Sharing Your Science
Sharing Your Science Table of Contents
Can coal ash be a source of rare earth metals?
Is wind energy feasible in Kentucky?
Tracking long term barn owl populations in KY
NEW: Poultry Litter as Fertilizer
Bad News for Cockroach Haters
By: Wilson Gonzalez-Espada, KAS Intern, Summer 2025
The German cockroach (Blattella germanica) is one of the most successful pests around. Due to their high reproduction rate and tendency to remain well hidden, they can infest almost any house or building within a few months.
Cockroaches are considered particularly important structural pests because they are a risk to human health, introducing allergens that can trigger asthma attacks. They can also contaminate food, counters, dishes, and cookware with harmful germs.
Unfortunately, cockroaches have an ally: evolution. Individual cockroaches have minute genetic differences, some of which may make them less sensitive to insecticides. These differences can provide an extra edge when exposed to insecticide, improving survival and the likelihood they will pass these traits on.
Johnalyn Gordon, Sudip Gaire, and Zachary DeVries, from the Department of Entomology at the University of Kentucky, collaborated with scientists from Auburn University to investigate the resistance of German cockroaches to household spray insecticides. Their results were published in the Journal of Economic Entomology.
The scientists included four populations of German cockroaches, including ones collected in Lexington in 2021 whose ancestors were previously exposed to household insecticides, evidenced by their high levels of resistance to the insecticide used in most household sprays - pyrethroids. They also compared these home-collected populations to a laboratory population, which has been in colony for 80+ years, which means it uniquely has not been exposed to modern insecticides. Four common household spray insecticides were studied under direct spray and contact with dried insecticide residues (30-minute of limited exposure and 24-hour of continuous exposure).
Gordon and her colleagues reported that, while direct spraying caused the greatest mortality for most of the cockroach populations tested (as would be expected), even direct spray caused low mortality in the resistant Lexington cockroaches for several of the household spray products. While effective, it would be nearly impossible to find and directly spray every cockroach in a home.
To eliminate an infestation, limited exposure residual efficacy is critical because this is the only route most cockroaches will ever be exposed to insecticides. For Lexington cockroaches who walked on dried insecticide for 30 minutes before being transferred to a clean container, the mortality after a day did not exceed about 20%, regardless of the product. For both the lab and home-collected cockroach populations, survival rates increased when insecticide was applied to porous surfaces, like painted drywall. Even under a best-case scenario for product residues to be effective where the Lexington cockroaches were forced into contact with dried insecticides, the scientists reported a statistical analysis that suggested that at least 8 to 24 hours of continuous exposure was needed to achieve 100% mortality.
Based on the results, Gordon and her colleagues concluded that cockroach mortality “substantially decreases for all products when applied as residual contact insecticides,” particularly on porous surfaces. This is a problem because it’s very unlikely people will be able to successfully control cockroaches in their homes using these products alone. As a result, they may resort to using even more insecticide, increasing their risk of pesticide exposure. Exposure to pyrethroid pesticides has been shown to cause skin irritation, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, prenatal and infant neurodevelopmental issues, and hearing loss in minors.
As alternatives, the researchers recommend consumer bait products or professional pest control services. The scientists acknowledge that “the high price of professional pest control is just one of many barriers to effective pest control in low-income housing.”
Are You Cancer Literate?
By: Wilson Gonzalez-Espada, KAS Intern, Summer 2025
According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer occurs when abnormal or damaged cells grow and multiply uncontrollably. These rogue cells do not respond to the body's signals to stop growing or to self-destruct, a process called apoptosis.
Instead, they trick the immune system into thinking they are A-OK and the blood vessels into providing fresh blood to keep malignant cells alive. Through these vessels, some cells may metastasize, that is, reach other parts of the body, settle, and continue their unruly reproduction.
Early detection is essential to identify the type of cancer a person may have and evaluate possible treatment options. However, one major limitation for those who live in economically distressed regions of Kentucky is the shortage of healthcare options. In fact, in the U.S. eight of the ten counties with the lowest life expectancy are in Kentucky’s Appalachia, which creates cancer disparities.
