2023-2024 Winners -
Team SoySilk
$20,000 Winner
SoySilk is a soy-based baby wipe product with only one non-soy ingredient. It is gentle on the skin like silk and made with soybeans incorporated in every aspect of the baby wipe production, including the base sheet and the formulation. SoySilk is a plastic-free, vegan, non-toxic, environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and compostable alternative to current baby wipes used in the United States.
Team Members (Left to Right)
Kyle Han, Junior, Biological Engineering
Ben Gottlieb, Freshman, Finance
Advisors: Rodolfo Pinal and Cara Putman
Team SoyBox
$10,000 Winner
SoyBox is a new use for soy in the manufacturing of cartons that hold liquid. Our product is a soy based thermoplastic starch that acts as a multipurpose, water-resistant material for liquid packaging boards that can be used to store milk, juice, broths and other liquids you would typically find stored in a carton rather than a bottle or jug.
Team Members (Left to Right)
Lewis Polansky, Freshman, Computer Engineering Technology
Laurien Lien, Sophomore, Biological Engineering
Advisors: John Burr, Klein Ileleji
Team Green Eggs, No Ham
$5,000 Winners
Green Eggs, No Ham is a novel egg substitute made with multiple ingredients derived from soy. Our egg substitute has two main parts: a soy-derived substitute for an egg white and a soy-derived substitute for an egg yolk. It provides a more authentic egg visual experience than traditional egg substitutes while also being able to blend into one liquid for various end uses and product packaging types.
It is also significantly cheaper to manufacture than existing products, using wholesale ingredient cost estimates. Our egg substitute has an efficient manufacturing process and many culinary applications, including scrambling, baking, and frying, with performance in these areas comparable to a standard chicken egg.
Team Members (Left to Right)
Amanda Wolf, Sophomore, Biological Engineering
Chris Mechalke, Sophomore, Biological Engineering
Will Meyer, Sophomore, Chemical Engineering
Alekhya Ankaraju, Senior, Agricultural Communications
Advisors: Kelly Blanchard, Marshall Porterfield
People's Choice $500 Award Winner
Team InsectiSoy
One of the largest pests facing the worldwide population is insects. According to Census.gov, in the United States alone, around 84% of tenants reported having problems with insects including ants, cockroaches, stink bugs, and ladybugs. Current solutions to this problem heavily rely upon petroleum based toxic chemicals, which can be harmful to both people and pets.
In response to this problem and the lack of a safe solution, we developed InsectiSoy. Utilizing the properties of soy and knowledge of natural insect repellents, our team has been able to formulate a way to create an insect perimeter that is safe for families and pets.
Team Members (Left to Right)
Josh Stephenson, Junior, Biochemistry
Sarah Juffer, Junior, Animal Science
Charlie Sebright, Junior, Agricultural & Biological Engineering
Advisors: Michael Ladisch, Bob Stwalley
2022-2023 Winners -
Team StyroSoy -
$20,000 Winner
StyroSoy is an environmentally friendly plastic-free alternative to polystyrene (Styrofoam). StyroSoy is a biodegradable, compostable, and non-toxic soy-based foam which can be used to produce different density packaging materials/cushions/foams for protecting valuable merchandise, such as electronics, houseware, and other consumer items, during shipping to customers.
StyroSoy is an eco-friendly product that can replace polystyrene for packaging (and insulation) purposes. StyroSoy not only offers equivalent commercial performance versatility to polystyrene, but also, economic competitiveness with respect to other petroleum-based and alternative packaging products.
TEAM MEMBERS (Left to Right)
Louis Caceres Martinez, Valeria Tellez Gallego, Amy Tang, Alyssa Choi
Advisors: Bhagyashree Katare, Rodolfo Pinal
Team SoySafe - $10,000 Winner
Our team, utilizing the properties of soy and knowledge of existing flame protection materials developed a new type of drywall. This new form of drywall is more fire resistant, sound absorbent, carries a much smaller CO2 footprint, and could utilize otherwise wasted soy product. All of this is achieved while still possessing similar properties, cost, and manufacturing processes as traditional drywall.
SoySafe drywall improves preexisting gypsum-based drywall in many ways. Soysafe can withstand higher temperatures upwards of 1500 degrees C, able to be rated for 30 minutes longer than the leading fire-resistant drywall at 650 degrees C, carries a smaller CO2 footprint, and is able to utilize much of the soy waste found in food, feed, and chemical production. It carries all these benefits while still being able to be manufactured with similar equipment at a lower price.
