Cobb Nematology Foundation Science and Art Contest |
The Cobb Foundation is committed to supporting the science of nematology around the world. To encourage creative thinking and facilitate the sharing of educational materials in nematology, the Cobb Foundation has launched a science & art contest. The foundation invites students as well as post-docs to share an aspect of nematology that fascinates them using any art form. All entries will be presented on the Cobb Foundation website and judged for their creativity, understandability, accuracy, and the quality of the presentation. Winning artists will earn cash prizes.
The Cobb Foundation calls for artists and scientists to collaborate on science story-telling through art. It could be a recorded play, recorded music video, educational documentaries including fun educational animation, comic book, coffee table book, models, baked goods and any art form geared towards: (i) Introducing and illustrating the concepts of nematology; (ii) Explaining the role of nematodes in the environment; (iii) Scientific speculation of nematode biology, ecology or evolution; (iv) Illustrating the history and milestones in nematology; (v) Any other stories, phenomena or concepts related to nematology.
Eligibility
All students (high school, undergraduate, and graduate) and post-doctoral fellows with an interest in nematology are eligible for the awards. They don’t need to be a member of a nematological society to participate.Rules
- Subject matter should be clearly related to some aspect of nematology.
- Maximum length of video/audio file is five (5) minutes. Creations can also be submitted in PDF format when this is more suitable for the type of work.
- Videos can be any style but should be in a format compatible with YouTube.
- The presentation should be in plain language and understandable to an audience unfamiliar with the material (e.g. high school and undergraduate students).
- If the video is silent or when the information is not clearly audible (e.g. painting, dance, …), it must be accompanied by subtitles describing the nematological aspects presented.
- A mention should be made that the video was specifically produced for the Cobb Nematology Foundation Science and Art Contest.
- By submitting a video, PDF or audio file, the submitters agree that the material can be used (with proper attribution) by others for teaching, training, etc.
- All entries will be displayed on the Cobb Foundation YouTube channel and/or Cobb Foundation website.
- The contest will be judged by an international panel of nematologists on the following criteria: creativity, understandability to an audience unfamiliar with the material, accuracy of the science, and the quality of the presentation (sound quality, video quality, and editing).
- Participants must register by email to cobbvideocontest@gmail.com and provide a title, brief description, authorship and a link to download the file.
- Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. U.S. eastern standard time, April 1, 2027.
Awards
First Prize: $350, Second Prize: $150.
2026 Cobb Science and Art Entrants
The Foundation received six submissions for the Cobb Science and Art Contest. All the entries were evaluated by an international panel of Nematologists to determine the winners and all participants automatically received a free one-year membership to the SON. Congratulations to all the participants! View all the submissions below.
| Author | Type | Place |
|---|---|---|
| Laura Mayorga | Video | First place |
| Michelle Lasa, Linda Cahill, Rami Kassam | Communication Platform | Second place |
| Nadya Steare | Digital 3D Art | Entry |
| Ching-Jung Lin | Video | Entry |
| Makayla Szewczyk | Diorama | Entry |
| Bailey Webster | Drawing | Entry |
First Place:
Laura Mayorga
The video is titled "How a fungus hunts nematodes" and explains how P. lilacinum acts as a biological control agent against root-knot nematodes. Using diagrams and microscopy images, the video illustrates how the fungus infects nematode eggs and highlights the importance of biological control as a sustainable strategy for managing plant-parasitic nematodes.
This is the link to my video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19vuZIyIQCDaxmP7IFk5QOqq1s-wO0XWQ/view?usp=drive_link
Second Place:
Michelle Lasa, Linda Cahill and Rami Kassam
Title: NemaLink
Brief Description: NemaLink is a creative, science-communication platform modeled after professional networking sites, designed to represent nematodes and associated organisms as professionals within their ecological roles. By framing nematodes through a familiar social media format, NemaLink translates complex biological interactions into engaging, accessible, and memorable content.
The goal is to:
· Simplify nematology concepts
· Highlight ecological roles (e.g. parasitism, biocontrol, and symbiosis)
· Engage broader audiences through humor and relatability
· Showcase research in an interactive and modern format
NemaLink lets users navigate content easily—starting with the Home Page for a lab overview, exploring contributors in the My Network section, and using Activity posts to access related articles and abstracts.
Link to Download the File: https://1drv.ms/b/c/b483aeae40d15817/IQD6VsJp5ny9Spcv6_CXRW2wAf3zQr8SuvgSihqAE4fI7mk?e=IQ22ku
Nadya Steare:
I made a digital 3D sculpt of an Acrobeles specimen using Z-Brush and combined the still images into a poster.
