Meng Li, a postdoctoral fellow working with Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Benedetto Marelli, has been selected to receive a postdoctoral research fellowship from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

The $225,000 fellowship will support Li’s research project focused on developing a micro-needle-based technology for efficient underwater fish vaccine delivery.

Fish disease is the leading cause of fish loss in aquaculture and requires early-stage vaccination to ensure food supply is not affected. Intramuscular injection is currently the most effective method. However, it is labor intensive, requires fish sedation, and possess safety hazards for farm workers. Li’s project seeks to overcome these challenges by using biodegradable materials to develop a microneedle technology that will deliver vaccines underwater in an automated manner and at a low cost.

“This award highlights the importance of the microneedle technology that Meng is developing,” says Professor Benedetto Marelli. “Her project has the potential to advance fish vaccine delivery, reduce current inefficiencies and improve safety conditions for workers.”

According to their website, USDA’s NIFA was established by the Food Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (the 2008 Farm Bill) and provides leadership and funding for programs that advance agriculture-related sciences.

Learn more about Li’s research on her website at https://www.mengliresearch.com