One way in which people can challenge healthcare disparities, particularly for cancer, is to develop health awareness and literacy. Examples of this include recognizing early signs of cancer, following good healthcare behaviors, seeking preventative care and screenings, moderating the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes, and challenging the social pressure females experience to fulfill mothering roles at the expense of their health.
To improve cancer literacy and health behaviors, healthcare professionals propose that young adolescents and college-age individuals should be targeted to receive information and resources to enhance their healthcare literacy. However, it is not known to what extent this group is aware of basic facts regarding cancer and what treatment options are available in their communities.
A team of scientists from Eastern Kentucky University (Jerry Derringer, Lisa Middleton) and the University of Kentucky (Nathan Vanderford and Lindsay Cormier) used a survey to measure the cancer literacy level of 139 college students and compare it by certain demographic and geographical factors. The survey included demographic questions, a female-focused cancer literacy test, and questions pertaining to cancer care access. Their findings were published in the Journal of American College Health.
The researchers concluded that the participants' cancer literacy was low. The total average score on the cancer literacy survey was about 67%, or 13.5 out of 20 points. Although Appalachian and non-Appalachian residents obtained similar scores, female participants and those majoring in nursing, biomedical sciences, biology, and veterinary science scored significantly better.
The survey also revealed that about 67% of respondents were not aware of free mobile mammography units in Kentucky. Regardless of gender, inadequate access to health services was reported significantly higher by Appalachian students compared to non-Appalachian ones.
Based on the findings, the researchers propose school districts consider adding cancer literacy lessons into school curricula. For instance, a successful pilot intervention to enhance cancer literacy among Kentucky middle and high school students has already been evaluated and reported in the literature. They would also like to expand their research to related health literacy topics, like human papillomavirus.
Preventing Muscle Atrophy
By: Wilson Gonzalez-Espada, KAS Intern, Summer 2025
The International Space Station has been continuously occupied for more than 25 years. You have probably noticed that news coverage shows the astronauts walking toward the launch pad but, upon their return, they are transported sitting on a stretcher. The reason is weightlessness; when the body does not have to deal with gravity, even after following a daily exercise routine, astronauts’ bones weaken, and muscles lose mass and strength.
You do not have to live in space for months to experience muscle atrophy. An extended hospitalization or an illness that makes someone bedridden will have similar effects on bones and muscles. A recent study reported that, for hospital patients physically inactive for just a week, muscle atrophy and weakness are measurable. After three weeks of muscle unloading (when muscles do not have to support the body), muscle atrophy and strength decrease by about 8% and 16%, respectively, requiring extensive and long-term physical rehabilitation.
Interestingly, certain types of rodents, frogs, bears, bats, and snakes spend months of physical inactivity during hibernation. According to the U.S. National Park Service, during the winter, food is scarce and it is very cold, so animals evolved a way of surviving these harsh conditions by reducing their metabolism, slowing down their heart rate, and lowering their body temperature. How do animals survive hibernation without significant muscle atrophy? Can we apply their survival trick to treat or prevent muscle atrophy in people confined to bed?
A group of scientists from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Dr. Esther E. Dupont-Versteegden from the Department of Physical Therapy and the Center for Muscle Biology at the University of Kentucky examined changes in muscle physical and protein catabolic changes in juvenile arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii) through several time points of hibernation as compared to pre-hibernating animals. Their findings were published in the journal Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology A.
To perform the study, the squirrels were trapped in July and housed under temperature and light/dark conditions that simulated the summer. In late September, the temperature and light/dark conditions simulated winter, triggering the hibernation instinct. Muscle tissue was obtained at approximately 2, 6, 11, and 20 weeks after hibernation started, flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen, and analyzed.
The researchers found that muscle mass, fiber type and cross-sectional area, femur length, RNA concentration, and ribosomal RNA were statistically similar through hibernation time. They did find some differences in the expression of certain genes that kept protein biosynthesis just as if the squirrels were not hibernating. Preserving the biochemical 'status quo' attenuated atrophy, allowing the squirrels to move normally during and after hibernation.
