9 sustainable holiday tips from Furman U Shi Ctr for Sustainability: C offsets, bags>wrap, digitize, real>fake, regift, stocking food, LEDs, compost, cut the crap

Wes Dripps, PhD, director of the Shi Center for Sustainability at Furman University, is not only very green, he’s a great interview. He can speak about sustainability from workforce practices to food sustainability to lowering energy usage. The Shi Center…

Researchers begin major study aimed at improving health equity in New Jersey

The New Jersey Population Health Cohort Study, now in the design phase, will collect biometrics, survey responses and other granular data over time on major outcomes such as stress, resilience, trauma and cognitive function from a broad cross-section of the population across multiple generations, with additional targeting of low-income residents and diverse immigrant groups.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss ‘New Jersey’s Rising Coastal Risk’ Report

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 29, 2019) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor  Robert E. Kopp is available to discuss “New Jersey’s Rising Coastal Risk,” a report released today on the seventh anniversary of Superstorm Sandy’s devastating arrival in the Garden State. The research…

Red Algae Thrive Despite Ancestor’s Massive Loss of Genes

You’d think that losing 25 percent of your genes would be a big problem for survival. But not for red algae, including the seaweed used to wrap sushi. An ancestor of red algae lost about a quarter of its genes roughly one billion years ago, but the algae still became dominant in near-shore coastal areas around the world, according to Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Debashish Bhattacharya, who co-authored a study in the journal Nature Communications.

Plant physiology will be major contributor to future river flooding, UCI study finds

Irvine, Calif., Oct. 21, 2019 – The next time a river overflows its banks, don’t just blame the rain clouds. Earth system scientists from the University of California, Irvine have identified another culprit: leafy plants. In a study published today in Nature Climate Change, the UCI researchers describe the emerging role of ecophysiology in riparian flooding.

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Fall Foliage in New Jersey

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 17, 2019) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick tree expert Jason Grabosky is available for interviews on this year’s fall foliage season in the Garden State. “Generally speaking, the recent hot dry weather has muted some of the…

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Proposed High Seas Biodiversity Treaty

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 16, 2019) – Rutgers University environmental law expert Cymie R. Payne is available to comment on a proposed international treaty aimed at conserving high seas biodiversity. The treaty, which is under negotiations at the United Nations,…

Rutgers Shellfish Expert Available to Discuss East Coast Oyster Breeding Project

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 15, 2019) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick shellfish geneticist Ximing Guo is available to comment on a five-year Rutgers-led consortium project to breed better, more disease-resistant East Coast oysters. Improved oyster broodstock will then be made available…

Harvard University to Launch Center for Autism Research

New center for autism research will explore the basic biology of autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders
Scientists to study how genetic and environmental factors intersect to give rise to a family of dauntingly complex conditions affecting one in 59 children in the United States
Scientists will tackle current gaps in knowledge in the neurobiology of the condition
Center enabled by $20 million gift from philanthropists whose contributions to autism-related research total nearly $70 million to date

University of Redlands Environmental Economist Dr. Nicholas Reksten can speak on the economic and environmental impacts of the current wildfire threat and planned power outages.

University of Redlands Professor Dr. Nicholas Reksten is a nationally recognized environmental economist who can speak with authority on economic and environmental impacts of the current wildfire threat and planned power outages.  Dr. Reksten joined the economic department at the…

Scientists Discover New Antibiotic in Tropical Forest

Scientists from Rutgers University and around the world have discovered an antibiotic produced by a soil bacterium from a Mexican tropical forest that may help lead to a “plant probiotic,” more robust plants and other antibiotics. Probiotics, which provide friendlier bacteria and health benefits for humans, can also be beneficial to plants, keeping them healthy and more robust. The new antibiotic, known as phazolicin, prevents harmful bacteria from getting into the root systems of bean plants, according to a Rutgers co-authored study in the journal Nature Communications.

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Exceedingly Dry, Warm September in N.J.

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 3, 2019) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor David A. Robinson, the New Jersey State Climatologist, can provide insight on one of the driest and warmest Septembers in New Jersey since record-keeping began in 1895. Last month was the sixth driest September…

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Indonesian Fires Threatening Orangutans

New Brunswick, N.J. (Sept. 23, 2019) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Erin R. Vogel, an expert on endangered orangutans, is available to comment on tropical forest fires threatening the Tuanan Orangutan Research Station in the Mawas Conservation Area on the…

University of California, Irvine scientists available to speak about the impact of climate change on human health and wildfires

James Randerson, Chancellor’s Professor of Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine, is a senior researcher on the impact of climate change on the ecology, particularly with regard to wildfires in important forest ecosystems. He was a senior…

Disaster researchers can comment on evacuation, sea level rise, health issues, pet safety as Hurricane Dorian approaches

The University of Delaware’s Disaster Research Center offers several experts who can talk about various aspects of a storm such as Hurricane Dorian. Tricia Wachtendorf: Evacuation decision-making, disaster response and coordination, disaster relief (donations) and logistics, volunteer and emergent efforts, social…

Rutgers Coastal Expert Can Discuss ‘King Tide’ in N.J.

New Brunswick, N.J. (Aug. 28, 2019) – Rutgers coastal expert Lisa Auermuller is available for interviews on the “king tide” in New Jersey, which will lead to abnormally high water levels through Labor Day, causing localized tidal flooding and illustrating…

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss Fires in Amazon Rainforests

New Brunswick, N.J. (Aug. 27, 2019) – With numerous fires raging in ecologically priceless Amazon rainforests, Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Laura C. Schneider can comment on current fire patterns (the number of fires and their location), linkages to tropical rain…

Scientists Discover Key Factors in How Some Algae Absorb Solar Energy

Scientists have discovered how diatoms – a type of algae that produces 20 percent of the Earth’s oxygen – absorb solar energy for photosynthesis. The Rutgers University-led discovery, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could help lead to more efficient and affordable algae-based biofuels and combat climate change from fossil fuel burning.

Rutgers Experts Available to Discuss Reduction of Food Waste in N.J. Schools

New Brunswick, N.J. (Aug. 7, 2019) – Rutgers experts Sara Elnakib and Jennifer Shukaitis are available to comment on the new “School Food Waste Reduction Toolkit” they co-authored on reducing food waste in New Jersey K-12 schools. They participated in…

Physicists Make Graphene Discovery that Could Help Develop Superconductors

When two mesh screens are overlaid, beautiful patterns appear when one screen is offset. These “moiré patterns” have long intrigued artists, scientists and mathematicians and have found applications in printing, fashion and banknotes. Now, a Rutgers-led team has paved the way to solving one of the most enduring mysteries in materials physics by discovering a moiré pattern in graphene, where electrons organize themselves into stripes, like soldiers in formation.

A new way to unprint paper using intense pulsed light from a xenon lamp.

New Unprinting Method Can Help Recycle Paper and Curb Environmental Costs

Rutgers-led study shows the benefits of removing toner with pulses of intense xenon light Imagine if your printer had an “unprint” button that used pulses of light to remove toner, curbing environmental impacts compared with conventional paper recycling. A Rutgers-led…