Mandeep Tayal

Ph.D. Candidate Entomology

"Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill.

About Me

I am Mandeep Tayal, Ph.D. Candidate in the Entomology program in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Clemson University. I am originally from Punjab, India, where I did my undergraduate from Punjab Agricultural University. I did my MS at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Texas, where I worked with Dr. Rupesh Kariyat studying Pollination Biology and Integrated Pest Management. In Fall of 2020, I was awarded Carl and Ruby Nettles Memorial Fellowship to pursue my Ph.D. studies, working with Dr. Elizabeth Cieniewicz in Plant Virology Lab. My graduate research focuses on understanding the role of insects in the transmission of pollen-borne viruses in peaches in South Carolina. In my free time, I like to travel, cook and listen to native music.

Studies

Ph.D. ENTOMOLOGY
2020 - Current
Clemson University
M.S. BIOLOGY
2020
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
B.S. AGRICULTURE (HONS.)
2018
Punjab Agricultural University

Research

My Research Focus

Ph.D. Dissertation Research: Broadly, my research investigates the virus ecology of Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) and prune dwarf virus (PDV) and the role of flower-visiting insects in transmitting PNRSV and PDV in peach orchards in the Southeastern US.

A) Field survey of peach orchards to test if bees carry virus-positive pollen

In the spring of 2021 and 2022, we did a field survey of peach orchards at (1) Musser Fruit Research Center, Seneca, and (2) Peach Farms at Ridge Spring in South Carolina. Our main objective was to sample pollinators from peach orchards to test if they carry virus-positive pollen, which could be transmitted to healthy trees during pollination services. Results of this survey can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toad125.

B) Bee diversity and abundance in peach orchards in South Carolina (in collaboration with Chris Wilson, Uni of Arkansas)

During our field surveys in 2021 and 2022, we collected ~800 different bees from peach orchards in two locations. Our next goal is to identify bees to species level based on morphology, followed by confirmation using DNA barcoding. We are using COI gene barcoding to confirm bee identification. The research is in progress, and the results will be shared soon.

Figure: Major bee genera a) Bombus spp., b) Apis spp., c) Eucera spp. d) Andrena spp. and e) Habropoda spp. captured during a two-year field survey of peach orchards at the Ridge Spring Farm and the Musser Fruit Research Center, SC. We have reported major bee genera in https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toad125. However, our next efforts are focused on identifying each bee specimen at the species level.

C) High throughput sequencing (HTS) of bee pollen to understand the movement of pollen-borne viruses at the agroecological interface

During our Sanger sequencing analysis in the first project (https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toad125), we found mixed isolates of PNRSV in bee pollen samples. Moreover, PNRSV has been found in wild cherry (Prunus serotina) throughout South Carolina and Georgia. As wild Prunus spp. such as wild cherry are abundant at peach orchard edges, it is still unclear if PNRSV and/or PDV are moving from wild Prunus to peach trees (or vice-versa). We are using an HTS to detect multiple virus isolates in bee pollen samples to understand the directional movement of virus isolates. Additional leverage of sequencing data will help determine what plants the bees visit during the peach bloom period.

D) Understanding the effects of PNRSV and PDV infection on peach pollen health

Because virus-positive pollen competes with healthy pollen for fertilization and transmission, we have investigated how viral infection can affect pollen health parameters (morphology, viability, and germination) to understand the transmission ecology of pollen-borne viruses. We have used using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), viability, and germination assays to answer our research questions. Results have been compiled, and the manuscript has been submitted to APS PhytoFrontiers for review.

Figure(s): Representative images of SEM, viability, and germination assays.

M.S. Thesis Research: My M.S. thesis was focused on insect-mediated species interactions. Specifically, I examined the methods to improve artificial buzz pollination and also evaluated the effects of plant-based bioactive compounds on herbivore life-history traits.

A) Buzz pollination

Traditional methods of artificial buzz pollination, like tuning forks, are often expensive and inefficient. Our research tested electric toothbrushes as an alternative and found them to be equally effective in pollen extraction from buzz-pollinated species. The key factor for successful pollen collection was the duration of buzzing, not the frequency or tool used. This cost-effective method promises to enhance breeding programs and research activities significantly.

