Biological, physical and mathematical sciences at Michigan State University
The huge changes in the Earth’s crust that influenced human evolution are being redefined, according to research published today in Nature Geoscience. The Great Rift Valley of East Africa — the birthplace of the human species — may have taken much longer to develop than previously believed. “We now believe that the western portion of [...]
For alumnus Anthony Kendall, what started out as a career leaning toward physics and mechanical engineering has evolved into several years of environmental research spanning everything from water resources in the High Plains to Brook trout in Northern Michigan’s Jordan River. As an undergraduate honors student at Michigan State, Kendall was majoring in mechanical engineering and [...]
A $7 million gift will help expand Michigan State University’s Department of Geological Sciences, fostering better understanding of Earth’s systems and resources. The gift, from an MSU graduate who wishes to remain anonymous, will help build a program focused on excellence and leadership in Earth science. The gift will mainly go toward new professorships and [...]
Elena Litchman, associate professor of zoology, will lead a team of researchers through a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s new Dimensions of Biodiversity program to study how microorganisms in Siberia’s Lake Baikal adapt to a changing environment. Lake Baikal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is acknowledged as the world’s largest (by volume) and [...]
The Geological Society of America has recognized MSU doctoral student Sheldon Turner with an Outstanding Mention Award – one of 20 awards presented by the GSA during their annual conference in Minneapolis. Turner was recognized for his research in understanding how to best communicate complex science issues through images and visualizations. “A common way to communicate [...]
Associate Professor Elena Litchman was among 94 researchers honored by President Obama today as a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. Ten Federal departments and agencies join [...]
Claire Vieille is not afraid to chase her dreams. After receiving her PhD from the Institut Pasteur in France, she attended a lecture by MSU Professor J. Gregory Zeikus on his work studying enzymes produced by thermophilic bacteria. Vieille was hooked. She left Paris and headed for East Lansing. “Chicago or New York would [...]
Stopping the spread of radioactive Uranium and other harmful pollutants can be achieved with the use of protein nanowires produced on the outside of a group of bacteria called Geobacter, scientists at Michigan State University have determined. The nanowires, or pili, are hair-like protein appendages with electrical conductivity and can, by themselves, catalyze the process [...]
Spending the summer criss-crossing Michigan and traveling remote backroads may not sound like science, but for two MSU graduate students, it is a key role in the establishment of a massive imaging array to better predict natural disasters. Benjamin Johnson and Jamie Ryan are identifying locations across the lower peninsula that will host 25 seismic [...]
Ruby Ghosh, associate professor of physics, has built a dissolved oxygen sensor that provides real-time data and is relatively inexpensive. She and her students built prototypes in the lab and worked with Michigan’s fish farmers to see how the sensor would function in a year-round, outdoor environment. Monitoring oxygen levels in water has applications for [...]
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