Skip to Main Content

Student’s applied mycology research benefits farmers and consumers

“Being in the heart of the Congo Basin, I came to understand forestry’s importance to us as a country and was curious to do studies in that area,” shared Blaise Jumbam, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology.

Jumbam had long been interested in biology, but family members in his hometown of Bamenda, Cameroon urged him to pursue banking. Jumbam gave finance a try, studying at the University of Dschang, but switched to botany at the University of Buea.  

After Jumbam completed his undergraduate studies, he joined a research project involving tropical forests and taught high school biology.  He then returned to the University of Buea where he earned a master’s degree as the top graduate in his class. Jumbam said the accomplishments convinced his family he made the right decision. 

While working as an assistant researcher on forest soils and botanical collections at the Institute of Research and Agriculture Development in Cameroon, Jumbam met Cathie Aime, professor of mycology and director of the Purdue Herbaria.

“It was a golden opportunity,” said Jumbam. “We don’t have the infrastructure in Cameroon to do quality research and it was always at the top of my mind to find contacts abroad.”

Jumbam joined Aime’s lab in May 2018. Jumbam said he appreciates Aime’s confidence in her graduate students, the welcoming atmosphere and the diversity of her lab. “We have people from almost every continent,” he noted. 

In the lab, Jumam conducted research in applied mycology, exploring fungal biocontrol of cyst nematodes.

“I am looking at fungi candidates that we can use to control potato and soybean nematodes in the U.S.,” Jumbam explained. “These biological controls are alternatives to fungicides that have been banned. 

“The pests are a big problem, affecting the lives of many people from the farmer to the consumer. My motivation is to find a solution against this pest so we all have communities where we have enough food.”

Jumbam plans to graduate in 2022. “My plan is to head back home and share my experiences with others who may want to go to graduate school, so they can know where to go to get a quality education.”

Featured Stories

Gateway arch at Purdue University
Senior Associate Dean Bernie Engel appointed Purdue’s next Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture

Patrick Wolfe, Purdue provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity,...

Read More
An adult eastern hellbender
Help the Hellbender Lab Honored for Conservation Efforts

Dr. Rod Williams and the Help the Hellbender research team have earned three honors in 2023 for...

Read More
Sophia Flores poses in front of a lake
Flores Earns Scholarships to Study Abroad in Tanzania

Senior wildlife major Sophia Flores has received a scholarship to study abroad in Tanzania, the...

Read More
Renee Bippus stands on stage at Purdue
For the love of animals and the theater

For as long as she can remember, Renee Bippus, a rising sophomore in animal sciences with a...

Read More
Purdue College of Agriculture.
Farmer sentiment sours as crop prices decline

Producer sentiment fell to its weakest reading since July 2022 as the Purdue University/CME Group...

Read More
Photos from the Costa Rica Study Abroad trip: a capuchin white-faced monkey, a strawberry poison dart frog and an American pygmy kingfisher; a selfie including many students; the volcano as seen from LaFortuna, and a beach.
FNR Students Reflect on Costa Rica Study Abroad Trip

Imagine waking up to the sounds of nature, seeing amazing sights and experiencing an incredible...

Read More
To Top