The red knot's dependence on horseshoe crab eggs for survival is a major concern for wildlife management officials. Researchers have found that the number of horseshoe crab eggs is the most important factor determining the use of beaches by red knots.
Researchers found high levels of selenium in contaminated toads and their offspring, leading to developmental abnormalities such as structural malformations and abnormal swimming. The study highlights the importance of maternal transfer in contaminant exposure for amphibians.
The project aims to personalize the library interface and provide context-sensitive services to enhance user experience. Researchers hope to increase the library's user base by making its resources more accessible and relevant to users' needs.
Researchers at Virginia Tech are working on a project to develop higher quality, disease-resistant wheat varieties using molecular markers. The goal is to increase competitiveness of U.S. wheat in global markets by creating durable resistant varieties and improving milling and baking qualities.
A new method for targeted gene disruption has been developed for the filamentous fungus A. brassicicola, allowing for high-throughput identification of genes and their functions. This breakthrough enables researchers to dissect the pathogen's genome and establish the function of individual genes in disease development.
The project 'Engineers and the Metrics of Progress' maps engineering education in reverse chronology, tracing how engineers have responded to various ideas of progress. By analyzing these responses, researchers aim to demonstrate engineers' key role in promoting national identity worldwide.
The collaboration aims to develop and field-test individual lessons/modules that can be incorporated within courses or used to support entire courses. The project's deliverables will benefit digital library users with improved understanding of those who build the next generation of digital library systems.
Researchers at Virginia Tech create sub-micron fibers from natural compounds, exhibiting porous nonwoven structure. Potential applications include drug delivery and patches for horses, showcasing the synergy of electrospinning and self-organizing molecules.
Researchers at Virginia Tech have developed a new bone tissue engineering material using amorphous calcium phosphates, which they believe could lead to faster and higher quality bone formation. The team's work, in collaboration with the American Dental Association, is currently in press for several scientific journals.
A team of researchers, including Virginia Tech experts, has developed a concept for technology to obtain verifiable parental consent for children's online transactions. The system offers flexibility, accountability, and user-friendliness, making it a promising solution to protect children's online privacy.
Scientists have discovered a novel protein complex that allows methanogens to survive in environments with sulfite, a toxic compound. The enzyme, coenzyme F420-dependent sulfite reductase, converts sulfite into sulfide, an essential nutrient for the organisms.
Jones' master of science thesis described a new species and subspecies of freshwater mussel, utilizing modern genetic techniques in addition to traditional methods. His research highlights the importance of multi-faceted approaches in understanding biodiversity.
Michal Kowalewski, a Virginia Tech geobiologist, has won the Schuchert Award for his groundbreaking research on ancient predators and their ecosystems. His work reveals that predators' struggle to survive may be due to menu selection errors over 500 million years ago.
Researchers at Virginia Tech are using stream fish to assess water quality, finding that different species respond to pollution in unique ways. This study aims to improve the accuracy of water quality assessments by incorporating fish movement patterns and diversity.
Researchers reconciled inconsistencies between two pre-existing data sets for kaolinite, a major earth and industrial material. The findings provide a unifying approach for explaining crystal and mineral dissolution and growth, with implications for understanding geological time, nuclear waste storage, and biomedical issues.
Researchers found serious flaws in the Florida panther's research and habitat requirements, leading to the development of new guidelines. The study suggests that reanalyzing existing data could help continue the positive trend in population growth.
Researchers are studying disease at molecular levels to develop personalized medicine, leveraging the analytical skills of engineers in discovery and understanding biological systems. The goal is to create a quantitative-plus-molecular equation that enables intelligent computing tools to aid diagnosis and treatment planning.
Researchers from Virginia Tech studied the fate of arsenic fed to poultry and found that organic arsenic is biotransformed to inorganic arsenic, which can be toxic. However, surprisingly, low concentrations of arsenic are transported to streambeds instead of being retained by aquifers.
Researchers study bacteria's sticking efficiencies on minerals using atomic force microscopes, revealing the impact of pH levels on stickiness. The findings have implications for understanding toxin mobility in geosystems.
A new protocol uses path analysis to track the impact of land use on streams, identifying key entities and processes that influence aquatic health. By analyzing 10 watersheds, researchers have developed a valuable approach to understanding the 'land-cover cascade' and its effects on stream ecosystems.
Fluid inclusions hold clues to understanding metal deposit formation and tracking oil deposits. By studying inclusions, scientists can predict where new fields may be discovered and uncover evidence of water and life on other planets.
A study found that students with higher emotional intelligence had more self-efficacy, which enhanced their academic performance. Researchers suggest that emotional intelligence training could be added to computing curricula to improve student outcomes.
The Virginia Tech team has refined and tested their vehicles, Cliff and Rocky, for the DARPA Grand Challenge. The vehicles will navigate a 150-mile course in the Mojave Desert with no human intervention.
Researchers at Virginia Tech created a new type of composite material that can be molded into bipolar plates with high electrical conductivity, good mechanical properties, and ease of manufacture. The material's properties exceed industry standards and will enable faster and more efficient production of fuel cell stacks.
