BIOLOGY - When gut bacteria isn't in the right place, it can lead to abnormal bacterial behavior and gut inflammation, according to a study by a team of researchers led by UO microbiologist Jarrod Smith in the laboratory of biology professor Karen Guillemin published July 28 in the journal Cell Host and Microbe. The findings point to possible mechanisms behind intestinal conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

BIOLOGY - Chris Doe's lab is featured in the National Institutes of Health's Director's Blog. In the post, the author explores an image of a larval fruit fly's developing nervous system. The fruit fly provides clues into the development and repair of the human nervous system.

BIOLOGY - A University of Oregon research team has landed a $3 million federal grant to work with Indigenous and rural communities in Oregon to find ways of reducing climate-changing carbon in the atmosphere in ways that build trust with historically marginalized groups.

BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY, GLOBAL STUDIES - The Incubating Interdisciplinary Initiatives (I3) awards provide up to $50,000 to seed new interdisciplinary research. This year, three awards are funded by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation. Among winners are Jo Weaver (Department of Global Studies), Matthew Barber (Department of Biology and the Institute of Ecology and Evolution), Michael Harms (Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Institute of Molecular Biology) and Melanie Spero (Department of Biology and Institute of Molecular Biology).

BIOLOGY - The University of Oregon's Environment Initiative has named six faculty fellows for the 2023-24 academic year, two of whom belong to the College of Arts and Sciences: Lauren Hallett, associate professor of environmental studies and biology, and Peter Walker, professor of geography and environmental studies.

BIOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE - New research biology professor Adam Miller’s lab — published in Current Biology — illuminates the importance of neuron-to-neuron communication via direct electrical signaling, instead of the usual chemical messengers sent between cells.

BIOLOGY - Using data science applied to plant and animal records at natural history museums, UO graduate student Jordan Rodriguez is finding new ways to study the evolution of key proteins.

BIOLOGY - On Thursday, May 25, around 450 UO students and recent graduates presenting their projects at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. The annual event showcases student research across all academic fields; 67 majors across all the UO’s schools and colleges will be represented.

BIOLOGY, NEUROSCIENCE - Research led by neuroscientist Shawn Lockery shows worms exposed to a cannabinoid become even more interested in food they'd already prefer, similar to craving potato chips after a few puffs of marijuana — known scientifically as “hedonic feeding” but colloquially called “the munchies.”

BIOLOGY, DATA SCIENCE - University of Oregon ecologist Lauren Ponisio has been awarded a fellowship from the Ecological Society of America for research and outreach that has proven her an exceptional leader.

BIOLOGY - University of Oregon biologist Diana Libuda has received national recognition for her research, leadership and mentorship. Libuda, an associate professor in the Institute of Molecular Biology, was awarded the Excellence in Science Early-Career Investigator Award from the Federation of American Societies in Experimental Biology.

BIOLOGY - Your average sunflower sea star can munch through almost five purple sea urchins in a week, and they don’t seem to be picky about the quality of their food. A team co-led by Aaron Galloway at the UO’s Oregon Institute of Marine Biology published the findings in Proceedings of the Royal Society B on Feb. 15.

BIOLOGY - UO scientists have uncovered new clues to the genetic basis for scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine.

BIOLOGY - Marine plankton exist as the base of most ocean food webs that support and sustain valuable fisheries. Planktonic organisms remain understudied: researchers find them difficult to sample given that their sizes span from less than one micron to meters.

BIOLOGY - A western wildflower known as the scarlet monkeyflower could demonstrate how key evolutionary traits can help native species adapt to a rapidly changing climate.