Rutgers Expert Can Discuss November and 2020 Warmth, Top Snowfall Seasons in N.J.

New Brunswick, N.J. (Dec. 9, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick climatologist David A. Robinson is available for interviews on the extreme warmth in New Jersey in November and 2020 to date, as well as the 10 snowiest and 10 least snowy seasons since…

Mount Sinai Researchers Advance a Universal Influenza Virus Vaccine

A vaccine that induces immune responses to a wide spectrum of influenza virus strains and subtypes has produced strong and durable results in early-stage clinical trials in humans, Mount Sinai researchers have found.

Go Inside the Most Innovative Minds in Science and Medicine on “Real, Smart People,” a New Podcast

Podcast from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai offers a glimpse into the real story of how science and medicine moves forward, one smart person at a time.

Rutgers Expert Can Discuss AI Advances Linked to RCSB Protein Data Bank

New Brunswick, N.J. (Dec. 3, 2020) – Stephen K. Burley, director of the RCSB Protein Data Bank headquartered at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, is available for interviews on how the bank’s 50 years of data on the 3D biomolecular structures of life and artificial intelligence can lead…

Best Region For Life on Mars Was Far Below Surface

The most habitable region for life on Mars would have been up to several miles below its surface, likely due to subsurface melting of thick ice sheets fueled by geothermal heat, a Rutgers-led study concludes. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, may help resolve what’s known as the faint young sun paradox – a lingering key question in Mars science.

Research finds new link between cell damage in astronauts and geriatric-type health problems observed during space missions

Damage caused to human cells during spaceflight appears to be the underlying cause of many health issues observed in astronauts, it has been discovered by researchers from the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) and School of Biological Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast.

Working in partnership with an international team, their findings have been published today (25 November) in Cell.

Four Rutgers Professors Named AAAS Fellows

Four Rutgers professors have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), an honor given to AAAS members by their peers. They join 485 other new AAAS fellows as a result of their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. A virtual induction ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 13, 2021.

Potential New Therapies for Alzheimer’s Disease are Revealed through Network Modeling of Its Complex Molecular Interactions

Researchers from Mount Sinai and the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology in Japan have identified new molecular mechanisms driving late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Science and Benefits of Handwashing in COVID-19 Era

New Brunswick, N.J. (Nov. 23, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Donald W. Schaffner, a food microbiologist who has also studied handwashing for more than 20 years, is available for interviews on the science and benefits of handwashing during the COVID-19 pandemic and overall.…

U.S. Seafood Industry Flounders Due to COVID-19

The pandemic is putting a hurt on the seafood industry, finds the largest study of COVID on U.S. fisheries, which suggests that American fishmongers may flounder – or go belly up – without more government aid.

-Monthly fresh seafood exports declined up to 43%
-Monthly imports fell up to 37%
-Catches dropped 40% some months.

Over the first six months of 2020:
-Total U.S. seafood exports are down 20%
-Imports are down 6%
-Further losses are likely as restrictions increase to address COVID-19.

Gut Microbiome Manipulation Could Result from Virus Discovery

Scientists have discovered how a common virus in the human gut infects and takes over bacterial cells – a finding that could be used to control the composition of the gut microbiome, which is important for human health. The Rutgers co-authored research, which could aid efforts to engineer beneficial bacteria that produce medicines and fuels and clean up pollutants, is published in the journal Nature.

Perfect Match: FAU and Memorial Healthcare System Establish Research Partnership

South Florida giants in higher education and healthcare have joined forces to form an alliance that will advance clinical research and clinical trials in the region. Florida Atlantic University and Memorial Healthcare System in Broward County have formed a “Research Partnership to Advance Clinical Trials” (Research PACT), which combines their expertise and resources in clinical research, clinical trials, basic research and translational biomedical research.

Genetic Code Evolution and Darwin’s Evolution Theory Should Consider DNA an ‘Energy Code’

Darwin’s theory of evolution should be expanded to include consideration of a DNA stability “energy code” – so-called “molecular Darwinism” – to further account for the long-term survival of species’ characteristics on Earth, according to Rutgers scientists. The iconic genetic code can be viewed as an “energy code” that evolved by following the laws of thermodynamics (flow of energy), causing its evolution to culminate in a nearly singular code for all living species, according to the Rutgers co-authored study in the journal Quarterly Review of Biophysics.

Atmospheric Rivers Help Create Massive Holes in Antarctic Sea Ice

Warm, moist rivers of air in Antarctica play a key role in creating massive holes in sea ice in the Weddell Sea and may influence ocean conditions around the vast continent as well as climate change, according to Rutgers co-authored research. Scientists studied the role of long, intense plumes of warm, moist air – known as atmospheric rivers – in creating enormous openings in sea ice. They focused on the Weddell Sea region of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica, where these sea ice holes (called polynyas) infrequently develop during the winter.

