There was mass enthusiastic voting on the 10 thesis covers shortlisted by the editors. Subramanian was ahead of the field from the word go, and stayed there.
A total of 1602 people cast their votes. In second place after a final sprint was Ellen de Hollander (Cover: Anthropometrics and Aging), with one fifth of the votes. After starting off in a neck-and-neck race with Subramanian, Cindy ten Broeke (Cover: aphids attacking lettuce) ended up in third place with 13 percent of the votes.
Subramanian did research on the relation between the food intake of fish and oxygen levels in the water. ‘I examined the hypothesis that the amount of feed a fish eats depends on its oxygen intake. That relation between oxygen, food, water and the rainbow trout, my model fish, is illustrated on the cover. Subramanian asked his Indian colleague, friend and fisheries expert Dasari Bhoomaiah to make the illustration. He had the idea of the oxygen molecule as a kind of belt that literally restricts the growth of the fish.
Subramanian got his PhD early in December and hopes to continue working in Wageningen. He is applying for a postdoc position in the Aquaculture and Fisheries chair group.
