Uncovering Camel Spiders’ Hidden Evolutionary Secrets with a Modern Genetic Tree

In a new study led by the laboratories of Prof. Prashant Sharma of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Dr. Efrat Gavish-Regev of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a team of researchers has uncovering the mysteries surrounding camel spiders (Solifugae), by successfully establishing the first-ever comprehensive molecular tree (phylogeny) of this enigmatic arachnid order.

The Future of Medicine Rises in University City: University of Pennsylvania Opens New Multi-Disciplinary Research Labs in One uCity Square

Wexford Science & Technology, LLC and the University of Pennsylvania today announced that the University has signed a lease for new laboratory space that will usher in a wave of novel vaccine, therapeutics and engineered diagnostics research to West Philadelphia.

To Cut Global Emissions, Replace Meat and Milk with Plant-Based Alternatives

Replacing 50% of meat and milk products with plant-based alternatives by 2050 can reduce agriculture and land use related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 31% and halt the degradation of forest and natural land, according to new research in Nature Communications journal.

Extreme Weather as the New Norm: American University Experts Available for Comment

WHAT: As scientists, policymakers and communities continue to grapple with extreme weather events and a changing climate, American University experts are available to comment on a wide range of topics and ramifications. WHEN/WHERE: August 30, 2023 – ongoing; availability in-studio, through email, phone or Zoom WHO: Paul Bledsoe is an adjunct professorial lecturer at the Center for Environmental Policy in AU’s School of Public Affairs.

Immersive experiences with Wits NeuRL

The Wits Neuroscience Research Lab (NeuRL) is working with an interdisciplinary team of researchers to build an immersive virtual reality laboratory. The team recently welcomed close collaborator Dr Harry Farmer, aSenior Lecturer in Psychology from the University of Greenwich, who delivered a hybrid seminar on how embodiment using virtual reality technologies can change previously held attitudes and beliefs.

ESF Launches Indigenous Writer Residency Program at Cranberry Lake

Four indigenous writers will participate in a new residency program at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). Through the Indigenous Writer Residency Program, each writer will spend three weeks at Cranberry Lake Biological Station, ESF’s satellite campus in the heart of the Adirondack Park on the ancestral lands of the Mohawk Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

Smartphone Use Goes Up in City Parks, But Down in Forests

New research shows that smartphone activity actually increases during visits outdoors to city parks—a finding that contradicts popular notions. Thanks to two years of unparalleled access to 700 study participants’ smartphone data, the study is the first to show that young adults now spend far more time on their smartphone screens than in nature. The study finds that people who visit forests or nature preserves experience significant declines in screen time, compared to visits to urban locations for the same duration.

IDAHO RESEARCHERS DEVELOP TOOL TO HELP RESTORE ELECTRICITY AFTER NATURAL DISASTERS

Storm-DEPART helps utilities refine their damage estimates by combining utility infrastructure data with weather data from the National Hurricane Center to efficiently deploy restoration resources.

FAU New Home to Award-winning Website ‘The Invading Sea’

The Invading Sea, an award-winning website featuring content on climate change in Florida, now has a new home at FAU. The Invading Sea was founded in 2018 as a collaboration among the editorial boards of the Miami Herald, Palm Beach Post and Sun Sentinel, with Miami-based public radio station WLRN serving as a news partner. The site will continue to be a nonpartisan source for news and opinion pieces about climate change and other environmental issues in Florida at FAU, while expanding its focus to include more educational content.

UNLV Study Sheds Light on Ancient Microbial Dark Matter

Omnitrophota are nano-sized bacteria first discovered 25 years ago. Though common in many environments around the world, until now they’ve been poorly understood. An international research team produced the first large-scale analysis of Omnitrophota genomes, uncovering new details about their biology and behavior. The team’s findings are reported in the March 16 issue of the journal Nature Microbiology.

FROM ATOMS TO EARTHQUAKES TO MARS: HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING A SWISS ARMY KNIFE FOR MODELING AND SIMULATION

At Idaho National Laboratory, computational scientists use INL’s supercomputers to perform “virtual experiments” to accomplish research that couldn’t be done by conventional means. While supercomputing can’t replace traditional experiments, supercomputing is an essential component of all modern scientific discoveries and advancements.

VUMC’s Aspirnaut program to install science lab at Wynne High School in Arkansas

A chemical biology research lab fit for an academic medical center is being installed at Wynne High School (WHS) in Wynne, Arkansas, as part of a pilot project of Aspirnaut STEM pipeline at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Aspirnaut, a K-20 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Pipeline for Diversity and Wellness, celebrated its 15th year in 2022.

FAU Harbor Branch Lands U.S. EPA Grant for ‘Hands-on’ Indian River Lagoon Field Trip

The project will host 125 field trips, which will educate as many as 3,125 socially disadvantaged middle and high school students about Florida’s natural resources and the importance of conserving them.

The Rockefeller University’s Erich Jarvis Leads Research Team to Win $50,000 FASEB DataWorks! Prize

Erich Jarvis, PhD, is among the winners of the FASEB DataWorks! Prize. The Prize, a partnership between the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology and National Institutes of Health, recognizes research teams that integrate data sharing and reuse to advance human health.

Seawater split to produce green hydrogen

Researchers have successfully split seawater without pre-treatment to produce green hydrogen. The international team was led by the University of Adelaide’s Professor Shizhang Qiao and Associate Professor Yao Zheng from the School of Chemical Engineering. “We have split natural seawater into oxygen and hydrogen with nearly 100 per cent efficiency, to produce green hydrogen by electrolysis, using a non-precious and cheap catalyst in a commercial electrolyser,” said Professor Qiao.