park Road, Bowie MD 20715 A total of 9 students enrolled in Plant Physiology also were also involved in Hydroponics research. They also performed research and prepared, power point presentation sand research paper.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2021 Citation: 1. Kern Jerome, Aaliyah Muhammad, Alvine Momo, Beckyshirley Sama, Naomi Beach, Morgan Robinson, Todd Kana, Anne Osano and Supriyo Ray. Optimization and Physiological Characterization of Hydroponically Grown Tomatoes with Magnesium Deficiency Using Pulse Amplitude Modulation Imaging Technique.ANNUAL BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE FOR MINORITY STUDENTS (ABRCMS), VIRTUAL CONFERENCE NOVEMBER 10-13 2021
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2021 Citation: 2. Beckyshirley Sama, Aliyah Mohammed, Jordan Bond, Christian Elcorrobarrutia, Kern Jerome, Alvine Momo, Wilmer Perera, Anne Osano & Supriyo Ray. Estimation of Metabolites in Magnesium Deficient Hydroponically Grown Tomatoes. ANNUAL BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE FOR MINORITY STUDENTS (ABRCMS), VIRTUAL CONFERENCE NOVEMBER 10-13 2021
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2021 Citation: 3. Alvine Momo, Constance Ihearahu, Abdullahi Iro, Kern Jerome, Supriyo Ray, Anne Osano, and George Ude. Metagenomics Analysis of the Bacterial Microbiome Isolated from Hydroponically Grown Lettuce and Basil Roots.ANNUAL BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE FOR MINORITY STUDENTS (ABRCMS), VIRTUAL CONFERENCE NOVEMBER 10-13 2021
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2021 Citation: 4. Naomi Beach, Kern Jerome, Morgan Robinson, Aaliyah Mohammed, Alvine Momo, Todd Kana, Anne Osano, and Supriyo Ray. Optimization and Physiological Characterization of Hydroponically Grown Tomatoes with Boron Deficiency Using Pulse Amplitude Modulation Imaging Technique.ANNUAL BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE FOR MINORITY STUDENTS (ABRCMS), VIRTUAL CONFERENCE NOVEMBER 10-13 2021
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2021 Citation: Marquez Wortham , Coutney Thomas and Anne Osano. Anti-Advanced Glycation End Product Properties of Aristolochia grandiflora.ANNUAL BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CONFERENCE FOR MINORITY STUDENTS (ABRCMS), VIRTUAL CONFERENCE NOVEMBER 10-13 2021
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: A study on the mineral elements availability in Aquaponics system, their impact on vegetable productivity. Abdullahi Iro, Alvine Mumo, Kern Jerome , Ophilia Salubi, Lawrence Schaefer and Anne Osano. Annual Bowie State Research Symposium, April 2022.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Metagenomics Analysis of Basil and Lettuce Roots Grown Hydroponically in the Greenhouse at Bowie State University. Alvine Momo, Abdullahi Iro, Anne Osano, George Ude. Natural Sciences Department, Bowie State University, Bowie 20715.Annual Bowie State Research Symposium, April 2022.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Physiological Characterization of Hydroponically Grown Mineral Deficient Tomatoes using PAM Imaging: Kern Jerome, Supriyo Ray and Anne Osano . Department of Natural Sciences, Bowie State University, 14000 Jericho Park Road, Bowie MD 20715.Annual Bowie State Research Symposium, April 2022.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Kern Jerome and Anne Osano Natural Sciences Department, Bowie State University, Bowie 20715. Annual Bowie State Research Symposium, April 2022.

Progress 06/01/20 to 05/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience reached by my effort in this reporting period are a total of 120 minority undergraduate students enrolled in the General Botany ;( Biol 105;) courses in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 and Plant Physiology course ( Biol 415) in Spring 2021. The students were required to perform research in Agricultural topic for the whole semster, present their work to the class and write a paper as part of the class. During the lectures, they were also introduced to the Aquaponics technology for food production. Changes/Problems:Due to Covid- 19 travel ban, we had to change the scope of the program ONLY for this semester . This included giving students undergraduate summer research without the international travel. We hope that we will resume our international travel next summer should Covid-19 travel ban be lifted. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This objective was tied to the international research experience and was therefore not done. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We have planned domestic summer undergraduate research in the USA and will be able to give students undergraduate research experience. There fore we will be doing tp report on all objectives .The only missing component will be the global/international component. This is again due to the Covid-19 travel ban this summer.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? i) Involving predominantly minority students in a summer international research experience in Food and Agriculture thereby making them competitive in a global sector in collaboration with Egerton University Kenya; Due to Covid -19 travel ban there was no international travel so this objective was not done ii) Exposing predominantlyminority students to a summer international extension experience in Food and Agriculture in collaboration with Egerton University Kenya; Due to Covid -19 travel ban there was no international travel so this objective was not done iii)Infusing agricultural research into the STEM curriculum that will deliver science based knowledge to develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills; Agricultural research was infused into the Plant science curriculum. A total of 120 minority undergraduate students who enrolled in General Botany courses in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 partcipated in the Agricultural research. Each student was required to perform literature research on Hydroponics production of Lettuce and Basil plants. The students wrote a research paper at the end of the semester as part of the class requirement. Since all learning in Bowie State University, wet labs were limited . The students were also introduced to Aquaponics crop production technology. The excitement about the ability to produce their vegetables without soil was very evident in the students. One student was able to join the summer undergraduate reserach experience because of the class experience. A survey was ministered in class to assess their interest in plant science and or Agriculture as a result of the infusion of Agricultural Research into the curriculum. 80% of those that responded to the survey indicated that they have interest in Plant Science/Agricultural discovery. 80% indicated that they found leraning interesteing. 60% indicated that they may consider plant Science/ Agriculture careers. iv) Developing student teamwork, leadership, problem solving and presentation skills through lab activities, weekly professional development workshops, research forums, and conferences; and v) Increasing students' interest in pursuing graduate studies This objective was tied to the international summer research experience and was therefore not done. The students however presented their research to their classmates at the end of semester. They were trained on presentation techniques.

Publications