Meredith College student Jacqueline Bailey is the recipient of an Undergraduate Biotechnology Research Fellowship from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center for an industrial research collaboration with Cary, N.C.-based JustNeem, LLC. Bailey is the first Meredith student to receive a research fellowship from the Center.

The fellowship’s purpose is to prepare undergraduate science and engineering majors for careers in biotechnology by supporting relevant, hands-on laboratory research.

Bailey, who is majoring in biology with a minor in international studies, will be conducting product research for JustNeem, LLC, including testing the mosquito repellent effects of neem and in-depth EPA registration work.

“This fellowship will allow me to perform on-campus research in collaboration with Meredith Professor of Biological Sciences Larry Grimes and the company’s CEO, Dr. Peter Radtke, to demonstrate the efficacy of neem formulations as a natural plant-based bug repellent.”

JustNeem, LLC, is a body care company based in Cary, N.C., that specializes in natural premium neem products. The company’s products are made with imported West African neem and its profits support job creation, economic development, neem tree planting and ecological improvements in the Sahara Desert of Mauritania, West Africa.

Bailey’s interest in products created from the neem tree began as a member of Meredith’s Model United Nations team, which represented Mauritania at the Southern Regional Model UN in 2010.

“My involvement with Meredith’s Model United Nations Club piqued my interest in both the hard sciences and global public health,” Bailey said.

Undergraduate Biotechnology Research Fellows receive a grant of up to $5,000 to support a 12-month research project. Student Fellows must work a minimum of 400 hours on the research project; give a presentation to their peers at the home department or institution on both the scientific and business aspects of their research; and present a paper or poster at an appropriate professional conference. Student Fellows are also required to attend at least one meeting during the award period at the state or regional level concerning the business aspects of biotechnology.

About Meredith College
Founded in 1891, Meredith College is one of the largest independent women’s colleges in the U.S. Meredith offers comprehensive liberal arts and professional studies for undergraduate women. Meredith also offers coeducational M.B.A., M.A.T., M.Ed. and M.S. in Nutrition programs and coeducational business, paralegal, dietetics and pre-health certificate programs.

About The North Carolina Biotechnology Center
The Biotechnology Center is a private, non-profit corporation supported by the N.C. General Assembly. Its mission is to provide long-term economic and societal benefits to North Carolina by supporting biotechnology research, business, education and strategic policy statewide. It serves the state from offices in Asheville, Charlotte, Greenville, Research Triangle Park, Wilmington and Winston-Salem.

About JustNeem, LLC
JustNeem, LLC, is a body care company based in Cary, N.C., that specializes in natural premium neem products. JustNeem is a certified B-Corporation, a new type of corporation that uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. The company’s profits support job creation, economic development, neem tree planting and ecological improvements in the Sahara Desert of Mauritania, West Africa.

Date Submitted: 2012-05-30