Amanda Wolf spent an entire semester cold-calling faculty members across Purdue, pitching what must have sounded like an absurd idea: Could a team of undergraduate peer learners work in a biological lab together, receiving regular genetic engineering mentorship despite having no formal training?

The conversational dead-ends piled up. Faculty after faculty said no. But Wolf had a strategy. She turned every rejection into opportunity by asking for referrals. "I asked all around Purdue, using the research connections of my peers and friends," she recalls. "While naturally there were a lot of no's, I was able to turn every no into more possible connections just by asking for referrals."

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need to rapidly develop, produce and distribute large quantities of new vaccines. A team of researchers at Purdue University and Merck & Co. Inc., known as Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. outside of the U.S. and Canada, has now introduced a new analytical tool that could help pharmaceutical companies boost vaccine production with rapid monitoring and analysis.

The research team, led by Mohit Verma, associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue, validated the patent-pending tool in tests that successfully measured the quality and quantity of continuously flowing viral particles.

A robot “dog” may soon make its way from a Purdue entomology lab to fetch real-time data on tick populations in the wild.

It’s just one example of how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming medical entomology by offering innovative ways to track, analyze and control the insect populations that affect human, animal and environmental health.

Researchers in the Department of Entomology in Purdue University’s College of Agriculture are at the forefront of the field. They’re advancing the university’s One Health initiative as they use AI in new ways to study mosquitoes, ticks, cockroaches, bed bugs and other arthropods.
Tracking tick populations is essential for controlling the spread of tickborne diseases, but it’s not a straightforward task. That’s why Hill, alongside Maria Murgia, postdoctoral researcher in the entomology department, and Upinder Kaur, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE), are combining AI, robotics and entomology for an innovative approach to tracking ticks.

For many students, campus clubs open the door to connections. The Agricultural Systems Management Club stands out as a place where students not only find community but also build a legacy—one that has been a part of the Boilermaker community for more than 50 years. Concerned about the club decreasing in size and impact, student leaders have committed to its revitalization.

Digital technologies are rapidly developing to solve the world’s most pressing problems, and middle and high school students are eager to try their hand using them. Schools, however, may not have access to the right equipment, and teachers may struggle to find a way to fit digital content into curriculum standards without being familiar with the technology themselves.

“There is a rural digital gap,” Yaguang Zhang, clinical assistant professor in Online Education, Agricultural Sciences, Education and Communication, and Agricultural & Biological Engineering, said. “Small towns struggle a lot in getting materials and teaching support. Some of the students will have trouble in rural areas doing homework digitally.”

She chose Purdue for the chance to pursue an agriculture/engineering degree while also competing on the varsity golf team. Her goal is to work in the pharmaceutical industry, and she believes biological engineering is the right foundation for that path.

Meet Lana Malek, a biological engineering major from Hoče, Slovenia, who plans to graduate in May 2027.

Caitlin Proctor
Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering & Sustainability Engineering and Environmental Engineering
Project: Designing stable biofilms for drinking water systems
Total Intended Award: $500,000
Start Date: Aug. 1, 2025
Estimated End Date: July 31, 2030

Purdue University and John Deere had been discussing opportunities to collaborate, and the development of an automated unloading system was the perfect chance to combine forces. Purdue didn’t just have technical expertise – the university also offered agricultural insight and the facilities to test emerging technologies in real-world conditions.

The continually expanding toolkit from Mohit Verma’s laboratory at Purdue University now includes a portable, paper-based biosensor for identifying genetically modified (GM) corn and soybean. The GM crop biosensor, based on a method called loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), offers a fast and less expensive alternative to the point-of-need molecular tools already on the market.