Arkansas poultry students earn awards for PSA research
Four honoured for excellence in oral presentations at 2025 event
21 August 2025
3 minute read
By: Poultry professionals and scientists from across the world presented their research at the 2025 Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting, which was held on July 14-17, 2025, in Raleigh, North Carolina. University of Arkansas poultry science students Eniola Betiku, Seth Adesope, Luke Parisi and Adeola Abe were each honoured with Certificates of Excellence in Oral Presentation Awards for their research presentations, according to a press release from the university.
Eniola Betiku, poultry science master's student and program associate with Tomi Obe, assistant professor in the Department of Poultry Science, presented her research titled Microbial Mapping of Pathogen Load and Indicators in a Small Pastured Poultry Processing Plant. Betiku says that receiving this recognition at PSA was a rewarding experience, stating, "I am grateful for the opportunity to share my research and connect with scholars all over the industry."
Betiku's research involves evaluating microbial contamination in a small-pasture processing plant. Betiku is working to identify areas where contamination may exist and persist, even after intervention. This insight can help to develop more targeted strategies to improve food safety, particularly for small-scale processors and alternative poultry systems, which are gaining popularity within the industry.
Seth Adesope, poultry science master's student with Obe, presented his research titled Disinfection of Poultry Processing Wastewater Using Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs). Adesope shared that attending the conference was an enriching experience, offering valuable opportunities to engage with leading experts, share ideas and learn from diverse perspectives. Adesope reflected, "I'm deeply honored and humbled to have received the award."
In today's ever-expanding industry, processing plants still rely heavily on water, generating vast amounts of wastewater that is rich in organic matter and bacteria. Safely reusing water is key to reducing the environmental impact of production and improving sustainability. Effective treatment of this wastewater is essential to enhance food safety and meet regulatory standards for potential reuse. Adesope's research explores the use of combined Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) to disinfect poultry processing wastewater through the generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which effectively inactivate key foodborne pathogens like Salmonella and Campylobacter, as well as indicator organisms, paving the way for safer water reuse in poultry production. Adesope offers a special thanks to the Department of Poultry Science, Dr. Obe, co-authors and collaborators for their invaluable guidance, support and contributions to this project.
Luke Parisi, poultry science master's student with Ben Parsons, assistant professor in the Department of Poultry Science, presented Determination of metabolizable energy in corn fermented protein and conventional distillers dried grains with solubles using precision-fed roosters and ad libitum-fed broiler chickens. Parisi says he thoroughly enjoyed working on this project, offering thanks to his adviser, Dr. Parsons, and his lab members for their support.
This study examined the effects of a feedstuff, known as corn fermented protein (CFP), in a poultry diet. The purpose was to understand if CFP provided better nutritional value than its counterpart, Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS). During the study, researchers fed broiler chickens experimental diets that had 30% of either CFP or DDGS, collecting performance data on both intact roosters and broilers. The results of the study showed that conventional distillers dried grains with soluble yields can be fractionated to produce a high protein ingredient called "corn fermented protein" that has a greater available energy content with increased value for poultry.
Adeola Abe, food science undergraduate honors student with Danielle Graham, assistant professor of parasitology in the Department of Poultry Science, presented Intradermal injection of peptidoglycan stimulates local and systemic inflammatory responses in turkeys: insights from a dual-window approach. Abe shared that attending PSA for the first time was an eye-opening experience, exposing her to new challenges, concepts and ideas. "More than anything," Abe shared, "it reminded me of how supportive my lab group is, and it gave me confidence."
Abe's research focused on the inflammatory response of turkeys to peptidoglycan using the dual window approach, which consists of a novel bioassay - the growing feather method. This allows tissue samples to be collected without euthanasia and concurrent blood sampling. Utilizing this approach allowed researchers to study the local (tissue) and systemic (blood) inflammatory effects, resulting in a better understanding of turkey leukocyte recruitment in response to peptidoglycan.
