Lessons from a native wildflower’s story of evolving with climate
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.
Biology
Study: DNA repair declines with age, limiting fertility
BIOLOGY - Even worms have a ticking fertility clock. A new study from UO biologists suggests one possible reason why reproduction slows with age. Older worms are less efficient at repairing broken DNA strands while making egg cells—part of a process that’s essential for fertility.
Squishy critters are inspiring underwater vehicle design
BIOLOGY - Nanomia bijuga, a marine animal related to jellyfish, swims via jet propulsion. And it can control these jets individually, either syncing them up or pulsing them in sequence. These two different swimming styles let the animal prioritize speed or energy efficiency, depending on its current needs, a team of UO researchers found.
UO neuroscientists look deep into the eyes of the octopus
NEUROSCIENCE - The animal's sophisticated visual system could offer clues to brain evolution
Study finds a gut-brain link tied to social development
BIOLOGY - Gut microbes encourage specialized cells to prune back extra connections in brain circuits that control social behavior, new UO research in zebrafish shows. The pruning is essential for the development of normal social behavior.
New technique makes gene editing at scale possible in animals
BIOLOGY - A new gene editing technique developed by UO researchers compresses what previously would have been years of work into just a few days, making new kinds of research possible in animal models.
UO Research’s Impact on Community Continues to Grow
The University of Oregon continued its multiyear streak of increasing grant funding in fiscal year 2021-22 (FY22). Numerous faculty members received recognition for their contributions to research, as well as the number of research awards with direct positive effects on local and regional communities.
New study details the microbial origins of Type 1 diabetes
BIOLOGY - Almost a decade ago, UO graduate student Jennifer Hampton Hill made a fortuitous find: A protein made by gut bacteria that triggered insulin-producing cells to replicate. The protein was an important clue to the biological basis for Type 1 diabetes.
Marine Biology Students Get Their Feet Wet at OIMB
BIOLOGY - It’s 6 a.m. on a summer morning on the Oregon coast, and a dozen undergraduate students wearing tall rubber boots are piling into vans. They’re juggling granola bars and notebooks, texting friends who are running late.
$3 million grant funds IMAX film on deep-sea ecology
BIOLOGY - A new IMAX film spearheaded by researchers at the UO’s Oregon Institute of Marine Biology will shine a light on the importance of this unique ecosystem and the larval forms that maintain it.