TEAM MEMBERS (Left to Right)
Charles Sebright, Josh Stephenson, Sarah Juffer
Advisors: Michael Ladisch, Bob Stwalley
Team SOYscara - $5,000 Winner
SOYscara is a sustainable, green, and a natural water-resistant mascara alternative to other mascara products on the market now. Specifically, it provides a healthier, more eco-friendly mascara product without any PFAS chemicals which are known to be in a large amount of waterproof mascara products, and not healthy for consumers.
TEAM MEMBERS (Left to Right)
Jason Li, Conwy Zheng, Alison Dunbar
Advisors: Kelly Blanchard, Enrico Martinez
Team StryoSoy - People's Choice Award Winner
TEAM MEMBERS (Left to Right)
Louis Caceres Martinez, Amy Tang, Alyssa Choi, Valeria Tellez Gallego
2021-2022 Winners -
Team Smulch - $20,000 Winner
Our team has designed a soy-based rubber-like mulch. SMULCH, as we’ve come to call it, serves a variety of purposes. SMULCH in different forms can be used as playground surfacing as well as mulch for flower and residential gardens. Currently, our team has designed two prototypes: a rubber mulch and a playground surfacing.
TEAM MEMBERS (Left to Right)
Zuhal Cakir (Chemical Engineering), Libby Plassard (Business Management/Finance), Ethan Miller (BioChemistry)
Team Brilliant Bean - $10,000 Winner
Dry-erase ink is a form of ink that can be used on a dry-erase board, better known as a white board. Our new formula to produce dry-erase ink utilizes the many benefits of the soybean plant to produce an improved ink formula. This product solves the issue of a strong odor being present with dry erase ink along with many other benefits. The resin used in our ink has the potential to be used in other marker components such as watercolor and permeant markers.
TEAM MEMBERS: (Left to Right)
Rob Bastian (1st Year Engineering), Sarah Juffer (Animal Science), Charlie Sebright (ABE), Josh Stephenson (Biochemistry)
Team Silm - $5,000 Winner
Silm is a biodegradable agricultural film made from 99.5% soy. The creation intentions of Silm are to 1) replace compostable plastic agricultural mulch film and 2) improve plant and soil health during the degradation of the film. Silm has the basic functionalities of mulch film for retaining moisture and temperature. In addition to having the basic functionalities, Silm is 100% biodegradable, made of 99.5% soybean by weight, degrades into organic nutrients, and eliminates the need to remove the film after each growing cycle.
TEAM MEMBERS: Loan Cao (Environmental & Natural Resources Engineering), Young Choi (Machine Systems Engineering), Sophie Kwon (Mechanical Engineering)
Team Drip Drop - People's Choice Award Winner
As the popularity of coffee and environmental conservation grows, substitutes for traditional paper products are becoming increasingly desirable. However, quality coffee brews can have a detrimental impact on the environment. One paper product that produces waste and contributes to issues such as deforestation is coffee filters. Our product, the novel Soy Coffee Filter, introduces a solution to this problem. In addition to mitigating negative environmental impacts, the properties of the raw soy materials used in the product create a higher quality coffee brew by reducing micro grounds and decreasing acidity.
TEAM MEMBERS: Riley Garrison (Finance), Nikki Rytczak (Multidisciplinary Engineering), Hari Thirumalai (Agronomy), Miriam Walker (Biological Engineering)
Team Soy Shell - Social Media Award Winner
Our product is a novel Soy-Based Hand Sanitizer Lotion called Soy Shell, which contains soy lecithin and highly concentrated oleic acid for enhanced cleansing and moisturizing properties. This sanitizing lotion contains isopropyl alcohol as the active ingredient, which kills germs, bacteria and cleans people's hands. We propose a sanitizing lotion that contains about half of the inactive ingredients found in soy, including concentrated high oleic soybean oil and soy lecithin, to keep the skin hydrated and avoid the side effects of alcohol. As a result, our products cleanse and keep your skin healthy at the same time.
