From cod to crops to cranberries: Lister 3MT competitors deliver
On November 27, the Macdonald Campus Office of Student Academic Services hosted the annual Lister Family Engaged Science Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, an event open to master’s and doctoral students from all disciplines in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Made possible by a generous gift from the late E. Edward, BSc(Agr)'55, MSc'57, and his wife, Teresa, the Lister Family Engaged Science Initiative gives students access to an in-depth science communication training program that includes a three-part workshop series and a group coaching session, as well as optional one-on-one coaching sessions. Their newfound communication skills are then put to the test in the 3MT Competition, where students demystify their research for a non-specialist audience.
This year, nine students showcased their research in no more than three minutes using a single non-animated slide, and a panel of judges which included Associate Dean (Graduate Education) Jean-Benoit Charron, John Abbott College Biology Professor Katherine Pagnucco, and first place winner of the 2023 Lister Family Engaged Science 3MT competition and Ph.D. candidate in Plant Science Mehtab Singh. The judges determined the first, second, and third place winners who were awarded cash prizes of $900, $600, and $350, respectively. The audience was also called upon to vote for their favourite presenter, who received a People’s Choice Award valued at $300.
First place and People's Choice: Amanda Round
Amanda Round, an M.Sc. student in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences, secured not only the judging panel’s first place vote, but was also selected for the coveted People’s Choice Award.
Round’s research, under the supervision of Professor Denis Roy, examines gene expression in the gill rakers of “the unsung heroes of the north”: Arctic cod. Gill rakers, Round explained, are small structures inside the cod’s gills that help them feed by filtering plankton out of the water. As the cod grow and move to deeper waters, their gill rakers spread out to catch larger plankton. Warming temperatures driven by climate change, however, are pushing these plankton into even deeper waters, which could force the cod to modify their behaviour and diet.
“My research focuses on identifying the genes responsible for gill raker growth in Arctic cod, to see if they can adapt to new prey,” said Round. “By comparing these genes to those in other fish and measuring their expression, I aim to understand how adaptable gill rakers are. This will help inform conservation strategies to protect Arctic cod and their ecosystem.”
The ripple effect, Round explained, extends far beyond the survival of this one species of fish. “As Arctic cod are crucial for the arctic ecosystem—which itself drives global nutrient patterns—losing Arctic cod would destabilize northern food webs, threaten fisheries, and harm Canadian economies and the communities that rely on them.”
Second place: Preet Manchanda
Plant Science Ph.D. candidate Preet Manchanda earned the second-place title with his research presentation Searching for "Bob the Builder" of the Plant Leaf.
“My research involves improvising on a molecular technique which helps me study up to 50 genes simultaneously in one single leaf sample,” Manchanda told the audience. Understanding that DNA, he explained, could eventually lead to gene editing that could enhance leaf efficiency in photosynthesis and result in better crop yields. “This research will lay the foundation to help us craft a better future in which we can tackle pressing global issues like food security and sustainable farming.”
Third place: Samantha Dizon
Third-place winner Samantha Dizon’s presentation summarized her research on the impact of cranberry farming on wild pollinators in Quebec. Through the collection and preservation of nearly 3,000 native bees and flower flies, the M.Sc. student in Natural Resource Sciences has been able to identify over 25 different flower fly species using field guides, while also measuring their abundance and diversity. “By looking at their functional diversity and five functional traits—habitat specialization, larval feeding preferences, hairiness, body size, and tongue length—I can gain insight into the behavioural characteristics that influence their ability to pollinate and better understand how much pollen they can carry and distribute,” said Dizon. “By better understanding which pollinators are on these farms, I can tailor a guide for each cranberry farm based on their agricultural practices.”
A spot in the 3MT finals
As first-place winner of the Macdonald Campus instalment of the 3MT, Amanda Round has secured a spot as a finalist in Ă山ǿĽé’s university-wide Three Minute Thesis Competition, set to take place in early spring 2025. Winners of the final competition will represent Ă山ǿĽé at the Canadian Association of Graduate Studies 3MT eastern regional finals and the Ma thèse en 180 secondes national final, organized by the Association francophone pour le savoir.