B) Plant-herbivore interactions

Plant secondary metabolites like phenolics and alkaloids play crucial roles in plant defense and pigmentation. Our study highlighted the potential of polyphenol-rich extracts from purple corn pericarp as an effective insect deterrent. Using an innovative, cost-efficient extraction method, we found that these extracts significantly hinder the growth and development of tobacco hornworm caterpillars. Read more at Tayal et al. 2020a https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/2/98

There were cascading negative effects of feeding purple corn pericarp extract on pupal, adult and second generation, reaffirming its potential application as an inexpensive biopesticide. Read more at Tayal et al. 2020b https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19420889.2020.1735223

Publications

My Research Gate

Peer-reviewed article(s)/Book chapter(s)

Tayal, M., Wilson, C., Marquez de la Plata, Z. and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2024). Bee diversity and abundance during peach bloom in South Carolina. Journal of Applied Entomology. JEN-2024-0150 (under review)
Taggar, G.K., Rains, G.C., Tayal, M., Khokhar, S., Taggar, M.S., Kaur, J., Sharma, R., Saini, T., Gandham, K.R., and Kariyat, R.(2023). Bioengineering plant volatile emissions: Prospectus for plant protection against insect herbivores. Entomologia Generalis. MS 2431 (under review, minor revisions)
Tayal, M., Rodriguez, F. B., Powell, G., and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2022). Pollen-borne ilarviruses of peach: Biology, ecology, and disease management. Journal of Integrated Pest Management. https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmae016
Tayal, M., Ratay, A., Swift, N., Kaur, S., Russo, O., Kariyat, R., and Cieniewicz, E.J. (2023). Cultivar-specific effects of ilarvirus infection on peach (Prunus persica) pollen health. PhytoFrontiers https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTOFR-08-23-0112-R
Robinson, M. L., Hahn, P.G. ......Tayal, M....., (187 co-authors) (2023). Plant size, latitude, and phylogeny explain within-population variability in herbivory. Science 382,679-683. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adh8830
Tayal, M., Wilson, C. and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2023). Bees and thrips carry virus-infected pollen in peach orchards in South Carolina, United States. Journal of Economic Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toad125
Rodriguez, F. B., Tayal, M., Melgar, J. C. and Cieniewicz, E. J. (2023). Insights on the directional movement of Prunus necrotic ringspot virus between peach and wild Prunus species. Journal of Plant Pathology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-023-01450-w
Tayal, M., and Kariyat, R. (2021). Examining the role of buzzing time and acoustics on pollen extraction of Solanum elaeagnifolium. Plants, 10, 2592. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants101225922
Bhullar, M. S., Tayal, M., Kashyap, S., & Sandhu, R. (2021). Novel Whole-Grain Foods: Nutritional and Phytochemical properties for Healthcare. In Cereals and Cereal-Based Foods: Functional Benefits and Technological (1st ed., pp. 151–166). Apple Academic Press Inc.
Tayal, M., Somavat, P., Rodriguez, I., Thomas, T., Christoffersen, B., & Kariyat, R. (2020). Polyphenol-Rich Purple Corn Pericarp Extract Adversely Impacts Herbivore Growth and Development. Insects, 11(2), 98. doi: 10.3390/insects1102009
Tayal, M., Chavana, J., Kariyat, RR (2020). Efficiency of using electric toothbrush as an alternative to a tuning fork for artificial buzz pollination is independent of instrument buzzing frequency. BMC Ecology, 20, 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12898-020-00278-7
Tayal, M., Somavat, P., Rodriguez, I., Bobani, L., & Kariyat, R. (2020). Cascading effects of polyphenol-rich purple corn pericarp extract on pupal, adult and transgenerational offspring of tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta). Communicative and Integrative Biology, 13:1, 43-53. https://doi.org/10.1080/19420889.2020.1735223
Gandhi, A., Chapa, C., Tayal, M., Kariyat, R., Sahoo, N. (2020) Tobacco Hornworm (Manduca sexta) Oral Secretion Elicits Reactive Oxygen Species in Isolated Tomato Protoplasts. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 21, 8297. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21218297

