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Three individuals walking through sand dunes, leaving footprints in their wake.
Research

From 'Dune' to coastal conservation, researchers lead the way in shifting sands

Three years after the release of “Dune,” a film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s epic 1965 sci-fi novel, “Dune: Part Two” is reigniting the public’s fascination with sandy environs and humanity’s efforts to reshape them.

Sally Hacker, a professor of integrative biology in the College of Science, is working with the Oregon departments of Parks and Recreation and Land Conservation and Development to create guidebooks for coastal dune management based on the best available science.

Three people in lab coats write on a clear board inside of a laboratory.
Chemistry

Researchers make key advance toward removing pesticide from groundwater

Scientists led by an Oregon State University chemistry researcher are closing in on a new tool for tackling the global problem of weedkiller-tainted groundwater.

Kyriakos Stylianou of the OSU College of Science led an international team that identified a material known as a metal-organic framework, or MOF, that showed an ability to completely remove, and also break down, the oft-used herbicide glyphosate.

The element vanadium displays a deep purple hue.
Chemistry

Research led by chemistry professor makes key advance for carbon capture

A chemical element so visually striking it was named for a goddess shows a “Goldilocks” level of reactivity – neither too much nor too little – that makes it a strong candidate as a carbon scrubbing tool.

A glossy Chinook salmon swims against the current in a shallow stream.
Research

Researchers discover vitamin that may offer hope for salmon suffering thiamine deficiency disease

Oregon State University researchers have discovered vitamin B1 produced by microbes in rivers, findings that may offer hope for vitamin-deficient salmon populations.

A scuba diver under water points at a trap.
Climate and Oceans

Some coral species might be more resilient to climate change than previously thought

Some coral species can be resilient to marine heat waves by “remembering” how they lived through previous ones, research by Oregon State University scientists suggests.

A worker at the head of a conveyor system scoops potatoes from a massive heap.
Chemistry

Researchers receive $2M to look for new ways to prevent organic potatoes from spoiling

Oregon State University researchers have been awarded $2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop improved ways of preventing stored potatoes from sprouting, particularly in the organic sector.

A woman in a stream holds dirt in her hands.
OSU Press Releases

Dam removals, restoration project on Klamath River expected to help salmon, researchers conclude

Five faculty members in the Department of Microbiology were part of a research group that analyzed how the the world’s largest dam removal and restoration project, currently underway on the Klamath River in Oregon and California, will aid salmon populations that have been devastated by disease and other factors.

Light hits the bright leaves of a hops plant.
Health and Biotechnology

Hops compound study with Science researcher reduces gut microbe associated with metabolic syndrome

Oregon State researchers, including a member of the College of Science, have shown in a mouse model and lab cultures that a compound derived from hops reduces the abundance of a gut bacterium associated with metabolic syndrome.

A researcher extends a tool over a small body of water to sample algae.
OSU Press Releases

Microbiology professor leads novel technique development for sniffing out algae blooms

Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a new way to monitor the danger associated with algae blooms: “sniffing” the water for gases associated with toxins.

A beetle is encased in yellow amber with antennae over three times its body length growing from its head.
Integrative Biology

College of Science researcher identifies new species of ancient beetle

One hundred million years ago, as iguanodons and triceratops fled from hungry tyrannosaurs, another biological drama played out on the ground where the giant reptiles trod: Male beetles using their supersized antennae in combat for mates.

A woman with short dark hair poses for a headshot wearing a black shirt and red suit jacket.
Faculty and Staff

Oregon State names new College of Science dean

Eleanor Feingold, a statistical geneticist and associate dean with nearly 20 years of leadership experience at the University of Pittsburgh, has been named dean of Oregon State University’s College of Science. She will start Oct. 31.

A visual representation of a nanomaterial.
Sustainable Energy and Materials

College of Science researchers find a better way to capture carbon from industrial emissions

Researchers in the College of Science have demonstrated the potential of an inexpensive nanomaterial to scrub carbon dioxide from industrial emissions. The findings, published in Cell Reports Physical Science, are important because improved carbon capture methods are key to addressing climate change, said Oregon State's Kyriakos Stylianou, who led the study.