TEAM MEMBERS: Yalan Huo (Pharmaceutical Science), Haotang Li (Materials Engineering)
2020-2021 Winners -
Team Biostimulant - $20,000 Winner
The product is a liquid biostimulant composed primarily of soy protein hydrolysate (SPH) which acts as a growth-promoting peptide for crops conventionally grown in vertical farms. This protein is potent in enhancing crop quality, facilitating nutrient assimilation, and increasing plant tolerance to abiotic stress.
TEAM MEMBERS: (Left to Right)
Emmanuel Alagbe (Animal Nutrition), Cai Chen (Agribusiness), Nate Nauman (Computer Engineering)
Team SAGE 2.0 - $10,000 Winner
Team Sage 2.0 developed a three-layered athletic tape consisting of a water resistant outer fabric, an inner intermediate non polar layer and a soy based pressure sensitive adhesive that will attach to the skin. The pressure sensitive adhesive is a polyurethane based coating formed from soy. The fabric and intermediate layers are hydrophobic in order to repeal sweat and other sources of humidity often encountered during exercise.
TEAM MEMBERS: (Left to Right)
Sarah Heffner (Biological Engineering), Erick Forkpah (Biological Engineering), Andres Dextre (Biological Engineering)
missing from photo Jieun Lee (Biological Engineering)
Team Soykind - $5,000 Winner
Our aim was to create a completely bio-degradable facial sheet mask using soy as our primary component. Our product consists of two parts: the sheet mask and the serum that contains the beneficial ingredients. By containing only eco-friendly elements, our product will allow for consumers to care for both themselves and the environment.
TEAM MEMBERS: (Left to Right)
Luke DeLong (Biomedical Engineering), Vy Le (Biomedical Engineering), Shulin Wang (Biomedical Engineering)
Team Soyrenity - People's Choice Winner - $500
Soyrenity, a play on the words soy and serenity, is a transdermal patch created for women experiencing perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause symptoms to promote an all-natural and safe alternative supplement that delivers relief.
TEAM MEMBERS: (Left to Right)
John Mutter (Chemical Engineering), Natasha Abraham (Biological Engineering/Pharmaceutical Processing), Diana Ramirez-Gutierrez (ABE)
2019-2020 Winners -
Team HerbiSoy - $20,000 Winner
Created a soy-based herbicide that differs from other products currently on the market. The HerbiSoy product is non-toxic, kills weeds more quickly and is less expensive. Over 52 million households in the U.S. use herbicides. The total demand for pesticide products in 2012 was $14 billion. This product can be used for homeowners and businesses interested in killing weeds.
If this team looks familiar, it is, they were last year's 2nd place winner.
Team Double B - $10,000 Winner
Developed a bio-friendly soy-based chew for dogs. The team developed a new type of dog chew that is stretchy and durable. The existing market has two types of chew toys for dogs, one is made of plastic which is resistant but not edible. It is dangerous for dogs if they eat a part of the toys. And the other type is an edible chewing treat that is made with meat which is not long-lasting and can be finished in hours. We’ve combined these two types and created a resistant and edible chew for dogs. And we believe it will have a great need in today’s market!
Team SoyFlex - $5,000 Winner
Created a soy-based shoe insert made for anyone looking to increase the comfort of their shoe or reduce wear on their shoes’ interior. SoyFlex has several properties that bring a specific competitive advantage in this product's marketspace. Our product outperforms the leading brands by being naturally antibacterial, odor eliminating, low cost to manufacture, machine washable, and highly durable. These shoe inserts have a long-life span and can be sold for a lower price point than the competition. Over time as the consumer uses the product, instead of having to get another, they can simply put it in the washing machine since the inserts are hydrophilic.
Team 60 Soylution - People's Choice Winner - $500
60 Soylution has created a non-toxic and non-cross-linking soy based composite material. Our final product comes in two forms: first is Soylution I, a soluble support filament for 3D printing; second is Soylution II, which are pellets to be used in injection molding. Ideally, they would become substitutes for disposable plastic products, such as PLA, and due to its non-toxicity, it is environmentally friendly and consumption safe. 60 Soylution’s products will provide a way to safely produce toxic-free tools to aid consumers in their designs without the need to worry about any side effects created. The products are made completely bio-based and toxic-free. Moreover, the manufacturing cost of the products is much lower than its counter-halves, Hydrofill and ABS, resulting in a lower market price. This would make printing more affordable than what it currently is; customers would be able to print more and take their time without having to regularly spend time breaking off the excess materials.