Dupont-Versteegden and her colleagues remarked that “Interventions to preserve muscle mass and strength during atrophy-inducing periods are needed, but currently unavailable.” This means that there is not much that can be done to prevent muscle atrophy and weakness if a person is bedridden. By identifying the biochemical pathways that stop muscle atrophy in squirrels, the research team hopes to develop potential medications or treatments that will reduce post-hospitalization physical rehabilitation.
Can coal ash be a source of rare earth metals?
By: Wilson Gonzalez-Espada, KAS Intern, Summer 2025
Although renewable energy sources are becoming more common, the U.S. still substantially relies on fossil fuels for electricity production. After natural gas, coal is the second most common fuel type, according to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report.
One of the byproducts of coal burning is ash; burning ten tons of coal results in about one ton of ash. The EPA classifies this material by size as boiler slag (pellet size), bottom ash (coarse and too large to rise in a smokestack), and fly ash (very fine and powdery). Coal ash can be ‘recycled’ into soil additives and in the manufacturing of construction materials like wallboard, concrete, and bricks. Some of it, however, ends up in surface landfill-like dumps or in waterways.
Since coal originated from organic material and vegetation in peat swamps, whatever the plants absorbed from the soil or was deposited in the swamp via sedimentation remains in the coal. When burned, the carbon is converted into carbon dioxide and water vapor, leaving other chemical compounds and elements behind. Toxic metals (arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, selenium); rare earth elements (REE); and other elements like zirconium, yttrium, niobium, and hafnium are common in coal ash.
A report on the effects of coal ash listed its health effects. They include "several types of cancer, heart damage, lung and kidney disease, respiratory distress, reproductive problems, gastrointestinal illness, birth defects, impaired bone growth in children, nervous system impacts, cognitive deficits, developmental delays, and behavioral problems." Similarly, Jared Sullivan's 2024 book Valley So Low poignantly described the comprehensive human health and ecological risks of a dike failure and subsequent coal ash spillage into the Emory River channel, Roane County, Tennessee.
Interestingly, as smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices become ubiquitous, REE have become essential in the manufacturing and production of high-tech components. Exactly what rare metals are present in coal ash and in what quantity? Can coal ash be ‘mined’ for these highly sought resources?
To answer these questions, a group of scientists led by Drs. James C. Hower and John G. Groppo, in collaboration with scientists and engineers from Physical Sciences Inc., Winner Water Services, and Baylor University, have been using scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy to investigate the components of coal ash extracted from eastern Kentucky. Their decade-spanning scholarly work has been reported in the scientific literature. Their most recent study was published in the journal Minerals.
Their analysis found several minerals that can be processed to extract REE. Samples of coal ash contained zircon (ZrSiO4) and baddeleyite (ZrO2). Hafnium, another important element, chemically resembles zirconium and can also be found in the latter silicates. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, zirconium is used in nuclear fuel cladding, chemical piping in corrosive environments, heat exchangers, and various specialty alloys. Hafnium, on the other hand, is used in nuclear control rods, nickel-based superalloys, nozzles for plasma arc metal cutting, electronics, and high-temperature ceramics.
Hower, Groppo, and their team also found fergusonite (YNbO4), yttriaite (Y2O3), and xenotime (YPO4), minerals that are sources of ytterbium. The Los Alamos National Laboratory reported that this REE has applications in refining and strengthening stainless steel, fiber optics, electronics, ceramics, and portable X-ray machines. Previous studies of the same fly had also identified monazite, a mineral that contained a broad range of REE.
As noted by Hower, “Our recent papers highlight the scale of the extraction of metals from fly ash, while the fly ash particles average about 10 microns in diameter, the acids used in processing can only penetrate about 3 microns. Further, many of the minerals of interest and considerably smaller and are embedded within the alumino-silicate fly ash glass.”
At current REE prices, Hower noted that these metals, by themselves, may not provide enough of a return to justify the processing. Nevertheless, perfecting the extraction process is important and may lead to cost-effective future applications and, eventually, removing metals from eastern Kentucky coal-blend landfilled ash.
