Journalists are encouraged to contact OSU's Department of News and Research Communications at 541-737-0787 for assistance. Media personnel seeking expert sources for their stories can contact OSU news editor Sean Nealon at 541-737-0787 or sean.nealon@oregonstate.edu.
For more specific content, science news writer Steve Lundeberg is also available at 541-737-4039, or steve.lundeberg@oregonstate.edu.
“It is outrageous that our government is hiding information and lying,” said former Obama National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Chief and Oregon State oceanographer Jane Lubchenco. “People have a right to know the truth about the things that affect their health and safety, and the government has a responsibility to tell the truth.”
A recent study by College of Science faculty and researchers at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has revealed a baby boom of ochre sea stars leading to surging populations of the colorful starfish.
An OregonLive article highlights BioHealth Sciences junior Riitvek Baddireddi, whose journey from immigrating from India to surviving a rare childhood disease inspired his path toward a career in healthcare. At Oregon State, he conducts research on venom proteins as potential cancer therapeutics in Nathan Mortimer’s lab and on renewable energy electrochemical cells in Xiulei “David” Ji’s lab, while also leading campus efforts to expand hands-on learning experiences for pre-med students and stem cell and marrow donor registration.
USA TODAY highlighted the turnaround of America’s commercial fisheries and quoted Jane Lubchenco, University Distinguished Professor of Biology and former NOAA administrator. She described the “perverse economic incentives” that once pushed fishermen to race for the last fish, noting how evidence-based policy and unlikely partnerships have rebuilt sustainable fisheries nationwide.
This #DarkMatterDay, we’re celebrating the instinct to seek, wonder, and explore the invisible forces that shape our universe. Sanjana Curtis, assistant professor of physics at Oregon State, joins previous SciComm Excellence award winners and reflects on how studying the cosmos—its origins, its elements and its mysteries—connects us all.
Ochre sea stars, an iconic species once common along the Oregon Coast, are making a recovery after years of decline due to a mysterious wasting disease. That’s according to a study published earlier this month by scientists at Oregon State University and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
The “baby boom” of ochre sea stars that followed a population crash a decade ago is enabling the species to recover on the Oregon Coast, according to new research by scientists at Oregon State University and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
The story delves into the history of the Platypus Trophy, a 1959 student-made sculpture blending both mascots. Lost for years, it now unofficially trades hands between the schools’ alumni associations. Kathryn Everson, assistant professor of biology, shares why the platypus is such a fitting mascot mash-up. With webbed feet like a duck, a broad tail like a beaver and even a venomous spur on its hind legs, the platypus embodies traits of both teams.
Lindsay Nikole’s path in zoology — and internet fame — has been unconventional, to say the least. Nikole’s work is most prevalent on social media, where she has more than 5 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. While studying at Oregon State University, Nikole was exposed to broader horizons. “I ended up interning at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Namibia to get more experience with big cats,” she said.
Could AI ever get so powerful it outsmarts us all? A Popular Mechanics story says not anytime soon – unless we build a machine that can literally “eat the sun.” Mas Subramanian, Milton Harris Chair of Materials Science, is among the experts weighing in on the limits of computer chips, the massive energy demands of AI and the leap required to reach the singularity.
Corvallis chemical manufacturer and College of Science spin-off Valliscor broke ground this week on its 16,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Albany. Valliscor has produced ingredients used in pharmaceuticals from allergy medicines like Flonase to breast cancer drugs. It's now stepping into the semiconductor market.
Lightning first struck Mas Subramanian over 15 years ago. When he and his graduate student Andrew Smith put a mixture of rather mundane powders into the lab oven at Oregon State University, the pair wanted to discover exotic new metal combinations to improve supercomputing. What they pulled out of the oven, however, wasn’t that. Finding a red that is permanent, safe, and inexpensive has become Subramanian’s new challenge.
Check out benthic ecologist Sarah Henkel in this segment from Jes Burns with OPB’s All Science, No Fiction. Burns shares how the Pacific Marine Energy Center (affiliated with PacWave), the largest wave energy testing center on the planet, was completed in Newport, Oregon in the spring. Learn about how engineers and scientists like Henkel are working to provide a testing center for wave energy devices with the lowest impact on the creatures that inhabit the deep.
A vitamin deficiency likely killed as many as half of newly hatched fry of endangered winter-run Chinook salmon in the Sacramento River in 2020 and 2021. These new findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"What drew you to Oregon State University originally?
I enjoy working in labs and learning about marine ecosystems as well as spending time in and around them, and the programs to get into that space and get involved in research as an undergraduate at OSU stood out to me. I also spent time on the Oregon coast growing up, around the tidepools especially, and connections to the vibrant coastal life played a key role in my choice to go to OSU as well."
Materials scientist Mas Subramanian made color history with YInMn blue. Chemical and Engineering News, the news magazine of the American Chemical Society, documented his new challenge with the search for red. Plenty of red pigments exist, but they all have their drawbacks. Subramanian is after a red that is permanent, safe and inexpensive.
Researchers at Oregon State University are working on developing a way to make contrast agents more targeted.
Researchers at Oregon State University are discovering ways to adjust the size of silver nanoparticles, which could mean huge advances in medical imaging. The study leaders said this breakthrough could revolutionize the field, as silver nanoparticles are tiny pieces of material that can kill microorganisms. This study aimed to make them uniform in shape and size, and keep them from degrading. When they’re uniform and stable, silver nanoparticles can be used in water purification, wound dressings, and medical diagnostic imaging.
Maybe it’s time for a new license plate that shouts fearlessness, tenacity and resilience. The “Vibrant Ocean” specialty plate features three shark species commonly found in Oregon. Proceeds from sales of the plates will benefit Oregon State University’s Big Fish Lab, which focuses on shark research. The license plate was designed by Natalie Donato, a third-year undergraduate student from Folsom, California who is studying marine biology and ecology at OSU’s College of Science.
For the grass seed industry, spotting weed seeds and other unwanted interlopers among thousands of grass seeds is as tedious as it is necessary. Samples of grass seed are repeatedly analyzed by growers to avoid penalties for weed seeds and other impurities, while seed companies must do the same to comply with labeling rules. “That takes away time from the rest of their work,” said Dan Curry, director of seed services at Oregon State University. “They don’t want any weeds or any other crops in there.” By delegating the mind-numbing task to computers, Oregon State University scientists plan to save countless hours of labor without sacrificing seed purity.