Ching-Jung Lin:
Title: Try Every Root
A story of endless searchingBrief Introduction: A short visual story inspired by plant-nematode interactions, nematodes' exploring persistence and adaptation during infection. Working with these organisms during my PhD, I have been deeply moved by their quiet persistence and determination!
I intentionally chose not to show the final stage. I wanted to focus on the process of searching and trying, rather than the outcome. For me, the most meaningful part of working with nematodes is not whether they succeed, but their continuous effort in navigating complex environments.
Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EsBHqj5v5ng4qIZYxGoZE95BTxVZh9wc/view?usp=sharing
Makayla Szewczyk:
I have created an image titled "A Journey Through the Life Cycle of a Root-knot Nematode". This diagram shows a simplified life cycle of the root-knot nematode from egg, to juvenile, to female for a clear understanding of their development.
Bailey Webster:
Title: ”Litylenchus crenatae ssp. mccannii and Beech Leaf Disease.”
Description: This diagram details the focus of my Master’s Thesis - Litylenchus crenatae ssp. mccannii, the nematode agent behind Beech Leaf Disease. Despite their small size, Lcm are able to take down populations of Beeches in one area within a span of several years.
Submission:
(scanned image, of the canvas)
2025 Cobb Science and Art Entrants
The Foundation received five submissions for the Cobb Science and Art Contest. All the entries were evaluated by an international panel of Nematologists to determine the winners and all participants automatically received a free one-year membership to the SON. Congratulations to all the participants! View all the submissions below.
| Title | Author | Type |
| 1. Have you ever heard about nematodes? | Laura Mayorga | Video |
| 2. Root Lesion Nematode Identification Key | Abigail Palmisano | Graphic Art |
| 3. Nematode Story | Aarush Bhatt | Video Game |
| 4. La danse des nematodes | Micodeme Esterlin | Video |
| 5. Mr. Nematode | Platon Pushnya | Rap Video |
1: First Place:
I am sending a video for the Nathan Cobb art competition. The video, titled "Have you ever heard about nematodes? " explains the importance of nematodes in ecosystems and why we should study them. The video was created by Laura Mayorga, PhD student at UF. In the link below you can access the file.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15cJ7sRpLVR9_LZ8slmEticvH2rY4SeOa/view?usp=sharing
2: Second Place:
I created this illustration for Dr. George Bird's new e-book titled "The Hidden Enemy: Potato Nematodes of North America." This updated illustration serves as a pictorial key for root-lesion nematodes, highlighting their important features in a bright and colorful manner.
3: Runner-up:
The following is a link to the game I have made:
https://caudipteryx-zoui.itch.io/nematode-story
4: Runner-up:
I wanted to share a new video I created in French about the amazing world of nematodes. If there is any way you could assist in sharing it with a wider audience, I would be very grateful, as I believe it could help more people appreciate the importance of nematology.
https://youtu.be/1ft6jvh7jk0?si=UM5Al2_7uicuo-YR
5: Runner-up:
On behalf of the COL high school iGEM team, I am sending our submission, which is a rap about nematodes.
MP3 COL Mr Nematode (PP).mp32024 Cobb Science and Art Entrants
The Foundation received four submissions for the Cobb Science and Art Contest. All the entries were evaluated by an international panel of Nematologists to determine the winners and all participants automatically received a free one-year membership to the SON. Congratulations to all the participants! View all the submissions below.
| Title | Author | Type |
| 1. Nematodes - Rap Song | Micodeme Esterlin | Rap Video |
| 2. Breeding Soybeans for Root-knot Nematode Resistance | Kelly Goode | Video |
| 3. Deciphering the Fundamentals of Plant Parasitic Nematodes | Lalson Wesley Johnson, Rajaswaminathan Vairavan | Graphic Art |
| 4. 3D Reconstruction of Heterodera glycines stylet and its surrounding cells | Jaeyeong Han | Graphic Art |
1: First Place:
2: Second Place:
3: Runner-up:
4: Runner-up:
Title: 3D reconstruction of Heterodera glycines stylet and its surrounding cells
Author: Jaeyeong Han, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Description: Left and top right: Three-dimensional ultrastructures of the soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) second-stage juvenile (J2) stylet (yellow), subventral stylet protractor muscle (green), subventral stylet shaft (purple), and lumen (white). Bottom right: DIC micrograph of H. glycines J2. H. glycines utilizes a stylet to feed on plant roots, which is controlled by stylet protractor muscles. The stylet shafts are hypothesized to support the stylet knob during feeding. The stylet has an opening that is connected through the pharyngeal lumen, extending towards the intestine.