Is wind energy feasible in Kentucky?
By: Wilson Gonzalez-Espada, KAS Intern, Summer 2025
As the world moves away from fossil fuels for energy generation, with their atmosphere-warming emissions and health-threatening pollutants, renewable energy sources are being researched and implemented. One of them is wind energy, described by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory as "one of the largest sources of clean, renewable energy in the United States, making it essential to a future carbon-free energy sector."
To convert the mechanical energy of the wind into electrical energy, wind turbines have blades or other moving parts. This means that there is a minimum wind speed needed for them to start rotating and a somewhat continuous wind to keep the turbine spinning at peak capacity. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates these wind speeds at about 8 mph (3.6 m/s) and 30 mph (13.4 m/s), the minimum and average sustained wind speeds, respectively.
Another limitation of current technologies is that the amount of wind power generated depends on whether the wind is blowing and how much. However, innovative ways to store wind energy when excess generation is available and then release it on demand are being studied nationwide. Two storage alternatives are batteries and hydroelectric systems that pump water up a reservoir so that it can flow downward to spin power turbines when power is needed.
In 2022, Kentucky had 68% of its electricity generated from fossil fuels, mainly coal and natural gas. Historically, the perception has been that the state is not windy enough for it to tap into wind energy for power generation. Other factors, like low electricity prices and the absence of state policies encouraging the local development of wind energy generators, have contributed to the fact that all states bordering Kentucky have wind power, but we do not.
In a recent study, Larry Holloway and Dan Ionel (University of Kentucky) and Aron Patrick (PPL Corporation in Louisville, KY) argue that new advancements in wind turbines and wind energy storage will allow Kentucky to tap this renewable source, particularly as a complement to solar power. Their findings were published in the Journal of the Kentucky Academy of Science.
After a detailed analysis, the authors reported that, at an elevation of about 380 ft (115 m), the estimated average wind speed in Kentucky is almost always higher than 12 mph (5.5 m/s), enough for current-generation wind turbines to start spinning. However, the estimated average wind speed in Kentucky rarely exceeds 16 mph (7.2 m/s), suggesting that the wind turbines may not be able to consistently reach peak power.
However, Holloway, Patrick, and Ionel noted that current advances in wind turbine designs allow better capture of wind energy, particularly in counties like Bourbon, Meade, Carlisle, Scott, Graves, and Harlan counties. With modern wind energy advances, a state that was not previously considered suitable for wind power could see wind become an important contributor to its mix of power sources.
In the article, the researchers emphasized the importance of resiliency in power generation systems. Even if solar and wind energy cannot completely replace fossil fuels in the short term, if their contribution is 50%, that is half of the greenhouse gases and pollution emitted by coal, natural gas, and diesel.
They also showed year-long wind speed and sunlight intensity data from Harrodsburg. Solar and wind energy were found to be complementary. For example, in winter there are fewer hours of sunlight but higher daily average wind speed. In July, in contrast, there are more hours of sunlight but lower daily average winds. When working in tandem, they can provide energy reliably in combination with energy storage during off-peak power use hours.
“It is exciting to see this source of energy being explored for the state,” said Larry Holloway, one of the authors of the paper. “The first wind turbine in the state was installed by the Louisville Gas & Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities in 2024. We have been analyzing data over the first year of operation. Although recent analyses have shown that wind production at the initial site was less than expected, it did demonstrate that wind generation in the state is possible and can complement other sources. With larger and taller turbines currently on the market, wind could be a viable part of our state energy mix.”
Holloway, Patrick, and Ionel are hopeful that, as more evidence in favor of complementary solar and wind energy emerges, renewable energy production in the state will soar. They mentioned, for instance, wind energy projects recently installed by Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities, and a proposed wind development in Henderson County. Although solar is currently estimated at a lower cost than wind, wind energy can have an important role in Kentucky’s future energy mix.
