Field Notes: South Pacific
WashU earth scientists are studying undersea earthquakes and analyzing lava rocks from a volcanic hotspot near the islands of Samoa. Read about the work from their 28-day research cruise in 2023.
Turning bacteria into bioplastic factories
Two new studies by biologists at Washington University in St. Louis highlight one potential source of game-changing materials: purple bacteria that, with a little encouragement, can act like microscopic factories for bioplastics.
WashU to lead $26 million decarbonization initiative
A collaboration of universities and industry is embarking on a bold plan to transform manufacturing toward zero or negative emissions by converting carbon dioxide ultimately into environmentally friendly chemicals and products.
Tyson Center gets local high schoolers involved in research
High school students participate in the six-week paid Tyson Environmental Research Apprenticeship (TERA).
Health and hope in Montana
Alumna Tescha Hawley was named a Top Ten CNN Hero in 2023 for her service to the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and surrounding areas.
Seeking environments that ‘generate health’
Washington University appoints Sandro Galea as inaugural dean of its planned School of Public Health to work toward healthier futures in St. Louis and globally.
Ornamented dragonflies better equipped to survive human threats
A study by Kim Medley and others found that dragonflies with dark wing markings have a lower risk of extinction.
Sustainable technology to extract critical materials from coal-based resources
Young-Shin Jun to develop novel technology to extract, recover and enrich rare earth elements from coal-based resources.
WashU researchers quantify solar absorption by black carbon in fire clouds
New findings from Chakrabarty lab will help make climate models more accurate as massive wildfires become more common.
Fluctuating cellular energy drives microbial bioproduction
Fuzhong Zhang’s lab explores Adenosine-5’-triphosphate (ATP)’s role in biomanufacturing.