2023 Cobb Science and Art Entrants
The Foundation received five submissions for the Cobb Science and Art Contest. All the entries were evaluated by an international panel of Nematologists to determine the winners and all participants automatically received a free one-year membership to the SON. Congratulations to all the participants! View all the submissions below.
| Title | Author | Type |
| 1: Potatoes vs. Pests | Abigail Palmisano | drawing |
| 2: Nematodes as environmental indicators (Hella flows about nematodes) | Christopher Cammies & Dr. Rosemary Crichton | rap video |
| 3: How to bait entomopathogenic nematodes from soil and their propagation using insect larvae | P. Rolish Singh, Denis Gitonga, & Jake Larkin | video |
| 4: Fun Facts about Nematodes/The Science of Nematodes | Benjamin Joshua | video and drawing |
| 5: The hatching mechanism of root-knot nematode | Hao-yu Kuo | drawing |
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1:
2: FIRST PRIZE
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nV4VwcrCJPxsxr2_6ZU5Tm8ejpYKG2N7/view
3: SECOND PRIZE
4:
Joshua_Fun Facts about Nematodes.mp4
5:
Kuo_The hatching mechanism of RKN.pdf
Kuo_The hatching mechanism of RKN description.docx
__________
2022 Cobb Science and Art Entrants
The Foundation received four submissions for the new Science and Art Contest. All the entries were evaluated by an international panel of Nematologists to determine the winners and all participants automatically received a free one-year membership to the SON. Congratulations to all the participants! View all the submissions below.
__________
Submission by Benjamin Joshua, Oziegbe Emmanuel and Oragbon Nathaniel is composed of a video describing the life and impact of Nathan Cobb, as well as an artistic series of drawings and a poem in honour of nematodes.
Authorship: Benjamin Joshua, Georg-August-Universität, Oziegbe Emmanuel, University of Ibadan and Oragbon Nathaniel, University of Ibadan.
__________
Submission by Lalson Wesly Johnson and Rajaswaminathan Vairavan is entitled Heterorhabditis - A farmer's friendly nematode and is composed of a video covering the life of an entomopathogenic nematode, especially Heterorhabditis and it's symbiotic bacteria in killing the insect pest.
Authorship: Lalson Wesly Johnson, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi and Rajaswaminathan Vairavan, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
__________
Submission by Elisabeth Darling is entitled Nematodes of N.A. Cobb and is composed of nematodes drawings.
Author’s description:
“I had the pleasure of being receiving an original complete copy of N.A. Cobb's book "Contributions to a Science in Nematology: 1914-1935", by Dr. George Bird last semester after taking a seminar class led by him and Dr. Sita Thapa centered on entomological nematology. Through this illustration I constructed, I aimed to revive some of what I believe to be Cobb's most beautiful illustrations from this period of a diverse pool of nematodes. This piece features several prominent featured species: the predatory nematode Mononchus longicaudatus (Cobb,1893), entomopathogenic nematode Howardula benigna (Cobb, 1921), and presumed fungal feeder Bunonema inequale (Cobb, 1915). These nematodes occupy several different roles of the ecological food web and all play an important role in the nema world around us. Constructing this piece in honor of Nathan A. Cobb's contributions was a treat, and hopefully my renditions of these wonderful creatures do his (superior) illustrations justice.”
Authorship: Elisabeth "Ellie" Darling, Michigan State University
__________
Submission by Krisztina Mosdossy is entitled Sometimes nematodes graze and is composed of a rap video that introduces the topic of nematodes as important contributors to nutrient cycling.
Authorship: Krisztina Mosdossy, McGill University
__________
2021 Cobb Video Contest Results
The Cobb Foundation is happy to announce the results of the 2021 edition of the video contest.
The Foundation had received high-quality videos that were all very creative! Congratulations to all the participants!
The videos were reviewed by 6 nematologists from 3 different countries and the results are:
First place: Soybean Host Resistance to Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) - A Musical submitted by Deepak Haarith
Second place: Nematode or Plant? A Nutrient Battle submitted by Alexandra Ostezan and Dung Tran
2020 Cobb Video Contest Results
First place: Nematodes and their Natural Enemies submitted by Max Helmberger
Second place: Exploring Nematodes with Deepak Haarith submitted by Deepak Haarith
Cobb Video Contest Entrants
View all the submissions to Cobb Foundation Video Contest:
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