Tracking long term barn owl populations in KY
By: Wilson Gonzalez-Espada, KAS Intern, Summer 2025
The American barn owl (Tyto furcata) is one of more than 200 species of birds of prey from the order Strigiformes. They have excellent vision and hearing, and feed mainly at night. Their specially adapted wings are perfect for flying almost silently. By the time small mammals realize that the owl is approaching, it will likely be too late to escape.
According to the KY Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, barn owls live throughout the state, but their preferred habitats are the open grasslands, pastures, hayfields, and crop field areas in central and western Kentucky. They nest in hollow trees, silos, grain bins, and barns, and will use nest boxes made available to them by farmers and conservation professionals.
Farmers are often fond of barn owls. For the cost of a wooden nest box or space in a barn's upper rafters, owls provide an excellent pest control service. A pair of adult barn owls can hunt a myriad of rodents annually for them and their young.
Despite this essential service to agriculture, barn owl populations have been on the decline in many states for decades due to a combination of nest site competition, predation, nest destruction and disturbance, habitat loss, and vehicle collisions. Consuming mice and rats that have eaten poison has also been associated with owl mortality.
Until recently, there were lots of unknowns about barn owl populations in Kentucky. In 2005, the barn owl was included as a species of greatest conservation need in the Kentucky’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ wildlife action plan, and nest boxes were installed in wildlife management areas. Surprisingly, most of these nesting sites remained vacant for the next few years. This caused biologists to wonder: What is the population status of barn owls in the state? By 2010, a long-term study had begun to answer this and other questions.
In 2024, Kate Slankard and James Barnard, from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, and Dr. Andrea Darracq from Murray State University analyzed more than a decade of statewide barn owl nest and roosts surveys, in combination with habitat-related variables, to quantify nest site occupancy and overall population trends over time. Their findings were published in the Journal of Raptor Research.
During 2010–2022, more than 500 nests were identified. More nests were found in nest boxes (on various structure types; 44%) and tall feed silos (10%), but nests were also found in barns, house attics and chimneys, grain bins, trees, rock shelters, and bridges. About 4 in 5 of these locations were on private property.
Fortunately, nest box occupancy rates increased during each consecutive survey from less than 10% in 2010 to about 43% in 2022. Nest boxes installed at sites where barn owls were observed prior to installation were more likely to become occupied than nest boxes installed in seemingly good habitat with no knowledge of barn owl occurrence. Nearly all nest boxes installed on tall feed silos and grain bins became occupied, with those placed on retired wood utility poles having the second greatest probability of being occupied. In contrast, nest boxes located on live trees were, by far, the least preferred by barn owls.
Statistical modeling revealed that Central and Western Kentucky, the zones the scientists surveyed, could potentially support up to 2,200 barn owl pairs. However, the actual population in 2022 was estimated at about 170 pairs. Slankard, Darracq, and Barnard think that, with additional best practices in barn owl population management, including a more targeted approach for nest box installations in the birds' preferred locations, their population could feasibly increase to about 200-340 pairs. For example, nest boxes placed on retired utility poles at high densities near reclaimed mine land and minimal human disturbance resulted in a high barn owl density.
Something the scientists benefited from during this study was the public’s assistance. As the community learned about the barn owl survey, they reported new nest sites outside of known nesting areas. The implementation of the strategic goals outlined in the research paper by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and partners will continue to support the barn owl population and protect these birds of prey.
Unearthing Fossil Fungi
By: Wilson Gonzalez-Espada, KAS Intern, Summer 2025
Over the course of its history, Earth has experienced wide variations in climate, including warmer, colder, wetter, and drier times. For example, the last glacial maxima peaked about 20,000 years ago and was much colder and drier than today. Igneous and metamorphic rocks in Trimble, Carroll, Gallatin, Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Pendleton, and Bracken Counties were transported by glaciers from as far north as Canada and the northeastern U.S. (Kentucky Geological Survey).
Since organisms and habitats tend to co-evolve, one way to infer the type of climate at a specific location and time is by examining fossils. Eastern Kentucky is a perfect example; what is now a forest used to be a sea hundreds of millions of years ago, and fossil sea creatures are often found in this region.
