A Palo Alto-based biological pest-control company, biosys (lowercase "b"), has created a scholarship at the University of California, Davis, to support graduate students who study tiny parasitic worms that cause diseases in insects, especially agricultural pests.
The company has pledged $60,000 to the nematology department to create the "biosys Scholarship for Research on Entomopathogenic Nematodes." Biosys specializes in the production of microscopic nematodes that kill a wide range of soil-dwelling insect pests. The company's nematode-based products are marketed internationally through agreements with CIBA-Geigy, a Swiss-based company.
The first recipient of the biosys scholarship will be Jon Kanagy, a graduate student in plant protection and pest management.
"UC Davis studies on nematodes that cause diseases in insects have made major contributions to our knowledge of the biology and potential of these tiny nematodes," said Harry K. Kaya, a professor of nematology who has spearheaded studies on nematodes as natural enemies of undesirable insects. "Such research helps meet the needs of industry, agriculture and the environment."
The UC Davis nematology department is one of a handful of such academic departments in the world. Faculty, graduate students and technical staff conduct research on nematodes as parasites of plants and animals and on their effective management as pests. Also of interest are beneficial nematodes that play an important role in biological degradation and the cycling of minerals and nutrients in soil and water.
