Research and Technology


Organic Photovoltaics: Solar Cells of the Future?

Undergraduate researcher Safatul Islam is a member of a team in the College of Optical Sciences investigating organic photovoltaics, which can lead to improved electronics.

Human Health: Biofuels to Grow from Plant Research Center

Improved nutrition for billions of people around the world and the development of clean, green biofuels are two key aims of a major new research center at the University of Adelaide's Waite Campus.

'Momma's Boy' Phenomenon May Occur in Bird Families

Scientists have discovered that zebra finch mothers favor their sons over their daughters, so male chicks end up getting fed more than their sisters do. But fathers don't appear to be as biased.

Single Microbial Gene Linked to Increased Ethanol Tolerance

A team of researchers from the Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science Center has pinpointed a single, key gene in a microbe that could help streamline the production of biofuels from non-food sources.

Professor Presents Research About Effect of Dams on Climate to Congress

As the U.S. government makes decisions on high-profile environmental issues, Faisal Hossain’s influence on those decisions is growing—attesting to the fact that a researcher at a mid-size university in a rural area can have a powerful national, even international, impact.

Another Study Finds Bluefin Tuna In Need of Protection

The team’s analysis—published in a recent issue of Science magazine’s Policy Forum—is the first study of global tuna and billfish populations using the methods of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

EPA Seeks Input on the Development of Drinking Water Perchlorate Regulation

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting small businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations to participate as small entity representatives (SERs) for a small business advocacy review (SBAR) panel.

Study Reveals Nature and Humans Quite Similar

World financial markets may be reeling from new setbacks, but it turns out there’s a secret economy right under our noses and it’s thriving. The movers and shakers, however, are plants and fungi.

Reversing E. Coli's Metabolism Produces Biofuels, Chemicals at Rapid Clip

Rice University engineering researchers unveiled a new method for rapidly converting simple glucose into biofuels and petrochemical substitutes

Map Identifies Important Coral Reefs Exposed to Stress

The study, say the authors, will help to conserve some of the world’s most important coral reefs by identifying reef systems where biodiversity is high and stress is low, ecosystems where management has the best chance of success.

Study: Late-’90s Arctic Ice Melt Caused Half by GHGs, Half by Normal Climate Conditions

These findings point to climate change and variability working together equally to accelerate the observed sea ice loss during the late 20th century.

Most Plant Species Important in Various and Varying Ecosystems

There are many different types of plants in grasslands around the world. According to a new analysis of plants in grassland ecosystems around the world, it turns out that most of those plant species are important.

Novel Technology Allows LCDs to Recycle Energy

We've all worried about the charge on our smartphone or laptop running down when we have no access to an electrical outlet. But new technology developed by researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science could finally help solve the problem.

Hybrid System Uses Solar Heat to Make Rooftop Hydrogen

While roofs across the world sport photovoltaic solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity, a Duke University engineer believes a novel hybrid system can wring even more useful energy out of the sun's rays.

Scientists Discover New Eruption at Undersea Volcano

A team of scientists just discovered a new eruption of Axial Seamount, an undersea volcano located about 250 miles off the Oregon coast – and one of the most active and intensely studied seamounts in the world.

Is Hunting Wolves Key to Their Conservation?

Hunters have been credited with being strong conservation advocates for numerous game species in multiple countries. Would initiating a wolf hunt invoke the same advocacy for the carnivores?

lettuce

Early Suntan Helps Lettuce Crops Bulk Up

New Zealand’s intense ultraviolet light may be bad for the skin, but it could provide a boost for vegetable production, according to new research by a Massey University crop scientist.

Geologist Experiments With Crowdsourcing to Track Water Levels of Local Streams

Inspired by a California researcher who used crowdsourcing to pinpoint the locations of roadkill, a University at Buffalo geologist is turning to the public for help monitoring a different ecological phenomenon: The water levels of streams in Western New York.

Report: 'Super Green' More Likely to be Wealthy

Many do not equate the environmentally focused activities of composting, recycling and using rechargeable batteries as primary activities of the high-income American jet set. But, according to a new report from Scarborough Research, the "Super Green" – those consumers who engage in the highest amount of environmentally-friendly activities as measured by Scarborough – are top earners with a taste for luxury.

New Research Sheds Light on South Pole Dinosaurs

Dog-sized dinosaurs that lived near the South Pole, sometimes in the dark for months at a time, had bone tissue very similar to dinosaurs that lived everywhere on the planet, according to a doctoral candidate at Montana State University (MSU).