Interestingly, when people hear the word 'fossil,' they may think of large beasts, like the mammoths and mastodons found at Big Bone Lick or dinosaurs. Small fossils, like those of shells, corals, and trilobites are relatively common, too. Did you know that fungal spores can also fossilize? What do these tiny fossils say about past climates in the U.S.?
Dr. Jen O'Keefe from Morehead State University (MSU) and Dr. Matthew Pound of Northumbria University lead a team of MSU undergraduate and Craft Academy researchers and national and international partners to study fossilized fungi from the Miocene Climate Optimum, which occurred about 15 million years ago. They are interested in this period because it was warmer than our current climate and may provide clues about what could happen to the fungal communities that support and impact agriculture and forestry as Earth warms and cools.
The research analyzed fungal remains found in clay-rich sediments deposited by ancient rivers and lakes from Alum Bluff, FL; Bouie River, MS; and the Clarkia Fossil Lagerstätte, ID. Fungi have two important characteristics. First, they are highly resistant to weathering and can be extracted from rocks or sediments for study under a microscope. Second, many fungal spores have distinctive size, shape, and cell numbers and are relatively evolutionarily conservative, which means not only can scientists recognize taxa living today in sediments that are millions of years old, but they can also infer past climate and ecosystem changes by mapping the tolerances of existing fungi onto ancient occurrences.
After processing and classifying more than 350 samples, the researchers challenged the prevailing paradigm that warmer temperatures may result in drier conditions. Their findings, published in the journal Research, indicate warmer temperatures correlating with wetter conditions, particularly in the western and southeastern U.S. and that moisture patterns may have been increasingly seasonal. This is consistent with models that suggest that higher temperatures provide additional energy, turbocharging the water cycle.
"The neat thing about the Fungi in a Warmer World project, beyond our scientific advances, is the impact is has had on so many students. At Morehead State alone it has permitted sixteen High School and Undergraduate students to conduct fieldwork, give presentations at national and international meetings, and experience working in large collaborative teams. The three student-led projects that culminated in this paper were incredible experiences, especially as Jolene Fairchild discovered taxa indicative of warm and wet conditions at Clarkia, which is cool and dry today and Tyler Spears noted that the fungi present in the Bouie River site were not very different from those found in the area today."
One limitation of the study is that some of the fungal remains were poorly preserved. To supplement the fungal results, the team completed similar analyses on pollen from the same sites, which preserves a little differently from fungi and is sometimes present where fungi are absent. Together, the complimentary datasets provide a better picture of environmental changes that occur when the planet warms up.
Poultry Litter as Fertilizer
By: Wilson Gonzalez-Espada, KAS Intern, Summer 2025
The recent increases in grocery prices have caused families to strategically plan how to buy groceries in the most cost-effective way possible. In terms of protein, chicken meat is relatively inexpensive compared to beef, pork, fish, and shellfish, and it is more readily available. In contrast, beef has seen a decrease in production since the 1980s.
According to the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), “chickens mature and reach market weight more quickly than other livestock and convert feed to meat more efficiently than larger animals. In addition, chickens can be raised in small spaces, so producers can raise poultry in a variety of environments, including small plots of land.” According to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service 2024 report, four states Arkansas, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama produced nearly half of all broilers in the United States. Kentucky ranked 9th in broiler production in 2023.
Since broiler houses have a high chicken population density, antibiotics may be added to the feed or water to prevent, control, or treat infectious diseases, which can result in antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are excreted through feces. Poultry litter includes feces, urine, bedding material, feed, and feathers. On the other hand, this litter is high in nitrogen and other nutrients that can improve soil health, and it is a useful resource that can be used as an organic fertilizer for pasture and crop production. However, concerns have been raised regarding the land application of raw poultry litter. Are antibiotic-resistant microbes such as infection-producing Enterococcus faecalis, E. faecium, and Escherichia coli reaching these fields? If so, can there be consequences for public health?
A group of scientists, including Drs. Getahun E. Agga and Karamat R. Sistani from the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Food Animal, Environmental Systems Research Unit in Bowling Green, decided to answer these pressing questions. Their findings were published in the professional journal Environmental Pollution.
