Graduate Research Assistant
Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Florida, 32608, United States
Efstathios Sarmikasoglou will be graduating with a PhD in Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, from the University of Florida (UFL) in the Summer of 2023. During his PhD program, Efstathios research projects were focused on two topics, the study of ruminal lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and methane mitigation strategies in ruminants. With respect to his work with ruminal LPS, he pursued a holistic study on the effects of LPS-produced from the Gram-negative bacteria of bovines' rumen to the ruminal microbiome, and to the host. In the methane mitigation project, he evaluated the potential of cashew nutshell extract (rich in phenolic compounds) to decrease methane emissions and improve the fermentation pattern of ruminal fermentation in cattle. Both projects have been completed, and portions of each have been presented at internationally recognized conferences (ASAS, ADSA & GGAA), published in peer-reviewed journals, and one of his papers awarded the peer-reviewed paper of the year in Animal Science department of UFL. Efstathios experience and training in analytical chemical analyses, ruminal microbiology, cell culture, and ruminal fermentation has placed him in a unique position to think outside of the box and implement an independent research program aimed at unraveling ruminal acidosis association with LPS in a holistic cellular and molecular basis. Along with research, he had the opportunity to write a grant proposal as a part of his qualifying exams, which will be submitted to Animal Health and Production and Animal Products section of NIFA.