Featured Scholar: Christine J. Picard, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Director, Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program
IU School of Science
Research Video: https://youtu.be/gIiPhae-gok
Discovering Nature's Powerful Allies in Sustainability and Justice
Professor Christine Picard is a member of the groundbreaking team that established the world's first research center dedicated to insects as feed and food, known as the Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming (CEIF), funded in by the National Science Foundation, and other industry members. Their mission involves collaborating with industry members to address the pressing needs of this emerging field through multidisciplinary research.
The insect farming industry is still in its nascent stage, and the growth potential is nothing short of remarkable. What adds to the excitement is the availability of advanced technological tools and the remarkably short generation times of insects, which enable Professor Picard and her research partners to make significant advancements in their work at an accelerated pace.
Her specific focus lies in leveraging genetic and genomic tools to enhance our ability to predict breeding outcomes and optimize production efficiency of these insects. Whether they are used as feed ingredients for livestock or as a sustainable protein source for human consumption, insects possess incredible potential. They are highly efficient protein factories, requiring fewer resources compared to traditional protein sources, and they excel at recycling food waste.
These tiny creatures are projected to have a tremendous impact as a climate solution in the future of food production. Their ability to provide sustainable protein, while minimizing resource usage and contributing to waste reduction, positions them as a crucial element in addressing the environmental challenges associated with traditional protein production methods. As part of The Center for Environmental Sustainability through Insect Farming, the research team is dedicated to pioneering research and driving innovation in this field, ensuring a more sustainable and resilient future for the food industry. Professor Picard's translation of insects into sustainable protein sources for humans and animals is another excellent example of how IU Indianapolis's faculty members are TRANSLATING their RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE.
Selected Publications in IU Indianapolis ScholarWorks
With several research works contributed to IU Indianapolis's free, open access repository, Professor Christine Picard has made translational research knowledge available to professionals, researchers, students, and communities around the world.
Clercin, N. A., Koltsidou, I., Picard, C. J., & Druschel, G. K. (2022). Prevalence of Actinobacteria in the production of 2-methylisoborneol and geosmin, over Cyanobacteria in a temperate eutrophic reservoir. Chemical Engineering Journal Advances, 9, 100226. https://hdl.handle.net/1805/31199
Badirli, S., Akata, Z., Mohler, G., Picard, C., & Dundar, M. M. (2021). Fine-Grained Zero-Shot Learning with DNA as Side Information. Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems, 34, 19352–19362. https://hdl.handle.net/1805/30567
Owings, C. G., Gilhooly, W. P., & Picard, C. J. (2021). Blow fly stable isotopes reveal larval diet: A case study in community level anthropogenic effects. PLOS ONE, 16(4), e0249422. https://hdl.handle.net/1805/29949
Eriksson, T., & Picard, C. J. (2021). Genetic and genomic selection in insects as food and feed. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 7(5), 661–682. https://hdl.handle.net/1805/28449
Owings, C. G., Iii, W. P. G., & Picard, C. J. (2021). Blow fly stable isotopes reveal larval diet: A case study in community level anthropogenic effects. PLOS ONE, 16(4), e0249422. https://hdl.handle.net/1805/27919
Eriksson, T., Andere, A. A., Kelstrup, H., Emery, V. J., & Picard, C. J. (2020). The yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) genome: A resource for the emerging insects as food and feed industry. Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, 6(5), 445–455. https://hdl.handle.net/1805/26595
Owings, C. G., Banerjee, A., Asher, T., Gilhooly, W. P., 3rd, Tuceryan, A., Huffine, M., … Picard, C. J. (2019). Female Blow Flies As Vertebrate Resource Indicators. Scientific reports, 9(1), 10594. https://hdl.handle.net/1805/20803
Owings, C. G., & Picard, C. J. (2018). New Distribution Record for Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in Indiana, United States. Journal of insect science (Online), 18(4), 8. https://hdl.handle.net/1805/19187
Picard, C. J., Wells, J. D., Ullyot, A., & Rognes, K. (2017). Amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis supports the valid separate species status of Lucilia caesar and L. illustris (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Forensic sciences research, 3(1), 60–64. https://hdl.handle.net/1805/19645
Find more free articles by Christine Picard in IU Indianapolis ScholarWorks.