Activities

Biotech Intern at Corteva AgriScience, Johnston, Iowa (May 20, 2024)

I am happy to share that I have started an internship with Corteva Agriscience for Summer 2024. I will be working as a Biotech intern in Trait Durability and Insect Resistance Management team in Johnston, Iowa. I’m grateful and thankful to Dr. Amit Sethi, Matt Wihlm and Casey Oster for providing me with this opportunity to learn and contribute to an amazing organization. I would like to extend my thanks to Dr. Sajjan Grover and Dr. Debora Montezano for their invaluable support and guidance in securing this opportunity. I am very excited to learn from this talented team and contribute to innovative projects.

Outstanding Graduate Researcher Award (May 6, 2024)

I am excited to share that I have been awarded the Universitywide Outstanding Graduate Researcher Award, awarded by Clemson University. On May 6, 2024, I received this honor from Clemson University President Jim Clements and EVP Robert Jones at the 2024 University Award Ceremony. I am sincerely grateful to my advisors and CAFLS for selecting and nominating my application. Read more https://news.clemson.edu/nine-outstanding-students-to-be-honored-at-2024-university-spring-awards-program/

CAFLS Outstanding Graduate Student in Research (April 10, 2024)

I am happy to share that the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences awarded me the 'Outstanding Graduate Student in Research Award'. I am sincerely grateful to my Ph.D advisor, Dr. Elizabeth Cieniewicz and M.S. advisor, Dr. Rupesh Kariyat, for nominating me. Thank you to everyone who has been part of my graduate journey. Read more https://www.clemson.edu/cafls/awards/students/index.html.

ESA Southeastern Branch Meeting 2024 (March 18-20, 2024)

Poster presentation, "Bee abundance and diversity during peach bloom in South Carolina," at the 2024 ESA-SEB Meeting at Augusta, GA. *Won 1st position in Ph.D. Poster Presentation Competition
Judge, M.S. Student 10-minute paper competition.

Entomology 2023 Annual Meeting (Nov 5-8, 2023)

Oral talk, "Understanding the bee-mediated movement of pollen-borne viruses at cultivated peach-wild cherry agroecological interface" at the 2023 Annual Meeting of ESA at National Harbor, MD.
Moderator, Graduate Student 10-minute paper competition on Chemical Ecology-2.
Symposium organizer, 'Plants, Insects, Microbes: Who Is the Key Driver of Interaction Outcomes in Agricultural Ecosystems?'
Participated in Industry (Corteva and Bayer)-student mixers to expand professional networking.

The 69th Annual Meeting of the South Carolina Entomological Society (SCES) (Oct 5-6, 2023)

Poster, "Assessing bee diversity and abundance during peach bloom in South Carolina," at the 69th Annual meeting of the SCES in Columbia, SC. *Awarded Outstanding PhD Poster Presentation Award
Attended student and non-student paper presentations on current and future research projects.

Plant Health 2023 Annual Meeting (August 12-16, 2023)

Oral talk, "The invisible connection: exploring the effect of viral infections on peach (Prunus persica) pollen health" at the 2023 APS Plant Health Meeting in Denver, CO, USA.
Moderator, Technical session on 'Interesting Topics in Virology'.

3 Minute-Thesis (3MT) Competition at Clemson University (Nov 11, 2022)

Presented Graduate Research on "Bees can spread viruses in peaches" at the 3MT Graduate Student Competition by Clemson University Graduate School and GSG Research Initiative Committee on November 11, 2022. I secured a Runner-up award ($500) in the non-PhD candidate graduate student category.

Entomology 2022 Annual Meeting (Nov 12-16, 2022)

Oral talk, "Bees-mediated movement of pollen-borne viruses in peach orchards in South Carolina, USA" at the 2022 Joint Annual Meeting of ESA, ESC, ESBC, at Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Moderator, Graduate Student 10-minute paper competition on Biodiversity, Ecology, and Pollinators.
Participated in Industry (Corteva and Bayer)-student mixers to expand professional networking.

