LEXINGTON, Ky. — Two students have received the distinction of Alltech Young Scientist for research demonstrating an exceptional awareness of science and its role in shaping the future of agriculture.

Undergraduate student Amanda Pesqueira of the University of Kentucky (UK) and graduate student Nimesha Fernando of the University of Melbourne, Australia, were honored May 22 as the top crop from a field of more than 8,000 global registrants. After a regional evaluation process in early 2013, eight finalists were invited to travel to Lexington to deliver their research findings before a panel of judges. The undergraduate and graduate winners received $5,000 and $10,000, respectively.

Pesqueria attended the University of Maringa in Brazil before transferring to UK for her final year of undergraduate studies in animal science. Her presentation, Contractile Response of the Different Ergot Alkaloids in Bovine Cranial Branch of the Lateral Saphenous Vein In Vitro, examines the compounds involved with fescue toxicosis syndrome in cows through the use of an advanced testing system. She plans to pursue a graduate degree in animal science.

Fernando, a graduate student at the University of Melbourne, looked at how high levels of carbon dioxide in the environment affect the growth of grain through her research presentation, Free Air CO2 Enrichment Altered Wheat Grain Protein Quality and Rheological Characteristics: A Comparative Proteomic Analysis. She holds a bachelor’s of science in agriculture and a master’s of science in resource management from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka.

For more information about registering for the next Alltech Young Scientist Competition, visit www.alltech.com/ education/alltech-young-scientist/about

TOKYO — Global animal health and nutrition leader Alltech and Kochi University in Japan have signed a five-year strategic research alliance to study yellowtail and amberjack nutrition.

“Alltech has been successfully partnering with top academic institutions in the form of research alliances throughout the world with the common goal of finding long-term solutions to the key issues facing our industry,” said Dr. Karl Dawson, chief research officer at Alltech.

“We are very excited to work with Kochi University in researching natural ways of increasing production efficiency in the aquaculture sector, particularly since aquaculture is one of the most promising industries for growth as we look to feed an increasing global population.”

This agreement underscores the value of applied research alliances, especially among public-private partnerships, which drive development in the Japanese aquaculture sector and beyond. Kochi has a cooperative agreement with the city of Konan and plans to rent a large aquaculture facility that belongs to Konan this July. The facility has 18 tanks and many small tanks for smaller fish, which provide sterile borehole seawater with a permanent temperature of 16-28 degrees Celsius.

Alltech will share its more than 33 years of high-end research with different animal species to jointly develop special nutritional diets to improve the meat quality and shelf life of amberjack and yellowtail marine water species. Supported by Shuichi Satoh, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Alltech and Kochi University will further study the application of Aspergillus niger extracts to reduce fishmeal inclusions in yellowtail and amberjack diets.

“The Japanese aquaculture industry is facing difficulties such as low fish market prices and high feed costs. We are delighted to work with Alltech, a company who has developed unique products and effective solutions to the challenges of the aqua farming industry,” said Haruhisa Fukada, associate professor at Kochi University.

“By researching the animal diet, we hope to be able to help farmers and producers reduce their feed cost and produce healthier fish. We strongly believe that the research alliance program will help us reinforce our contribution to the industry and furthermore to the whole society.”

In 2012, Alltech and the Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research (Nofima) entered a three-year strategic research alliance.

Nofima is working with Alltech in the understanding of microalgae in modern feed formulations and their role in health, performance and flesh quality.

Alltech Algae in Winchester, Ky., one of the largest algae production facilities in the world, is exploring the applications of algae in animal nutrition and aquaculture. By the close of 2013, Alltech anticipates signed research alliances with 17 academic and research institutes around the world; to date, more than a dozen alliances have been formalized.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The USDA announced the 10 members of the 2013 class of the E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program.

The 10 fellows, highly accomplished staff, faculty and administrators at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) from across the nation, were selected based on the compatibility of their interests with USDA mission areas, as well as the value their experiences will add to their institutions’ educational capacities.

HSIs are accredited and degree-granting institutions of higher education with a full-time Hispanic student enrollment of 25 percent or more. Through partnerships fostered by the fellowship program, USDA and HSIs are better prepared to address educational challenges faced by the Hispanic community and to promote services and employment opportunities offered by USDA agencies, while diversifying the department’s workforce.

The 16th class of the E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship is divided into two categories, each specially tailored to meet the fellows’ interests and provide them with an enriching experience. The Science Fellows collaborate with leading scientists from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and learn about state-of-the-art agricultural research.

The 2013 E. Kika De La Garza Fellows include, locally, Education Fellow Claudia Mosqueda, Richard J. Daley Community College in Chicago, Ill. For more information on the E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship program, visit www.hsi.usda.gov/HSIs/fellowship.htm