To collect data, the scientists divided a corn field into 12 plots that were randomly assigned to three groups. Some of the plots served as controls, and no fertilizer was added. Other plots were fertilized with untreated poultry litter. A third set of plots received standard chemical fertilizer. Soil samples from the top 6 inches were collected on “day 0” (baseline) and after 1, 4, 10, 14, and 25 weeks, that is, the complete corn growing season. Bacteria cultures were grown and analyzed for the presence of either generic bacteria (not resistant) or erythromycin- and tetracycline-resistant enterococci.
In the litter-fertilized fields, the researchers identified 167 cultures with tetracycline-resistant Enterococcus species and 47 with erythromycin-resistant microbes of the same genus. Unexpectedly, they found 156 and 182 cultures of tetracycline-resistant bacteria in the untreated and chemically fertilized plots, respectively. Similarly, they found 13 and 42 cultures of erythromycin-resistant bacteria in the untreated and chemically fertilized plots.
For the litter- and chemically-fertilized plots, the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria peaked around day 7, with the most bacteria identified in the litter-fertilized plots. Eventually, the number of bacteria dropped and, by week 10, was similar to the baseline control levels regardless of plot, remaining at this level until week 25.
Agga and Sistani found that “poultry litter... enriches the generic and antibiotic-resistant enterococci populations in the soil, beyond chemical fertilizer when compared to the unfertilized control plots. However, the effects were temporary.” They attributed the plot’s decrease in bacteria to high atmospheric temperature, intense UV sunlight radiation, and low precipitation in the summer months that would lead to the bacterial die-out.
“Poultry litter is a by-product of chicken meat production and as such its removal is a significant challenge for broiler farms. On the other hand, it is a useful resource for crop farmers as organic fertilizer,” Agga explained. “The use of poultry litter for crop production solves the problems faced by the broiler farmers for its removal, while at the same time providing a cost-effective organic fertilizer for crop farmers.”
Further studies should be conducted to explore the role of rain in bacteria transport, either by it being washed away from the plots, moved deeper than the 6 inches where soil samples were collected, or carried into the corn plants. “We hypothesize that the effect of poultry litter is through nutrient provisions enriching the resident soil bacteria, rather than their direct transfer to the soil,” Agga concluded.
The German cockroach Blattella germanica, pictured here in a laboratory colony, is the most common indoor cockroach pest in the world.
Laboratory assays evaluating the residual efficacy of consumer cockroach control sprays.
The picture on the left shows two cancer tumors, a two-weeks and four-weeks growth. On the right, the cross section of a tumor is shown. All rules are centimeters. Photo courtesy of Dr. Lindsay Cormier.
Healthy muscle (left) and muscle showing atrophy (right). Muscle atrophy occurs when the muscle loses cross-sectional area and strength due to physical inactivity. Credit: Cancer Cachexia: After Years of No Advances, Progress Looks Possible was originally published by the National Cancer Institute. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/research/cachexia.
Dr. John Groppo (left) and the research team at the University of Kentucky's Center for Applied Energy Research receive fly ash for their investigation. The inset shows spherical fly ash particles at 2,000x magnification. Credit: Dr. James Hower (fly ash delivery); U.S. Department of Transportation/Wikimedia Commons (inset).
A 165-foot-tall utility-scale wind turbine in Mercer County is used to collect research data to quantify the potential of wind energy in KY. Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania Power & Light (PPL) Corporation.
Tyler Spears (left) and June Lennex-Stone (Right) collecting samples for analysis at the Clarkia Lagerstätte.
Taylor Horsfall, Savannah Jones, Laikin Tarleton, June Lennex-Stone, Tyler Spears, and Jolene Fairchild presenting their work on samples from Alum Bluff and Clarkia at the 2022 meeting of the Southeastern Section of the Geological Society of America in Cincinnati, OH.
Research Microbiologist Dr. Getahun Agga (right) and his technical assistant Rohan Parekh process soil samples for bacterial culture analyses. Photo courtesy of Dr. Agga.