Grocery shopping can be an illuminating chore for a toxicologist. Julie Gosse, a University of Maine associate professor of molecular and biomedical sciences, has scanned the supermarket aisles for products that contain triclosan (TCS), a synthetic antibacterial agent. Since the ’90s, TCS has been in a slew of consumer products, including facial cleansers, toothpaste, mouthwash […]
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Explaining the dynamics of an ice age landscape to a classroom of middle-schoolers can be a daunting challenge for teachers. Researchers in the lab examine evidence such as pollen and other tiny fossils, and particulate matter contained in sediment core samples to “see” what the ancient landscape once was. But how can this data be […]
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Juvenile soft-shell “steamer” clams are not surviving to adulthood due to high levels of predation, according to Brian Beal, a professor of marine ecology at the University of Maine at Machias and director of research at the nonprofit Downeast Institute (DEI), who partnered with the Maine Clammers Association to conduct the research. The team discovered […]
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An assistant professor of neurobiology at the University of Maine has been awarded a $750,000 grant from the American Heart Association for a three-year study looking at the aging of fat tissue and its effects on cardiovascular and metabolic conditions. Kristy Townsend, an expert on brain-adipose communication, energy balance regulation and cardiometabolic disease, received a […]
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Research led by two University of Maine professors aims to provide a greater understanding of the mechanisms by which soils adsorb phosphate and maintain it in plant-available forms to increase the sustainability of agriculture in the United States. Tsutomu Ohno, a professor of soil chemistry, and M. Susan Erich, a professor of plant and soil […]
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Reports in recent years that marine protected areas (MPAs) aren’t effective in saving coral reefs from the damaging effects of global climate change have led some to argue that such expensive interventions are futile. But a study that spanned 700 kilometers of the eastern Caribbean reveals that MPAs can, indeed, help coral reefs. Robert Steneck, […]
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Mehdi Tajvidi knows that big things can come in small packages. He works with cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) — the natural structural building units of wood that are 1/100,000th the width of a human hair. The University of Maine assistant professor of renewable nanomaterials describes CNF as magical. The renewable biodegradable material has superior properties, he […]
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A total of 38 University of Maine students in the Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) Program will present nine senior capstone design projects on Maine Day. From 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m. May 2, students will showcase their final projects in Bennett Hall, Room 137, unless otherwise noted. Scheduled presentations: 9:30–10 a.m. “Scaled tower crane.” Students are creating […]
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The Northeastern States Research Cooperative (NSRC) has released its comprehensive report on 16 years of scientific contributions to northern forest research. NSRC state directors are Aaron Weiskittel, University of Maine; William “Breck” Bowden, University of Vermont; William McDowell, University of New Hampshire; and David Newman, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and […]
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The Thwaites Glacier in remote West Antarctica is losing 50 billion tons of ice a year and polar scientists say it could collapse within decades. The resulting rapid sea-level rise would increase vulnerability for 40 percent of the world’s population — approximately 3 billion people — living within 60 miles of the coast. So reducing […]
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