Published: Monday, March 19, 2012 at 10:40 a.m. Last Modified: Monday, March 19, 2012 at 10:40 a.m.

Three Nicholls State University biology students took top honors for their research at a state-wide science convention that included universities from all over the state.

Derek Adams, David Samaha and Bijeta Prasai won first-place awards for presentations at the annual meeting of the Louisiana Academy of Sciences.

This is a very big deal, said Ramaraj Boopathy, the professor who guided the three students on their research. Even though our school is so small, we did better than a lot of places that are a lot bigger and have a lot more resources.

The three were selected by a panel of professors who judged each presenter on the quality and innovation of their research, the style of their presentation and ability to answer questions about their process.

Adams, a first-year masters degree student from New Orleans, topped the graduate microbiology research category with his paper Use of Formic Acid to Control Virbrosis in Shrimp.

When I was sitting there for the awards ceremony I thought Im just being a good representative of the university, Adams said. Then I hear my name, and I just couldnt believe it.

Adams research aims to find natural solutions to eradicating bacteria that kill shrimp, costing U.S. shrimpers.

Theres about $10 billion of shrimping in North America, and theres about a billion in damage, he said. Were hoping to find a way to reduce that margin of loss.

Samaha, a pre-med junior from Houma, won in the undergraduate environmental research category for his project, Fuel Grade Ethanol Production from Eastern Gamagrass.

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Nicholls biology students earn praise for research