Be a T. I. G. E. R. Day at Clemson University (April 15, 2023)

Led and represented Clemson University Entomology Club at Be a T.I.G.E.R Field Day to share Entomology knowledge with kids and the general public at Clemson University.

Services

Leadership Services

1. Student Member, Entomological Society of America Southeastern Branch (ESA SEB) Nomination Committee, and Liaison with Student Affairs Committee, (April 2024- Present)

2. Served as a Graduate Student Representative for the South Carolina Entomological Society’s J.H. Cochran Excellence in Entomology Award Committee (May 2023)

3. Served as an Entomology Program Senator to the Graduate Student Government at Clemson University for the 2023- 2024 academic year (April 2023-June 2024)

4. Serving as a Graduate Student Representative in the PES Search and Selection Committee (April 2023- Present)

5. Lead organizer of a symposium ‘Plants, Insects, Microbes: Who Is the Key Driver of Interaction Outcomes in Agricultural Ecosystems? at ESA 2023 Annual Meeting in National Harbor, MD, USA.

6. Co-organizer of a symposium 'Entomologists of Indian Origin: Successes, Challenges, and Lessons at ESA 2023 Annual Meeting in National Harbor, MD, USA.

7. Active member of Clemson University PES-GSA Professional Development and Social Committee (Feb 2023-Present)

8. Student representative in Plant and Environmental Sciences Departmental External Advisory Committee (April 2022-Present)

9. President of Plant and Environmental Sciences Graduate Student Association (PES-GSA) at Clemon University (Feb 2022-Jan 2023)

10. Served as a Secretary of the PES Graduate Student Association at Clemson University (Feb 2021-Jan 2022)

11. Active member of Clemson University Entomology Club (Jan 2021-Present)

12. Co-organizer of a symposium ‘Plant Responses to Insect Herbivory: Molecular Mechanisms and Ecological Interactions’ at ESA 2021 NCB Virtual Meeting from June 21-June 23, 2021

Volunteer Services

1. Judge, ESA-SEB Master Student 10-minute Competition 2. (March 2024)

2. Moderator, Graduate Student 10-minute paper competition on Chemical Ecology-2 at 2023 Annual Meeting of ESA, National Harbor, MD. (Nov 2023)

3. Moderator, Technical Session on ‘Interesting Topics in Virology’ at Plant Health 2023 Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (August 2023)

4. Judged 14 undergraduate research posters at Focus on Creative Inquiry Symposium, Clemson University, SC (April 2023)

5. Lead chef in preparing food for PES-GSA Fundraising Event at Clemson University International Food Festival and it resulted to raise $1300 for PES-GSA (April 2023)

6. Moderated Graduate Student 10-minute paper competition on Biodiversity, Ecology, and Pollinators at 2022 ESA, ESC and ESBC Joint Annual Meeting (Nov 2022)

7. Judged six undergraduate research posters at Focus on Creative Inquiry Symposium, Clemson University, SC (April 2022)

8. Worked with CU Entomology Club on maintaining a new Educational Trail at Clemson University Cherry Farm, Clemson, SC (Feb 2022)

9. Volunteered for the STEM ALL IN event for prospective students’ recruitment week to guide and discuss Clemson programs with prospective students (Jan 2022)

10. Volunteered at Diversity and Inclusion Display Exhibition and Presentation Preview Room at Entomology 2021 Annual Meeting at Denver, CO, USA (Nov 2021)

11. Contributed toward workshop activities focused on ‘Increasing Minority Student Recruitment to Plant Sciences by Enhancing High School Curriculum through Teacher Training’ organized by Dr. Rupesh Kariyat (Project Director), under Plant Bloome 2019 grant at Department of Biology, UTRGV (August 2019)

Outreach Activities

1. Participated and represented the Entomology program and CAFLS at Clemson University Men of Color National Summit at Greenville Convention Center, SC. (April 2024)

2. Participated in PES-GSA RECs tour to learn research programs, meeting with faculty and graduate students at Clemson University Coastal, Edisto, and Pee Dee Centers (June 2023)

