An undergraduate student of the Biological Sciences Department of MSU-IIT won the Session Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Food, Biological, and Medical Sciences in Thailand in January this year. Kristian Angelo V. Balondo received his award at the First Hotel Bangkok in Bangkok City where the conference was held from January 28 to 29, 2014.

Balondo was the only undergraduate student among the other awardees who either held or were working on their Ph.D. or Masters degrees

“I felt like I had to face so many Goliaths,” he said.

Balondo’s paper is entitled, “Morphology and Virulence of Entomopathogenic Fungi from Selected Sites in Leyte and Samar, Philippines against Meal Worm (Tenebrio molitor)”.

The conference sought to bring together scientists and researchers from around the world, and was attended by 62 delegates from different countries such as Romania, Iran, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The conference consisted of three sessions with each having a Best Session Paper Award given to one selected delegate.

Balondo, along with his thesis adviser, Prof. Nanette Hope N. Sumaya, and colleague, Keziah Hannah P. Evasco, were the only Filipino presenters at the conference.

Prior to the conference, the three MSU-IIT presenters visited the research laboratories of the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) at the Thailand Science Park in Pathum Thani.

The BIOTEC is Thailand’s premiere research Institute dealing with state-of-the-art Biotechnology, Virology, Bio-control, and Genomics.

It is a member of National Science and Technology Agency (NSTDA).

(Repost from http://msuiit.edu.ph/news/news-detail.php?id=558)