2018-2019 Winners -
Team Stroy -
A soy-based straw won the 2018-19 Purdue Student Soybean Innovation Competition and the $20,000 top prize money. Team members are Morgan Malm (Food Science), Natalie Stephenson (Marketing) and Ruth Zhong (Electrical Engineering). With plastic straws being banned nationwide and on the Purdue University campus, a soy-based replacement was an excellent entry.
Team Soy Seal -
The second-place $10,000 winner in the Student Soybean Innovation Competition was Team Soy Seal a wood finish with nanocellulose, which was developed by Alyson Chaney (Agronomy) and Peyton Clark (Sustainable Biomaterials Process and Product Development).
Team SoyShield -
Purdue freshmen, Jason Clark (Accounting) and Thomas Smith (1st Year Engineering) earned the third place award of $5,000 for their windshield wiper fluid entry. This soy-based wiper fluid was developed to replace the common and dangerous methanol found in most wiper fluids with soy, making their product environmentally friendly and efficient.
Peoples Choice Award -
A soy-based, all purpure glitter was the winner of the $500 People's Choice Award, Team Luma consisted of students, Ryann Davis (Chemistry), Lauren Oparah (Biological Engineering), Elizabeth Tedder (Biological Engineering) and Hillary Vrba (Agricultural Economics). This award is given to the team who earns the most votes from those in attendance at the Award Ceremony.
2017-2018 Winners -
SoyTack -
Team SoyTack won the 2017-18 Purdue Student Soybean Innovation Competition and $20,000 for their soy-based tackifier entry, a fast-curing, formaldehyde-free landscape adhesive. SoyTack is a tackifier and adhesive to be used for hydroseeding applications. Hydroseeding is a process in which mulch, seed, adhesive and water are combined and applied to a location where the seed is meant to grow.
Team members are Terence Babb (Multidisciplinary Engineering), Susan Hubbard (Biological Engineering), Jacob Semonis (Agricultural Economics/Agronomy) and Christopher Stichter (Agricultural Systems Management).
I am BOBA -
Their entry was a soy-based pearl replacement for traditional tapioca pearls used in bubble tea. Their soy-based pearls will provide a nutritional alternative to traditional tapioca.
Soy Soft -
Third place and $5,000 was awarded to team Soy Soft and is also their Senior Design Project. Team members are Biological Engineering Seniors, Emily Coleman, Emma Foster, Trevor Shoaf and Ethan Titus.
This team created a soy-based activated charcoal face mask infused with Beta-Carotene.
People Choice Award -
The People's Choice Award is a $500 cash prize given to the team that gets the most votes from those in attendance at the Award Ceremony. The People's Choice Award winner this year is Team Soy Safe Solution, who developed a soy-based spray that extends the shelf life of food.
Team members are Food Science majors, Xingjian Bai, Luping Xu and Yutong Zhong.
Social Media Award -
Team SoyTron won the Indiana Soybean Alliance Social Media Award by getting the most "likes" on the ISA Facebook page. Team members are Chemical Engineering Senior Andrew Cameron and Civil Engineering Junior Harshit Kapoor. This teams project was a soy-based printed circuit board.
Consumer Award -
2016-2017 Winners -
FiltraSoy -
Team members are, Andrew Huang, Sushant Mehan, Samaneh Saadat and Anderson Smith, all from Agricultural & Biological Engineering. Andrew and Anderson are in the area of Environmental & Natural Resources Engineering while Sushant and Samaneh are ABE PhD students.
The team designed and developed a soy-based HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning), filter for use in residential and commercial applications. The FiltraSoy entry is made from renewable resources and is biodegradable, making it more environmentally friendly and roughly 15% more effective than current high-efficiency HVAC filters available on the market.
Additionally the FiltraSoy Team earned the People’s Choice Award for getting the most votes from those in attendance at the Award Ceremony, which earned them an additional $500 cash prize!
Soy Poofession -
Soy Droplets -
New this year was a third place award of $5,000 which was awarded to Team Soy Droplets, a soy-based, freeze-dried snack, consisting of a solid mixture of soy proteins, soy flour, starches, sugar, vitamins and vanilla extract. Food Science senior students Peili Wang and Wenwen Zhou were Team Soy Droplet.
