Feb. 1, 2023 Microbes are 'active engineers' in Earth's rock-to-life cycle An open-air, living laboratory that spans parts of Arizona and New Mexico is helping researchers better understand how mineral weathering – the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals over time – feeds into Earth's intricate life-support system.
Jan. 23, 2023 Meet the bug that tastes 'like quinine with habanero' Known as the "King of Sting," Justin Schmidt has dedicated his life to the study of insects, mostly the stinging kind. In a recent paper, he explores giant velvet mites – elusive creatures of the arachnid family. Among his discoveries: Virtually no one wants to eat them, suggesting the mites have to contend with few, if any, predators.
Sept. 21, 2022 How a forest's smell could help scientists sniff out drought stress Ever wonder what gives a forest its pine-fresh scent? The answer is the molecular compound pinene, naturally released by plants. A new study explores how and under what conditions plants emit pinene and other volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere. The results may help scientists detect when an ecosystem is in distress.
April 20, 2022 Small but mighty: How UArizona researchers are harnessing the power of algae to capture carbon A team of University of Arizona researchers is working to scale up production of carbon-absorbing marine algae in an effort to curb the worst impacts of climate change.
Oct. 14, 2021 Who's Been Kissing Who? Prairie Dog 'Greet Kisses' Reveal Complex Social Networks Prairie dog kisses helped researcher Jennifer Verdolin map the intricacies of prairie dog social dynamics – from how many friends a particular prairie dog has to how many connections the critter facilitates.
July 27, 2021 Bug Bonanza: 7 Big, Colorful Critters to Try to Spot This Monsoon Season Summers are a smorgasbord of insect activity in Arizona. Entomologist Gene Hall breaks down some of the unique critters that are making an appearance after the monsoon rains.
March 4, 2021 Dramatic Decline in Western Butterfly Populations Linked to Fall Warming Western butterfly populations are declining at an estimated rate of 1.6% per year, according to a new report in Science. The western monarch population has declined 99.9% since the 1980s.
Nov. 19, 2020 Look Out, Bill Nye! Earyn McGee Rises to Social Media Stardom Earyn McGee started her university education focused on field research, but then became a science communication sensation on social media. The UArizona graduate student advocates for conservation and inclusivity in the sciences and was recently named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
May 3, 2024 Seven graduating students to receive awards at Commencement The university's top awards for graduating seniors recognize recipients' outstanding moral character, commitment to academics and service to their communities.
March 20, 2024 World Water Day brings work of UArizona researcher into focus Ahead of World Water Day on Friday, environmental science professor Raina Maier discusses the use of microbial surfactants or soaps for water remediation.