Ayuba Abaka connected through ResearchGate with Fresno State biology professor Dr. Alejandro Calderon-Urrea soon after he published his plant research as an undergraduate student in Nigeria.
Their work was similar — researching the management of nematode pests that damage plant roots.
Abaka grew up in an agricultural community in Nigeria where his parents are teachers and farmers growing food to feed their family throughout the year. Farmers face challenges with pests and disease, which force them to fallow their land after a year of farming, Abaka said. Land is also growing scarce due to development, he said.
As a result, Abaka’s interest in plants grew and led him to study biotechnology as an undergraduate. With encouragement from Calderon-Urrea, Abaka applied to the graduate program in biology at Fresno State and landed in the United States in December 2023 to continue his education. A week later, he got a research position in Calderon-Urrea’s lab at Fresno State.
On Wednesday, April 23, Abaka will make an oral presentation on unravelling the molecular mechanism of action of chalcone in controlling plant-parasitic nematode using CRISPR-Cas9, a gene-editing technology, at the 46th annual Central California Research Symposium, the highlight event of Fresno State’s Research Week happening April 21 to 25. The weeklong celebration, now in its third year, will include speakers, research presentations and faculty networking and publication celebrations. A schedule of events is available on the Research Week webpage.
“I always want to challenge myself. I’ve done a couple of posters … I don’t wanna be stagnant,” Abaka said. “Poster is good, but it’s always good to move a step forward in trying to communicate your research to a bigger audience and get feedback.”
In addition to his lab work, Abaka is a teaching assistant on campus. He recently presented at the Conference for Emerging Black Academics in STEM at Caltech and is a graduate fellow of the Farms, Food, Future (F3) Innovate initiative to support agriculture in the Central Valley through new ag technology, regenerative farming practices and cutting-edge job training.
Abaka will be among more than 250 students who will give oral and poster presentations in the Resnick Student Union. The symposium allows students and faculty to share recent research with the campus community and encourage research activities in the Central Valley.
Fresno State’s R2 research designation, first earned in 2022, was renewed in February by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Fresno State awarded 25 research doctoral degrees and spent $11.4 million on research expenditures in the 2022-23 academic year.
The university has made research a priority under the university’s 2023-29 Strategic Plan with goals to develop operational structures and provide resources to allow faculty and staff to advance research and innovation.
During the 2023-24 academic year, Fresno State received more than 400 grants and contracts for a total of $78.3 million, setting a record in research funding for the sixth consecutive year.
“We’re thrilled to showcase the incredible work of our faculty and students during Research Week,” said Dr. Jason Bush, interim associate vice president of Research and Sponsored Programs at Fresno State. “It’s a celebration of curiosity, creativity and the power of discovery at Fresno State.”