Social Media Award -
Team OilSlick was able to get over 600 “likes” on the Facebook page that earned them a prize of $100 each – this was a new social media award given the day of the Award Ceremony. Team members are, Haleigh Boss, Harshit Kapoor, Jessica Moster and Viktoriya Stolyar.
Each student in the competition received an Amazon Tap as this year’s completion award. The Amazon Tap is a portable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled speaker with full-range sound and a hands-free mode to ask and search for information on a wide range of topics.
This year was a record year for the Student Soy Competition with 16 teams successfully finishing which comprised of 50 Purdue students, and 32 Purdue faculty from all over campus and all degree areas. A minimum of five provisional patents will be filed on these student products with potential for commercialization, and possible student startup companies.
2015-2016 Winners -
SoyFoliate
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A Purdue university team that created a hand soap with a soy exfoliant took first place in the 2016 Student Soybean Product Innovation Competition.
The group of four students will share a $20,000 prize for their winning entry, SoyFoliate, in the annual contest sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Alliance. The award was presented Tuesday (March 22) during a reception at the Indianapolis Roof Ballroom.
"Indiana soybean farmers, through their investments in the soybean checkoff, have a long history of supporting the innovative research into new uses for soybeans," said Joe Steinkamp of Evansville, Indiana, president of the soybean alliance. "For the last 22 years, this competition at Purdue University has demonstrated this commitment and has encouraged a whole new crop of future researchers to work with soybeans for the benefit of farmers, the soybean industry and the general consumer."
SoyFoliate soap is naturally degradable. Exfoliating soy beads replace plastic microbeads that are being banned in the United States. The current plastic microbeads in commercial consumer products are made of a variety of plastics.
"The customers who will be losing the products they once loved will have an all-natural alternative that will also provide positive effects for the environment," the team said.
Team members are Samuel Lewis of New Castle, Indiana; Steve Ferris of Chesterton, Indiana; Alison Switzer of Indianapolis, all third-year professional students in Purdue's doctor of pharmacy program; and Ryan Pendergast, a mechanical engineering junior from Tustin, California.
Soy Spacing Technologies
SoyPods
A third-place prize of $1,500 was awarded to the team that created SoyPods, soy-based detergent pods. Members are Andrew Cameron, a chemical engineering sophomore of Maple Grove, Minnesota; Xuan Luo, an agricultural and biological engineering sophomore of Zhengzhou, China; and Harshit Kapoor, a civil engineering sophomore of Kolkata, India.
Writer: Keith Robinson, 765-494-2722, robins89@purdue.edu
People's Choice Award
The People's Choice Award is a $500 cash prize that is awarded to the student team who receives the most votes from those who attended the Awards Ceremony on March 22, 2016 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis, Indiana.
This years winner is Sparked by Soy, a soy-based fire starter. Team members are; Evan Anderson a senior in Agricultural Engineering from Churubusco, Indiana, Dylan Lowden a senior in Environmental & Health Sciences from Fort Wayne, Indiana and Sara Richert a senior in Public Relations from Oak Park. Illinois.
2014-2015 Winners -
Soy Sniffs
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A team that created a soybean-based air freshener won the top prize in the 2015 Student Soybean Product Innovation Competition of the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Purdue University.
The three students who developed Soy Sniffs will receive a $20,000 prize for their first-place entry in the annual contest, which challenges Purdue students to develop new products based on soybean. This year, 13 teams composed of 39 students competed.
A second-place award of $10,000 went to a team that produced biodegradable flower pots.
The teams will be recognized March 31 at the Dauch Alumni Center at Grant and Wood streets. The 2-4 p.m. event is open to public.
"The Soy Sniffs team has created a unique product with real potential in the $8.5 billion global market for air fresheners and purification products," said David Lowe, president of the soybean industry group and a farmer from Dunkirk. "Every year, it's difficult to judge among so many innovative ideas, and this year was no exception - it's a testament to the ingenuity of our Purdue competitors and the versatility of the soybean."
The Soy Sniffs team members are Evan Anderson, an agricultural and biological engineering major of Churubusco, Indiana; his brother, Sean, majoring in forestry; and Sara Richert, a public relations/strategic communications major of Oak Park, Illinois.
The winning team members made their experience work to their advantage after finishing in second place last year with their organic leather conditioner and polish. Richert said they wanted to create a product consisting of soybean oil since they were already familiar with its properties.
