Hoosier Ag Today 

Lab-grade, Food-grade Film Wins Student Soybean Innovation Competition

Kevin
soyshield
Taking the $20,000 top prize in the Student Soybean Innovation Competition were the creators of SoyShield, a self-adhesive, lab-grade and food-grade film. The winning team includes, from left, Leah Hartzell of Miami, Fla.; Claire Eckhardt of Albuquerque, N.M. A third team member, Nicholas Emge, O’Fallon, Mo., could not attend the ceremony because he is studying abroad. Photo: Indiana Soybean Alliance

A self-adhesive, lab-grade and food-grade film called SoyShield earned the $20,000 grand prize in the 31st annual Student Soybean Innovation Competition during the awards ceremony on Wednesday evening at the Purdue Memorial Union.

The Student Soybean Innovation Competition is a partnership between the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) and Purdue University. ISA awarded more than $35,000 to four teams that created new products.

SoyShield is a 100 percent biodegradable, highly elastic, self-adhesive lab-grade and food-grade film designed to be used in commercial laboratory settings for sealing chemical containers, while also being suitable for home use as an alternative to plastic wrap. SoyShield was created by Purdue University students Claire Eckhardt, Nicholas Emge and Leah Hartzell. Both Eckhardt and Emge are sophomores majoring in environmental and natural resources engineering. Eckhardt is from Albuquerque, N.M., and Emge is from O’Fallon, Mo. Hartzell is a sophomore from Miami, Fla., majoring in agricultural engineering.

“When I started engineering, I actually thought I wanted to be a biomedical engineer, but now that I’m in the ABE department, especially through this competition, I’ve realized that there’s so much opportunity for growth around farming,” Eckhardt told Hoosier Ag Today. “And so, I’m actually working on a farm this summer, which I don’t even think I would have started doing if I hadn’t had the opportunity to do this competition.”

Earning second place this year, and a $10,000 prize, were the creators of SoySleek, a soy-based shampoo bar. SoySleek is made with natural, chemical-free ingredients. Each ingredient was chosen to produce healthy, shiny hair that maintains the hair’s natural oils and color. The bar is concentrated with cleansing, longevity, and eco-friendly properties.

The SoySleek team members include three Purdue sophomores including Riya Miglani, a biological engineering major; Shreya Prakash, a mechanical engineering major; and Angelus Vanhappilly, an industrial engineering major.

Finishing third, and earning a $5,000 prize, were the creators of PuraSoy, a multi-purpose pad. PuraSoy is a 100 percent soy-based, dry multi-purpose pad product made with two pure soy-based ingredients. It is gentle on a variety of surfaces including skin, face, glassware and dishes. PuraSoy has a silky feeling and has soybeans incorporated in every aspect of the production process, including the base pad and the wax used. The PuraSoy team consists of Jocelyn Erickson, a freshman majoring in industrial engineering, and Jessica Parks, a freshman majoring in supply chain and operations management.

In addition to the other prizes, the more than 400 attendees of the Student Soybean Innovation Competition Awards Ceremony could each vote for their favorite product for the $500 People’s Choice award. This prize was officially renamed in honor Dr. Rodolfo Pinal, Associate Professor of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics who died in December 2024. Pinal was a frequent faculty advisor for students in this competition, many of whom were prize winners, including the past two winning teams.

This year’s award went to SoyCare, soybean-based diapers that provide a cost-effective, highly biodegradable and renewable solution to meet a growing demand. The SoyCare team members include Soumil Gupta, who plans to major in chemical engineering; Mary Busayo Oluyemi, a doctoral student in the Department of Food Science; and Himanjali Tavva, a freshman food science major.

“The goal of the competition is to highlight the versatility of soybeans while addressing a need in agriculture or the general public,” said ISA Board Chair Denise Scarborough, a farmer from LaCrosse, Ind. “ISA looks forward to working with Purdue students each year and seeing what unique products they create. The products made by these students can expand opportunities and markets for all Indiana soybean growers.”

This year, the Indiana Soybean Alliance added a new component to the competition by adding a soy-based food track. We’ll have more on that next week from Hoosier Ag Today!