RESEARCH INTERESTS
Pest Distribution Modeling
Plant-insect interaction
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Sustainable agriculture
Climate Change
International Agriculture
EDUCATION
2015 - 2021
Pennsylvania State University, USA
Ph.D. in Entomology
with a Dual-title degree in International Agriculture and Development (INTAD)
2012 - 2014
Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal
M.S. Agronomy
2007 - 2011
Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal
B.S. Agriculture
AWARDS & HONORS
2020
William Yendol Research Award ($1000)
Department of Entomology
The Pennsylvania State University
2019
International Research Award ($5000)
Graduate School
The Pennsylvania State University
William Yendol Research Award ($500)
Department of Entomology
The Pennsylvania State University
2018
INTAD Competitive Research Grant ($2500)
The Pennsylvania State University
Michale E. Duke Memorial Scholarship ($1000)
Department of Entomology,
College of Agriculture Science,
The Pennsylvania State University, USA
Entomology 2018 Child Care Grant ($400)
Entomological Society of America
Travel Grant ($400)
Department of Entomology,
College of Agriculture Science,
The Pennsylvania State University, USA
Grant for Gordon Research Conference (GRC) registration ($1000)
College of Agriculture Science,
The Pennsylvania State University, USA
Grant for Gordon Research Conference (GRC) registration ($300)
Centre for Chemical Ecology,
The Pennsylvania State University, USA
Travel and registration support for Gordon Research Conference ($300)
Gordon Research Conference (GRC) Committee
2012
Graduate Study Merit Scholarship
2012-2014 (2-year tuition coverage)
Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal
SANREM-CRSP Graduate Research Fellowship
USAID
2007
General Merit Scholarship
2007-2011 (4-year tuition coverage)
Tribhuvan University, Nepal
2004
Dibyaman Baishyat Memorial Scholarship
Tansen Guthi-Kathmandu, Nepal
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Aug 2015 to recent:
Graduate Research Assistant The Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA
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Conducted research to identify herbivore based specificity in plant-plant communication that resulted in a publication
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Developed LOX2 and LOX3 gene silenced tobacco plants to block the green leaf volatiles (GLVs) and jasmonic acid biosynthesis pathway, respectively.
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Designed slow-releasing dispensers to release the physiologically relevant concentration of synthetic volatiles that was used to investigate the role of different volatiles in plant defense priming
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Developed python script to extract compounds of interest from chromatograms and script shared in GitHub
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Performed wet-lab, molecular biology and chemical ecology scientific research using methods including virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), gas chromatography (GC-MS and GC-FID)
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Applied mixed models for repeated measures to differentiate the quality and quantity of volatiles emitted by plants on different days after herbivore attack
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Collaborated with International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) Kenya for “Fall armyworm invasion in Africa” project
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Predicted fall armyworm invasion and establishment threat under current and future climate conditions using CLIMEX modeling software
July 2014 to January 2015
Technical Officer
Horticulture unit
Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC)
Nepal
Responsibilities:
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Conduct on-farm and off-farm research trails at the command areas of the Research station
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Conduct survey to elucidate recent farmers needs and problems
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Extension of research results
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Proposal writing
July 2013 to January 2014
Agriculture Development Officer
Educate the Children-Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal
Responsibility:
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Encourage farmers to adopt IPM practices
SKILLS
Programming skills:
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Working knowledge of python programming language
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basic familiarity with R programming language
Statistics:
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Data analysis through statistical software SAS and R
Molecular biology:
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Gene silencing in plants using Virus-induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) technique
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RNA/DNA extraction
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RT-qPCR
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Gel Electrophoresis
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Bacteria culture, plasmid isolation, gene insertion, and colony screening
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Experience with Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology
Chemical Ecology:
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GC-FID and GC-MS use/maintenance
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Volatile collection, identification, and quantification
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Plant hormones (JA, SA, ABA, and IAA) extraction and analysis
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Insect bioassay, method development
Other:
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Insect rearing on artificial and plant diet
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Electronic record-keeping
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Experiment design in laboratory and field conditions
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Leadership
PUBLICATIONS
Paudel Timilsena, B., Seidl-Adams, I., Tumlinson, J. (2019). Herbivore specific plant volatiles prime neighboring plants for nonspecific defense responses. Plant, Cell & Environment. https://doi.org/10.1111/pce.13688
Paudel Timilsena, B. (2018). [Review of the book Decent work, green jobs and the sustainable economy: solutions for climate change and sustainable development, by Peter Poschen]. Agriculture and Human Values, 35, 543–544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-017-9804-x
Paudel Timilsena, B, Mikó, I. (2017). Know your insect: The structural backgrounds of regurgitation, a case study on Manduca sexta and Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae, Noctuidae). Research Ideas and Outcomes 3: e11997. https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.3.e11997
Paudel, B., Karki, T.B., Shah, S.C., Chaudhary, N.K. (2015). Yield and Economics of Maize (Zea mays) + Soybean (Glycin max L. Merrill) Intercropping System under Different Tillage Methods. World Journal of Agricultural Research 3(2) (2015): 74-77 https://doi.org/10.12691/wjar-3-2-7
Paudel Timilsena, B., Kimathi, E., Abdel-Rahman, E., Niassy, S.,….. (2022). Potential distribution of fall armyworm in Africa and beyond, considering future climate change and irrigation patterns. Scientific Reports. Under Review.
Paudel Timilsena B., Seidl-Adams, I., Hind, S.R., Timilsena, P.R., Tumlinson, J. (2021). Plant defense priming: which volatile(s) provide herbivory related information to neighboring plants?. In Preparation
PRESENTATOINS
Invited speaker:
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Paudel Timilsena B, Siedl-Adams I, Tumlinson JH. (2018, February). Herbivore specific induction of defense priming by primed plants. Invited speaker at Gordon Research Seminar on Plant Volatiles, Barga, Italy.
Oral presentation:
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Paudel Timilsena B, Siedl-Adams I, Tumlinson JH. (2018, February). Herbivore specific induction of defense priming by primed plants. Poster selected for oral presentation at Gordon Research Conference on Plant Volatiles, Barga, Italy
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Paudel Timilsena B, Siedl-Adams I, Tumlinson JH. (2017, June). Plant defense priming against insect herbivore. Oral presentation at International Short Course in Insect Chemical Ecology (ICE).
Poster presentation:
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Paudel Tamilsena B, Niassy S, Kimathi E, Abdel-Rahman EM, Seidl-Adams I, Wamalwa M, Tonnang HEZ, Ekesi S, Rajotte EG, Subramanian S. (2020 November). Potential distribution of fall armyworm in Africa and beyond under present and future climate change scenarios. Poster presentation at Entomological Society of America. (*Awarded 1st place in graduate student poster competition)
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Paudel Timilsena B, Siedl-Adams I, Tumlinson JH. (2019, November). Plant defense priming: which volatile provides herbivory related information to neighboring plants? Poster presentation at Entomological Society of America, St Louis, Missouri.
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Paudel Timilsena B, Siedl-Adams I, Tumlinson JH. (2018, November). Herbivore specific induction of defense response on primed plants. Poster presentation at Entomological Society of America, Vancouver, Canada.
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Paudel Timilsena B, Siedl-Adams I, Tumlinson JH. (2018, February). Herbivore specific induction of defense priming by primed plants. Poster presentation at Gordon Research Conference on Plant Volatiles, Barga, Italy.