Team will study microbes’ effect on climate change

The University of Kentucky has been awarded a six-year, $18 million NSF grant to establish the NSF ESCAPE center for assessing pathogen emergence. The center will focus on environmental surveillance using social science, engineering, bioinformatics, and risk modeling to predict and prevent pandemics.

Lehigh University researchers are collaborating with Dow on a three-year NSF-funded project to understand the chemistry behind full degradation of these polymers. The goal is to develop strategies for selective mixing of microbial communities to target different parts of the polymer for complete breakdown.

Researchers developed a new model incorporating genetic information from microbes to better understand soil carbon sequestration and plant-microbe interactions. This approach enables more accurate prediction of global carbon cycle changes in climate models, informing agricultural strategies to preserve carbon and mitigate climate change.

New Jersey Institute of Technology biologist Xiaonan Tai receives a $1.16 million NSF CAREER Award to study how groundwater influences forest survival during climate stress, integrating ecology and hydrology perspectives.

A new study found that climate anxiety in the US is associated with being younger, female, and feeling personally affected by climate change. Climate anxiety was also linked to increased media exposure, discussion frequency, and engagement in environmental behaviors.

Researchers identified an unknown family of microbes uniquely adapted to tropical peatlands, with a dual role in the carbon cycle. These microbes can either stabilize or intensify climate change by releasing greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane.