Clement de Cruz
Education
Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (in progress)
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
M.S. in Aquaculture Nutrition, 2015
Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
B.S. in Agriculture (Aquaculture), 2011
Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
Professional Experience
Research Assistant | May 2014 – July 2015
Aquaculture feed/ingredient assessment in feed mills
Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
Research Interests
Fish nutrition related with fishmeal replacement and feed additives
Awards
2010 Best Scientific Aquaculture Project
Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Malaysian Fisheries Society.
Publications
de Cruz, C.R., M.S. Kamarudin, C.R. Saad and E. Ramezani-Fard (2015) Effects of extruder die temperature on the physical properties of extruded fish pellets containing taro and broken rice starch, Animal Feed Sciences Technology, 199: 137-145.
Min Ju
Education
Ph.D. in Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (in progress)
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
M.S. in Aquaculture, 2013
Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
B.S. in Biological Science, 2010
Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
Professional Experience
Research Assistant | May 2013 – Jul 2014
Animal Nutrition and Physiology Lab
Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
Graduate Assistant Non-Teaching | 2011-2014
College of Fisheries and Life Science
Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
Teaching Assistant | Sept 2011 – Jan 2012
Biology of Algae
Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
Research Interests
Supplementation of prebiotics, probiotics and other immuno-stimulants in aquaculture as growth promoters and for therapeutic purposes. Primary research focuses are gastrointestinal health, intestinal microbiota, innate immune defense, disease resistance and modulation of related gene expressions.
Publications
Awards
2017 1st Place Spotlight Competition
Aquaculture America, United States Aquaculture Society
2017 Best Abstract/Travel Award
Aquaculture America, United States Aquaculture Society
2017 Walter Landry Memorial Travel Award
Striped Bass Growers Association
2016 IIC Pinnacle Award
Animal Nutrition, International Ingredient Corporation
Fernando Yamamoto
Education
Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (in progress)
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
M.S. in Animal Science and Pasture, 2015
Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture
University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo State, Brazil
B.S. Aquaculture Engineer, 2011
Federal University of Santa Catarina
Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Professional Experience
Short Term Scholar | 2014
Project: Supplementation of vitamin E for hybrid striped bass and its effect on immunological system Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Intern of International Initiative for Sustainable and Biosecure Aquafarming | 2011
Project: Cobia alternative lipid nutrition
Virginia Polytech Institute and State University, Virginia Tech, Virginia
Intern of Nutrition of Aquatic Organisms | 2009 – 2011
Project: Utilization of carbohydrates for native species
Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
Fingerling Farm Producer | 2010
Project: Scaling aerators for fish ponds and fish spawning
Primavera Aquacultura, Villavicêncio, Colombia
Research Interests
Research focused on additives in aquafeeds and their effects on fish immune responses. Also investigated alternative ingredients replacing fishmeal and fish oil.
Publications
Trushenski, J., M. Schwarz, W. V. N. Pessoa, B. Mulligan, C. Crouse, B. Gause, F. Yamamoto and B. Delbos, (2011) Amending reduced fish-meal feeds with marine lecithin, but not soy lecithin, improves the growth of juvenile cobia and may attenuate heightened responses to stress challenge, Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, 97-1: 170-180.
Trushenski, J., F. Woitel, M. Schwarz and F. Yamamoto (2013) Saturated Fatty Acids Limit the Effects of Replacing Fish Oil with Soybean Oil with or without Phospholipid Supplementation in Feeds for Juvenile Cobia, North American Journal of Aquaculture, 75-2: 316-328.
Woitel, F., F. Yamamoto, J. Trushenski and M. Schwarz (2013) Saturated Fatty Acids Limit Effects of Fish Oil Replacement In Cobia Diets, Global Aquaculture Advocate, 44-46.
Awards
2017 Pinnacle Award
St. Louis, Missouri
2017 1st Place Alltech Innovation Aquachallenge
Aquaculture America, San Antonio, Texas
2016 2nd Place Health, Nutrition, Kinesiology and Physiology Oral Presentation
Student Research Week, College Station, TX, Texas A&M University
Kequan Chen
Education
Ph.D. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (in progress)
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
M.S. in Aquaculture and Animal Nutrition, 2015
Soochow University, Suzhou, China
B.S. in Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, 2012
Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
Professional Experience
Research Assistant | Sept.2012 — July 2015
School of Basic Medical Sciences and Biotechnology, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Research Interests
Research focused on the effects of super-dosing dietary phytase on the growth performance of fish and metabolic interactions among different minerals.
Publications
Chen K Q, Ye Y T, Cai C F, et al. Effects of Dietary Soybean Meal Content on Hepatopancreas Structure and Function of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) [J]. Chinese Journal of Animal Nutrition, 2014, 26(7): 1873-1879.
Chen K Q, Ye Y T, Cai C F, et al. Effects of Dietary Oxidizes Fish Oil on Growth and Muscle Fatty Acid Composition of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) [J]. Chinese Journal of Animal Nutrition, 2015, 27(6): 1698-1708.
Chen K Q, Ye Y T, Cai C F, et al. Effects of Dietary Oxidized Fish Oil in the Intestinal Structure and Permeability of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) [J]. Acta Hydrobiologica Sinica, 2016, 40(4): 804-813.
Chen K Q, Ye Y T, Cai C F, et al. Damage of Oxidized Fish Oil on the Structure and Function of Hepatopancreas of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) [J]. Acta Hydrobiologica Sinica, 2016, 40(4): 793-803.
Chen K Q, Ye Y T, Cai C F, et al. Effects of MDA on the Growth Performance, Structure and Function of Hepatopancreas and Intestine of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) [J]. Acta Hydrobiologica Sinica, 2016, 40(4): 779-792.
Awards
2014 Jefo Nutrition Graduate Scholarship
Grayson Clark
Education
M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences (in progress)
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
M.S. in Food Science (transfer to Texas A&M University)
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
B.S. in Food Science, 2017
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
A.A. in Biological Sciences, 2014
Santa Fe College, Gainesville, Florida
Professional Experience
Graduate Assistant | 2018 – Present
Manage replicated fish nutrition experiments in a Recirculating Aquaculture System, how to harvest and process large amounts of fish from earthen ponds using a seine net, live feeds (rotifer) production, statistical analysis of data collected from experiments using the software JMP, and larval fish rearing.
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Research Assistant | 2017 – 2018
Assist with all aspects of the tomato breeding program in National Academy of Science Member Dr. Harry Klee’s group. Tasks include greenhouse and field production of tomato plants, pollinations for making hybrid seeds, fruit harvest and sample preparation, DNA extraction and PCR analysis.
Tomato Breeding Lab, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Research Assistant | 2009 – 2016
Assisted with all aspects of the coleus breeding program in Dr. David Clark’s group. Tasks included greenhouse and field production of plants, performing genetic and environmental screens for several different quantitative traits, seed collection and analysis, data acquisition and basic statistical analysis.
Horticultural Genetics & Breeding Lab, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Research Assistant | 2016 – 2017
Assisted with preparing and analyzing sensory analysis experiments in Dr. Charles Sims’ group. Tasks included preparation of food and beverage samples for sensory analysis, conducting and managing sensory panels, and the proper sanitation/cleanup once an experiment had been preformed.
Food Sensory Analysis Lab, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Co-inventor on 21 US Plant Patents for creating new cultivars of Coleus:
- 2017 US Plant Patent PP 29,820: A coleus plant named ‘UF 14-24-1’ ‘Flamethrower Salsa Verde’
- 2017 US Plant Patent PP 28,591: A coleus plant named ‘UF 13-26-7’ ‘Inferno’
- 2017 US Plant Patent PP 28,566: A coleus plant named ‘UF 13-42-4’ ‘Ruby Slipper’
- 2017 US Plant Patent PP 28,517: A coleus plant named ‘UF 13-48-27’ ‘French Quarter’
- 2016 US Plant Patent PP 27,269: A coleus plant named ‘UF 12-22-1’ ‘Campfire’
- 2016 US Plant Patent PP 27,288: A coleus plant named ‘UF12-82-3’ ‘Flamethrower Chipotle’
- 2016 US Plant Patent PP 27,500 A coleus plant named ‘UF 12-74-3’ ‘Marquee Special Effect’
- 2016 US Plant Patent PP 27,499: A coleus plant named ‘UF 12-73-5’ ‘Flamethrower Spiced Curry’
- 2016 US Plant Patent PP 27,076: A coleus plant named ‘UF 08-5-10’ ‘Marquee Blonde Bombshell’
- 2016 US Plant Patent PP 27,077: A coleus plant named ‘UF 09-8-37’ ‘Marquee Box Office Bronze’
- 2016 US Plant Patent PP 27,078: A coleus plant named ‘UF 08-19-10’ ‘Marquee Red Carpet’
- 2016 US Plant Patent PP 27,126: A coleus plant named ‘UF 10-45-12’ ‘Coleosaurus’
- 2016 US Plant Patent PP 27,140: A coleus plant named ‘UF 12-30-6’ ‘Lime Time’
- 2015 US Plant Patent PP 25,653: A coleus plant named ‘UF 11-74-5’ ‘Mainstreet Gran Via’
- 2015 US Plant Patent PP 25,652: A coleus plant named ‘UF 12-6-2’ ‘Mainstreet Sunset Boulevard’
- 2015 US Plant Patent PP 25,626: A coleus plant named ‘UF 12-35-9’ ‘Mainstreet Wall Street’
- 2015 US Plant Patent PP 25,651: A coleus plant named ‘UF 12-62-2’ ‘Mainstreet River Walk’
- 2015 US Plant Patent PP 25,650: A coleus plant named ‘UF 12-87-9’ ‘Mainstreet Oxford Street’
- 2015 US Plant Patent PP 25,627: A coleus plant named ‘UF 11-74-12’ ‘Gator Glory’
- 2013 US Plant Patent PP 23,585: A coleus plant named ‘UF 08-4-3’ ‘Wasabi’
- 2013 US Plant Patent PP 23,586: A coleus plant named ‘UF 08-17-4’ ‘Sultana’
Teaching Assistant | 2016
Graded assignments, entered grades and assisted with class activities.
ORH1030: Plants Gardens & You, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Research Assistant | 2014
Collected blueberry germplasm and preserved them in liquid nitrogen at USDA Conservatory/Oregon State University Research Facility for use in breeding for higher folate levels in blueberries for Dr. Jim Olmstead’s group.
Blueberry Breeding Lab, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Research Assistant | 2011
Assisted with preparing chemicals and laboratory supplies used in screening for human super tasters in National Academy of Science member Dr. Linda Bartoshuk’s group.
Human Sensory Lab, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Research Interests
Marine stock enhancement, live feeds culture, and fish reproduction.
Awards
AgriLife Research Strategic Initiative Assistantship