Distinguished Electrochemist Marc Koper Receives the ECS Allen J. Bard Award in Electrochemical Science

The Electrochemical Society (ECS) honored Marc Koper, Professor of Surface Chemistry and Catalysis at Universiteit Leiden, Netherlands, with the 2021 ECS Allen J. Bard Award in Electrochemical Science. He will deliver his Award Address, “Electrochemistry of Platinum: New Views on an Old Problem,” at the 239th ECS Meeting with IMCS18. The address can be seen live online at 0900h EDT, Thursday, June 3, after which it will be available through June 26, 2021. There is no cost to participate, however pre-registration is required.

Electronics Pioneer Hiroshi Iwai Receives ECS Gordon E. Moore Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Solid State Science & Technology

The Electrochemical Society (ECS) honored Hiroshi Iwai, Vice Dean and Distinguished Chair Professor at the International College of Semiconductor Technology, Taiwan, and Professor Emeritus of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, with the 2021 ECS Gordon E. Moore Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Solid State Science & Technology. He delivers his Award Address, “Impact of Micro-/Nano-Electronics, Miniaturization Limit, and Technology Development for the Next 10 Years and After,” at the 239th ECS Meeting with IMCS18. The address can be seen live online at 2100h EDT, Thursday, June 3, after which it will be available through June 26, 2021. There is no cost to participate, however pre-registration is required.

Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Announces 2021 Graduate Fellows

The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, a nonprofit that empowers the most promising innovators in science and technology, has announced the recipients of the 2021 Hertz Fellowship. From improving treatments for cancer to investigating rising sea levels, these future leaders will address the most pressing challenges facing society.

Expert in Carbon Materials Kicks off 239th ECS Meeting with IMCS18 Plenary Session

The ECS Lecture at the Plenary Session of the 239th ECS Meeting with IMCS18 will be delivered by Dr. Rodney Ruoff, Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Chemistry and Materials Science, and the School of Energy Science and Chemical Engineering at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea, and Director of the Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM). The Plenary Session is from 2100-2200h EST on Monday, May 31, after which the content will be available through June 26, 2021. The 239th ECS Meeting with IMCS18 takes place in a digital format. There is no cost to participate, however pre-registration is required.

Orangutan Finding Highlights Need to Protect Habitat

Wild orangutans are known for their ability to survive food shortages, but scientists have made a surprising finding that highlights the need to protect the habitat of these critically endangered primates, which face rapid habitat destruction and threats linked to climate change. Scientists found that the muscle mass of orangutans on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia was significantly lower when less fruit was available. That’s remarkable because orangutans are thought to be especially good at storing and using fat for energy, according a Rutgers-led study in the journal Scientific Reports.

Catastrophic Sea-Level Rise from Antarctic Melting is Possible with Severe Global Warming

The Antarctic ice sheet is much less likely to become unstable and cause dramatic sea-level rise in upcoming centuries if the world follows policies that keep global warming below a key 2015 Paris climate agreement target, according to a Rutgers coauthored study. But if global warming exceeds the target – 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) – the risk of ice shelves around the ice sheet’s perimeter melting would increase significantly, and their collapse would trigger rapid Antarctic melting. That would result in at least 0.07 inches of global average sea-level rise a year in 2060 and beyond, according to the study in the journal Nature.

Rutgers Engineers Developing Rapid Breathalyzer Test for COVID-19

New Brunswick, N.J. (April 30, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick engineering professors Edward P. DeMauro, German Drazer, Hao Lin and Mehdi Javanmard are available for interviews on their work to develop a new type of fast-acting COVID-19 sensor that detects the presence…

Rutgers Professor Joan Bennett Elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences

Joan W. Bennett, a Distinguished Professor of plant biology and pathology at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. She joins neurosurgeon and CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center atmospheric scientist Ann Thompson and media entrepreneur and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey.

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology announces its first class of fellows

The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has launched an honorific program to recognize members who have made outstanding contributions to the field through their research, teaching and mentoring, or other forms of service. It will announce the 30 members of its first class of fellows Tuesday at the society’s annual meeting, held in conjunction with the Experimental Biology conference.

Rutgers Experts Available to Discuss New U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Target

New Brunswick, N.J. (April 22, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick professors Robert E. Kopp and Pamela McElwee are available for interviews on President Biden’s new plan, unveiled on Earth Day, for the United States to roughly halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. “Stabilizing the global…

Research Update: Cleaning & Disinfecting PPE for Reuse

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented disruption in supply chains across multiple sectors including the shortage of critical personal protective equipment (PPE). In addition to hand washing and social distancing, various PPE items are used to prevent contact with…

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Supernova Discovery

New Brunswick, N.J. (April 21, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick astrophysicist John P. (Jack) Hughes is available for interviews on a supernova (exploding star) discovery published today in the journal Nature. The discovery, made with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, features…

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Spring Allergy Season in N.J.