"With today's trend of going green and the lack of organic air fresheners and odor diffusers in today's market, we felt that our product would create and fit its own niche," she said.
Soycotta Pots
All members of this year's runner-up team, with its entry of Soycotta Pots, are from Corydon. They are Tyler Allen, a computer engineering student; Levi Jackson, majoring in agricultural and biological engineering; and Chelsea Sullivan, studying accounting and marketing.
Other entries included a high-performance engine filtration system, a new antifreeze formula and teeth whiteners.
Winning projects in previous years included those that engineered the soybean to make crayons brighter, coats warmer and fireworks more environmentally friendly.
Lowe noted that soybean checkoff programs over the last 25 years helped to bring more than 800 new soy-based products to market.
"Our Soybean Product Innovation Competition taps into the brainpower at Purdue to grow this list, grow our agricultural economy, and bring new business opportunities to Indiana," he said.
Writer: Keith Robinson, 765-494-2722, robins89@purdue.edu
2013-2014 Winners -
S3D Innovations
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A group of Purdue University students who created a soy-based, renewable and recyclable filament for 3D printing won the top prize in the annual Student Soybean Product Innovation Contest.
The awards were announced at a reception Wednesday night (March 26) in Indianapolis. A record 15 teams completed projects in the competition, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
"For 20 years, Indiana soybean farmers have supported this competition in the College of Agriculture as a way to elevate our organization, Purdue and Indiana as the center of food and agriculture innovation," said Jane Ade Stevens, CEO of the Indiana Soybean Alliance, sponsor of the competition. "We are excited to see 15 student teams complete the competition this year and hope that their experience leads them to consider food and agricultural sciences as their future career."
The S3D Innovations team developed Filasoy, a next generation 3D printing material. Filasoy replaces harmful petroleum-based plastic with a low-energy, low-temperature, renewable and recyclable filament. It retains similar properties found in a bioplastic with an added "green" twist: It allows printing without waste.
The team will receive a $20,000 prize. Members are Carmen Valverde-Paniagua of Chihuahua, Mexico, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering; Nicole Raley Devlin of Rockville, Md., a doctoral student in chemical engineering; and Yanssen Tandy of Jakarta, Indonesia, a senior student in chemical engineering.
S3D Innovations - FilaSoy Video
Soots
The runner-up team, Soots, produced a 100 percent organic leather boot conditioner and polish by the same name. The product comes in two forms: One, made from soybean oil and beeswax, is a thick, more solid polish for genuine leather such as boots and reins and also serves as a waterproofing agent. The product is safe for the environment and not harmful to animals. The second product is a much lighter conditioner, in the form of a spray, that can be used on faux leather items. It is used more for cleaning and improving appearance than waterproofing.
The team will receive a $10,000 prize. Members are Sean Anderson of Churubusco, Ind., a junior in forestry; his brother, Evan, a sophomore in agricultural engineering; and Sara Richert of Oak Park, Ill., a sophomore in agricultural engineering.
Writer: Keith Robinson, 765-494-2722, robins89@purdue.edu
2012-2013 Winners -
Nature Loft (Soy) & Sky Maize (Corn)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Teams of Purdue University students who created fiber insulation from soybeans and a fireworks casing from corn won the top prizes in the annual Student Soybean and Corn Innovation Contests.
The awards were announced at a reception Wednesday night (March 20) in Indianapolis.
The competitions, sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council, teach students how to be innovative entrepreneurs with soybeans and corn.
Both teams received a $20,000 prize for their work.
"The experience that students have working with corn and soybeans during this competition is really an introduction for many of them to these crops, especially when it comes to how corn and soybeans can be used as a main component in so many different products," said Jane Ade Stevens, chief executive of both organizations. "Encouraging students to think about corn and soybeans in creative, new ways benefits our corn and soybean farmers just as much as the variety of new products that the students generate."
The winning soybean team produced Nature Loft, a soy protein fiber insulation that can be used in bedding, including sleeping bags; apparel such as hats, gloves and footwear; and other products such as headphones.
Team members are Anshu Gupta of Chennai, India, a third-year doctoral student in chemical engineering, and John Grace of Hudson, Ohio, and Solwoo Kim of Seoul, South Korea, both seniors in management.
The winning corn team created Sky Maize, a biodegradable fireworks casing that is lighter and less expensive than what is now commercially available..
Team Members are Alexander Parobek of Munster, Ind., a junior majoring in chemistry; Jake Hoeing of Rushville, Ind., a junior in agriculture systems management; Polina Navotnaya of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a junior in chemistry and biochemistry; and Rachel Clayton of Greenwood, Ind., a junior in chemistry.
Second-place teams received a $10,000 prize
The second-place soybean team developed water-soluble Double Eyelid Glue. Members are Qiting Wu of Guang, China, a senior in biology; Michelle Chan of Hong Hong, a senior in health and disease; and Yuqian Chen of Fuzhou, China, and Sook Yan Goh of Penang, Malaysia, both seniors in biochemistry.
The second-place corn team created Fog-Away, an anti-fog glass and mirror cleansing solution. Members are Anbo Wang of Jingdezhen, China, a junior in agricultural economics; Mitch French of Pittsboro, Ind., a sophomore in biological engineering; Hannah Doren of Northfield, Ill., a junior in food science; and Benjamin Lins of Racine, Wis., a sophomore in chemical engineering.
Writer: Keith Robinson, 765-494-2722, robins89@purdue.edu
2011-2012 Winners -
Soytronics (Soy) & Ceres Cosmetics (Corn)
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Teams of Purdue University students who made cosmetics from corn and a biodegradable electronic substrate earned the top prizes in the annual Student Soybean and Corn Innovation Contests.
The awards were announced at a banquet Wednesday night (March 28) in Indianapolis.
The competitions, sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, teach students how to be innovative entrepreneurs with corn and soybeans.
Both teams received a $20,000 prize for their work.
"Indiana soybean and corn farmers continue to fund these competitions at Purdue because they believe that encouraging students to think about corn and soybeans in new ways benefits our state's soybean and corn industries in a multitude of ways," said Jane Ade Stevens, executive director for both the corn and soybean checkoff organizations. "We are excited to see that interest in these competitions continues to be strong and that we continue to attract students from across the university who use their creativity and knowledge to bring us a high caliber of products."
The winning corn team produced Ceres Cosmetics, composed of 40 percent corn chaff, which is known for its ability to absorb oils and is hypoallergenic. The corn chaff powder replaces the talc normally found in cosmetics.
"Its environmental footprint is significantly smaller," the team said. "The target market for Ceres Cosmetics will be environmentally conscious women who care deeply about what they put on their bodies."
Ceres Cosmetics team members are Jessica Brazelton, a graduate biology student of Monongahela, Pa.; Michaelann Kresel, a senior agro-business student of Westville, Ind.; Soo Yee Kuah, a junior biochemistry student from Ipoh, Malaysia; and Shengjie Xu, a junior biology student of Shanghai.
The winning soybean team created Soytronics, a flexible, lightweight and low-cost substrate on which an electronic circuit is printed. The team said the key advancement is in replacing petroleum-derived, epoxy-based substrates currently used for making printed circuit boards.
"As the major component of our substrate is a soy derivative, our substrates are biodegradable, eco-friendly and reusable," the team said.
Soytronics team members are Carmen Valverde-Paniagua, a junior mechanical engineering student of Chihuahua, Mexico, and chemical engineering graduate students Aniruddha Kelkar of Mumbai, India; and Anand Venkatesan of Chennai, India.
Second-place teams received a $10,000 prize.
The second-place corn team developed helmet padding made from corn starch. The padding can be used in helmets that would need to absorb dangerous blows, such as in football. Team Kaizen members are Alice Bao, a junior management student from Beijing; Jin Sun, an agronomy graduate student from Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China; Peren Xiao, a junior economics student from Austin, Texas; and Xiangye Xiao, a graduate student in agronomy from Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
There were two second-place teams in the soybean contest. One team developed SoyBright, a nanomolecular soy-based polish aimed primarily at the automotive market. Team members are Milad Alucozai, a sophomore psychology student from West Lafayette, Ind., and Edward Van Bogaert, a senior history student from Rochester, Ill. The other team created Soytures, bio-absorbable sutures. Those team members, all students in the agricultural and biological engineering program, are Yeshaben Shah of India; Allison Ustynoski of Shavertown, Pa.; Kaitlyn Wolak of Indianapolis; and Megan Morrison of Carmel, Ind.