3. Led and represented Clemson University Entomology Club at Be a T.I.G.E.R Field Day to share Entomology knowledge with kids and the general public at Clemson University (April 2023)

4. Assisted Dr. Suellen’s Butterfly biodiversity field trip in butterflies collection and identification based on captured pictures at SC Botanical Garden, Clemson, SC (Sept 2022)

5. Participated and represented Clemon University Entomology Club at the ‘Butterfly’ festival to share butterfly life-cycle knowledge with the public and kids at South Carolina Botanical Garden, Clemson, SC (Oct 2021)

6. Participated in hosting a booth and educating the public on local insects at the Party for the Planet event organized at Gladys Porter Zoo, Brownsville, TX (April 2019)

7. Set up live insect exhibition booth on Annual Monarch Fest at Quinta Mazatlán, McAllen, TX (March 2019)

8. Participated in insect booth setup with live insect specimens and their hosts with their detailed life cycles at HESTEC (Hispanic Engineering, Science and Technology Week). (Oct 2018)

Contact Me

Phone Number

864-533-4642

Send me an email

[email protected]

Contact Address

200 BRC

Awards

Awards Received

1. Universitywide Outstanding Graduate Researcher Award ($1,000), Clemson University (May 2024)

2. Outstanding Graduate Research Assistant Award by College of Agri. Forestry & Life Sci. (April 2024)

3. W. C. Nettles Research Grant from Entomology Graduate Award Committee, Clemson University (Awarded: $1,000) (April 2024)

4. Carl and Ruby Nettles Travel Award from Entomology Graduate Award Committee, Clemson University (Awarded- $1,500) (April 2024)

3. First place in Ph.D. Poster Presentation ($200) by ESA Southeastern Branch (March 2024)

4. Outstanding Poster Presentation Award ($100) by South Carolina Entomological Society (Oct 2023)

5. Joel A. Berly Research Fellowship for the 2023-2024 academic year in recognition as an Excellent Entomology Graduate Student administrated by Clemson University Entomology Graduate Award Committee (Feb 2023)

6. Carl and Ruby Nettles Travel Award to attend and present research at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America from November 5-8, 2023, in National Harbor, MD, USA (Feb 2023)

7. Runner-up award in Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition from non-PhD candidate graduate student category held by Clemson University Graduate School and GSG Research Initiative Committee (Nov 2022)

8. Carl and Ruby Nettles Travel Award and Graduate Travel Grant to attend and present research at the 2022 Joint Annual Meeting of Entomological Society of America, Entomological Society of Canada, and Entomological Society of British Columbia from November 13-16, 2022, in Vancouver, BC, Canada (July 2022)

9. J.H. Cochran Memorial Scholarship for the Outstanding Graduate Student in Entomology presented by South Carolina Entomological Society (Oct 2022)( https://www.scentsoc.org/about.html)

10. Graduate Travel Grant to visit Dr. Rupesh Kariyat’s lab at UTRGV, Edinburg, TX for Electron Microscopy data collection (April 2022)

11. Excellence in Leadership Award from Graduate Student Government at Clemson University (April 2022)

12. 2nd position in Oral Student Presentation Competition at 2021 Southeastern Professional Fruit Workers Conference (Oct 2021)

9. Graduate Travel Grant to participate at the Entomology 2021 Annual Meeting organized by the Entomological Society of America in Denver, CO (August 2021)

13. Wade Stackhouse Fellowship for two years (2021-2023) for excellence in research, grades, and professionalism in the graduate program (July 2021, May 2023)

14. Carl and Ruby Nettles Memorial Fellowship for 4 years for doctoral studies at Clemson University (2020-2024)

12. Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award in Entomology lab (May 2020)

15. Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award in General Biology I Labs (Dec 2019)

16. Presidential Graduate Research Fellowship for graduate studies (2018-2020)

17. Dean’s Graduate Scholarship for the academic year(s) 2018-2020

18. University Merit Certificate’ for excellence in both studies and sports (2017)

19. University Merit Scholarship’ for the academic year 2017-18

20. Central Scheme of Scholarship for University and College Students scholarship for the academic year 2014-16

Mandeeep Tayal