New Brunswick, N.J. (April 20, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick allergy specialist Leonard Bielory is available for interviews on the spring allergy season in New Jersey. “One can expect a brisk allergy season this year since we had a lot…

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss How Exercise Behaviors Changed During COVID-19 Pandemic

New Brunswick, N.J. (April 14, 2021) – Rutgers expert Brandon L. Alderman, who focuses on the science of exercise and its impact on mental health and cognitive function, is available for interviews on how exercise behaviors have changed during the…

Corals Carefully Organize Proteins to Form Rock-Hard Skeletons

Charles Darwin, the British naturalist who championed the theory of evolution, noted that corals form far-reaching structures, largely made of limestone, that surround tropical islands. He didn’t know how they performed this feat. Now, Rutgers scientists have shown that coral structures consist of a biomineral containing a highly organized organic mix of proteins that resembles what is in our bones. Their study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, shows for the first time that several proteins are organized spatially – a process that’s critical to forming a rock-hard coral skeleton.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Viral ‘Pandemics’ in Oceans

New Brunswick, N.J. (April 6, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick microbial oceanographer Kay D. Bidle is available for interviews on the persistent and profound impact of viral infections on algae in the oceans. These infections influence the Earth’s carbon cycle, which helps…

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss 17-Year Cicadas in N.J.

New Brunswick, N.J. (March 18, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick entomologist George C. Hamilton is available for interviews on the upcoming emergence of 17-year cicadas in New Jersey. The big, noisy insects appear suddenly in late May or early June. “This spring, we will…

“Ghost Forests” Expanding Along Northeast U.S. Coast

Why are “ghost forests” filled with dead trees expanding along the mid-Atlantic and southern New England coast? Higher groundwater levels linked to sea-level rise and increased flooding from storm surges and very high tides are likely the most important factors, according to a Rutgers study on the impacts of climate change that suggests how to enhance land-use planning.

How to Make All Headphones Intelligent

How do you turn “dumb” headphones into smart ones? Rutgers engineers have invented a cheap and easy way by transforming headphones into sensors that can be plugged into smartphones, identify their users, monitor their heart rates and perform other services. Their invention, called HeadFi, is based on a small plug-in headphone adapter that turns a regular headphone into a sensing device. Unlike smart headphones, regular headphones lack sensors. HeadFi would allow users to avoid having to buy a new pair of smart headphones with embedded sensors to enjoy sensing features.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Coronavirus Risks a Year After Lockdowns Began

New Brunswick, N.J. (March 11, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Donald W. Schaffner is available for interviews on the likelihood of becoming infected by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus via shopping, groceries, surfaces and airborne/aerosol transmission after a year of lockdowns due to the global pandemic.…

Psychedelic Science Holds Promise for Mainstream Medicine

A team of UNLV neuroscientists are uncovering how psychedelics affect brain activity. Their work, published recently in Nature: Scientific Reports, shows a strong connection in rodent models between brain activity and behaviors resulting from psychedelic treatment, a step forward in the quest to better understand their potential therapeutic effects.

Higher Pollen Levels Correlated With Increased Coronavirus Infection Rates

New Brunswick, N.J. (March 9, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick allergy specialist Leonard Bielory is available for interviews on a study he co-authored that correlates higher airborne pollen concentrations with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates. High-risk individuals should wear particle filter…

Rutgers University’s Resilient, Innovative Year Confronting COVID-19

The last year, which has been unlike any other in Rutgers’ 254-year history, has centered on keeping the Rutgers community safe, providing top-notch health care, developing the first saliva test for the coronavirus and helping society cope with the biggest global public health crisis since the 1918 influenza pandemic.

More than 1,000 SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Protein 3D Structures Available

New Brunswick, N.J. (March 3, 2021) – The 3D structures of more than 1,000 SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus proteins are freely available from the RCSB Protein Data Bank headquartered at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. The data bank reached the milestone this week, with 1,018 proteins as…

Harnessing the Power of Proteins in our Cells to Combat Disease

A lab on UNLV’s campus has been a hub of activity in recent years, playing a significant role in a new realm of drug discovery — one that could potentially provide a solution for patients who have run out of options.

Press Registration Now Open for Virtual Experimental Biology 2021 Meeting

Complimentary press passes are now available for the virtual Experimental Biology (EB) 2021 meeting, to be held April 27–30. EB is the annual meeting of five scientific societies bringing together thousands of scientists and 25 guest societies in one interdisciplinary community.

University of Northern Colorado Associate Professor Nick Pullen Provides Expertise on COVID-19 Vaccinations

Nick Pullen, Ph.D., an associate professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), provides expertise regarding the topic of COVID-19 vaccinations and immunity.  Pullen’s research centers around the body’s immune response, specifically chronic inflammation, asthma and allergies.…

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss James Webb Space Telescope Science

New Brunswick, N.J. (Feb. 22, 2021) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Kristen McQuinn is available for interviews on the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, its potential scientific impact and the leap forward it will provide in our understanding of the…

Fishes Contribute Roughly 1.65 Billion Tons of Carbon in Feces and Other Matter Annually

Scientists have little understanding of the role fishes play in the global carbon cycle linked to climate change, but a Rutgers-led study found that carbon in feces, respiration and other excretions from fishes – roughly 1.65 billion tons annually – make up about 16 percent of the total carbon that sinks below the ocean’s upper layers.