Writer: Keith Robinson, 765-494-2722, robins89@purdue.edu
2010-2011 Winners -
Dentural (Soy) & Natural Renewal Liquid Bandage (Corn)WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Teams of Purdue University students who developed a soy-based denture adhesive and a liquid bandage out of corn have won the top prizes in the annual Student Soybean and Corn Innovation Contests.
The awards were announced at a banquet Wednesday night (March 23) at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis.
The competition, sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, teaches students how to be innovative entrepreneurs with corn and soybeans.
"The versatility of corn and soybeans is limitless, and these competitions serve as a showcase not only for the potential new uses of crops grown here in Indiana but also for the students who put their time, effort and talent into their projects," said Jane Ade Stevens, executive director for both the corn and soybean checkoff organizations.
Some products that students have created in previous contest years have led to commercial development and further research. Soy crayons, for example, are available in stores under the Prang brand, and a soy pharmaceutical excipient is undergoing full-scale university research.
"Indiana corn and soybean farmers are committed to working with Purdue to continue to build excitement around the new uses competitions, which ultimately helps build demand for corn and soybeans," Stevens said.
Team members who developed Dentural, the first-place entry in the soybean contest this year, presented an all-natural adhesive for full dentures. The product is in the form of a paste consisting of soy products that form a vacuum to keep dentures in place. It is an alternative to synthetic chemicals used in other products.
Team leader Alvin Ang of Malaysia said the group chose to develop Dentural after learning that other denture creams contain zinc, leading to health concerns.
"So we decided to come up with a safer and better way," said Ang, a senior chemical engineering student. He said one dentist already is interested in the product.
The team will share a cash award of $20,000. Other members are Manaz Taleyarkhan of Lafayette; David Barron of Saline, Mich; and Ankit Gupta of Carmel.
Students who created the Natural Renewal Liquid Bandage out of corn used the ethanol production waste product zein as the main component. Zein is a transparent, edible, water insoluble and biodegradable polymer that acts as a physical defense for wounds and binds to the skin's surface. Students used ethyl alcohol made from corn that would act as an antiseptic until the solvent evaporates. They believe that the product also will act as a skin scaffold that will reduce scarring in minor wounds.
“This is such an untapped idea,” said team leader Robert Agee, a junior biological engineering and pharmacy major from Rushville. “And it is 100 percent safe.
Other team members who produced that winning entry, also a $20,000 prize, are Andrew Furrow of Greenwood, Ann Alvar of Zionsville and Yang Zhou of West Lafayette.
Other winners in the contest:
* Soybean, second place, $10,000: Food additive FIBits, which provide fiber and protein to children while enhancing flavor. It can be added to baked goods such as muffins, pancakes and cupcakes as well as to dry foods such as cereal and oatmeal, and desserts such as cheesecake or ice cream. Team members are Danielle Dawson of Chagrin Falls, Ohio; Jeff Lai of Taipei, Taiwan; Chandana Namburi of Terre Haute; and Kat Gilbert of Indianapolis.
* Soybean, third place, $5,000: Antimicrobial surface protector. The sprayable coat works to protect countertop surfaces from stains and scratches while providing protection against micro-organisms that could be harmful to humans. Team members are Cameron Brown and Vinchessica Gray, both of Gary; Jordan Blackwell of Wausau, Wis.; and Tochykwu Chimezie of Baton Rouge, La.
Corn, second place, $10,000: Drop ceiling tiles made from corn stover. The tiles are more environmentally friendly compared with regular tiles made from such materials as wood, plastic and fiberglass and other materials. The tiles not only lessen the amounts of trees or fossil fuels needed to make ceiling tiles, but they also can provide corn producers with another source of revenue. Team members are Jonathon Welte of Elberfeld, Audrey Wessel of St. Anthony and Spencer Dieg of Evansville.
* Corn, third place, $5,000: PLAdhesive, hot glue stick. The team developed a group of products based on polylactic acid, with emphasis on hot melt adhesive technology. Because PLA-based resins offer tremendous tensile strength, the team contends they will be an improvement over traditional hot melt adhesives. Team members are Tom and Grimes of Fort Wayne, Neal Kostry of Mishawaka and Kevin Fischer of Roselle, Ill.
Writer: Keith Robinson, 765-494-2722, robins89@purdue.edu