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Record Snow Cover in October 2020

Media contact: Todd Bates, [email protected], 848-932-0550. New Brunswick, N.J. (Nov. 5, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick climatologist David A. Robinson is available for interviews on the record high snow cover over North America in October 2020. Robinson oversees the Rutgers…

Rutgers Experts Available to Discuss Paris Climate Agreement Following 2020 Election

New Brunswick, N.J. (Nov. 4, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick professors Robert E. Kopp and Pamela McElwee are available for interviews on the Paris climate agreement following the 2020 election. In 2017, President Trump announced that the United States will withdraw from the agreement, and…

Mount Sinai Researchers Develop a First-in-Class Humanized Antibody Targeting Bone and Fat

Blocking the Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) whose levels rise at menopause could solve bone loss and weight gain Senior Author: Mone Zaidi, MD, PhD, MACP, Director of the Mount Sinai Bone Program and Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease) at…

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Habitats, Living on Moon’s Surface

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 27, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Haym Benaroya is available for interviews on placing habitats for long-term living on the moon’s surface in light of new evidence of water on Earth’s satellite. Benaroya, a Distinguished Professor in the…

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Risk Perception in COVID-19 Era

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 26, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor William Hallman is available for interviews on the science of risk perception and its practical implications in the COVID-19 era – a time of fear and anxiety among millions of…

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Coronavirus Risk from Surfaces, Groceries, Food, Airborne Exposures

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 26, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor Donald W. Schaffner is available for interviews on the likelihood of getting infected by the SARS-CoV-2  coronavirus via surfaces, groceries, eating food and airborne/aerosol transmission. “Current evidence still indicates that risk from surfaces remains…

Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss Vietnam’s Vulnerability to Floods

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 23, 2020) – Rutgers Professor Pamela McElwee, an expert on Vietnam environmental issues, is available for interviews on the devastating flooding in that country this month and the flood threat posed by Typhoon Saudel. McElwee, who has done research…

MEDIA ADVISORY: Scientific, Higher Education Leaders to Discuss Student Visa Restriction on America’s Leadership in Innovation

AIP and 36 other scientific associations and societies urge the president’s administration to prioritize the immigration of science and technology talent that will spur the scientific breakthroughs and economic growth of the U.S. In that effort, AIP supports the American Immigration Council in their efforts to highlight the impacts of limiting immigration on students who want to pursue science-based degrees in the United States, which will be discussed in a media briefing on Oct. 22, hosted by the AIC to allow reporters to hear from experts, including Brian Greene, professor of physics and mathematics and bestselling author.

Rutgers Bat Researcher Can Discuss Iconic Halloween Animals

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 20, 2020) – Evan Drake, a bat researcher and doctoral student at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, is available for interviews on iconic Halloween animals and misunderstood wildlife, as well as bats and COVID-19. Halloween is known for…

Memorial Sloan Kettering Awards and Appointments

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) announces its most recent awards and appointments for the institution’s physicians, scientists, nurses, and staff.

Coping with Chaos

For our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Alice Suroviec describes pandemic-related challenges—and benefits—of being a mother, professor, scientist, researcher, administrator, homeschooler, and crisis manager. Alice is Professor of Bioanalytical Chemistry and Dean of the College of Medical and Natural Sciences at Berry College, Georgia, U.

Science’s Time to Shine

In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Greg Jackson reflects on changing perceptions of science and difficulties meeting goals in the shadow of COVID-19. Greg is professor of mechanical engineering at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). His research group focuses on solar energy storage in solid-oxide electrochemical systems.

Rutgers Astronomer Receives Packard Fellowship for Innovative Young Scientists

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 15, 2020) – Blakesley Burkhart’s childhood days spent volunteering at a science museum and watching the Discovery Channel and sci-fi shows sparked her love of science and fascination with the stars. “These were the beginning years…

Most Nations Failing to Protect Nature in COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery Plans

The COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to reset the global economy and reverse decades of ecosystem and species losses, but most countries are failing to invest in nature-related economic reforms or investments, according to a Rutgers-led paper.

$3M Department of Defense award to support UIC STEM research program

A multidisciplinary research team from the University of Illinois Chicago has been awarded a $3 million, three-year U.S. Department of Defense award to establish an undergraduate research mentoring program in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, areas with a focus on engaging undergraduate student veterans and minority students.

Rutgers Experts Can Discuss Invasive Spotted Lanternfly Spread in N.J.

New Brunswick, N.J. (Oct. 1, 2020) – Rutgers University–New Brunswick Professor George C. Hamilton and Associate Professor Anne L. Nielsen can discuss the spread of and threat posed by the invasive spotted lanternfly, a destructive pest, in New Jersey. “Their…

Genetic, immunological abnormalities in Type I interferon pathway are risk factors for severe COVID-19

Individuals with severe forms of COVID-19 disease can present with compromised type I interferon (IFN) responses based on their genetics, according to results published in two papers today in the journal Science. Type I IFN responses are critical for protecting cells and the body from more severe disease after acute viral infection.

Cellular processes and social behaviors and… zombies?

The Zombie Apocalypse Medicine Meeting will happen online October 15-18, 2020. The meeting spans the sciences, the arts and the scary while bringing scientists, artists and journalists together with the general public. This year’s meeting has been reanimated into a livestream broadcast on Channel Zed. Registrants will have access to programming on topics like how birth control, race relations, the pandemic, sex, literature and social media can all be thought of as zombification processes.

How to Get a Handle on Carbon Dioxide Uptake by Plants

How much carbon dioxide, a pivotal greenhouse gas behind global warming, is absorbed by plants on land? It’s a deceptively complicated question, so a Rutgers-led group of scientists recommends combining two cutting-edge tools to help answer the crucial climate change-related question.