Researchers are developing an in vitro model to evaluate the ability of several inhibitors to block protein aggregation by TGases. Several compounds show positive effects, including creatine and cystamine hydrochloride.
A Virginia Tech researcher has developed a technique to disperse nano particles into polymers, improving their mechanical properties. The method uses supercritical fluid carbon dioxide to exfoliate nano particles at higher concentrations, leading to enhanced mechanical properties.
Virginia Tech researchers have made significant progress in understanding how to convert water into hydrogen gas using photochemical processes. They have developed molecular assemblies that absorb light more efficiently and activate conversion, which has implications for the production of clean energy.
A Virginia Tech research group has created molecular assemblies that can absorb therapeutic light and activate complexes attached to DNA, allowing for more precise delivery of cancer-killing drugs. Platinum was added to the structure, ensuring the activation of complexes already attached to the target.
A new NIH grant will use electrical engineering concepts to profile host-virus interactions and identify immune responses. The study aims to develop a quantitative method to analyze the interaction between viruses and host cells, potentially leading to faster diagnosis and treatment of viral infections.
The Virginia Tech EIGER project focuses on naturally occurring interfaces among minerals, water, air, and microorganisms. The program will educate graduate students in a complex field vital to leading environmental issues through an interdisciplinary approach.
Researchers at Virginia Tech have developed a new type of helix antenna that can provide stable wireless Internet connections in remote locations, such as airports and hotels. The SLH antenna is small in size but high-performance, making it ideal for applications where long distances or building penetration are needed.
Virginia Bioinformatics Institute researcher receives USDA functional genomics grant to develop control of major soybean pathogen, with a focus on early stages of infection and whole genome approach. The project aims to understand the complex web of interactions between pathogens and plant genes.
A team of scientists from Virginia Tech and Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology have discovered uniquely preserved fossils from the Ediacaran Period, dated to 550 million years ago. The discovery sheds new light on the evolution of complex life forms during this period.
Researchers at KEK Laboratory in Japan have observed a new type of interaction among quarks, producing evidence of a beauty quark converting to the lightest down quark. This observation allows for study of fundamental laws of the universe and potential validation or discovery of new physics models.
The Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research is leading a $14.3 million project to store carbon dioxide in unmineable coal beds, promising to reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants and prolong the life of these reservoirs. Field tests will be conducted in three target geologic formations within the southeast region.
Researchers at Virginia Tech will use 'in situ click chemistry' to design a novel, species-specific insecticide for Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, reducing toxicity and ensuring safety for humans and animals. The project aims to provide an effective solution for malaria control in communities worldwide.
Researchers from Virginia Tech's Freshwater Mussel Conservation Center have released several thousand cultivated mussels into the Clinch River as part of a replenishing project. The release aims to restore water quality and support aquatic life after a toxic spill in 1998 killed most aquatic life on that stretch of the river.
A study of fossilized brachiopod shells reveals that predators were a constant threat throughout the Paleozoic Era, with subtle increases in predation traces suggesting escalating predation pressures. The findings suggest that marine ecosystems have become increasingly hostile to survival, consistent with macroevolutionary models.
Researchers at Virginia Tech are conducting a study on high-pressure processing to inactivate Norwalk virus, with the goal of making consumers safer from foodborne illnesses. The study will evaluate various high-pressure processing schedules and compare results obtained from human subjects to those obtained using mice.
A study by Virginia Tech researchers found that high hydrostatic pressure can effectively inactivate the Hepatitis A virus in oysters, reducing the risk of foodborne illness. This breakthrough has significant implications for oyster processing and distribution, as well as consumer safety.
George J. Flick Jr.'s Sea Grant Coherent Area projects led to the establishment of the Virginia Graduate Marine Science Consortium, providing educational and research programs along the Virginia coast. His outreach programs have also addressed problems affecting the seafood industry, with funding for industry, academia, and regulators.
Researchers at Virginia Tech are developing tactile devices to enhance embodiment awareness for blind students, allowing them to access and comprehend mathematical concepts through spatial imagery. The project has the potential to significantly impact inclusive mathematics instruction for visually impaired students.
Researchers found evidence of a 600-million-year-old fungi-algae symbiosis in fossilized specimens from the Doushantuo Formation in South China. The discovery suggests that this symbiotic relationship may have evolved independently on land and in marine environments.
Bacteria require a critical number of individuals, called quorum sensing, to engage in activities like bioluminescence and biofilm formation. Research on Vibrio cholerae and other bacteria aims to develop strategies to prevent disease-causing bacteria from becoming virulent.
The Oak Ridge Associated Universities funds research to develop conductive ceramic materials. Lu, a Virginia Tech graduate student, aims to create advanced ceramic materials by incorporating carbon nanotubes. She has achieved 40% density, significantly improving the material's strength and conductivity.
Two Virginia Tech researchers are developing game theory-based approaches to improve wireless communications and designing smart garments that can sense their own shapes. These projects aim to create more efficient wireless networks and wearable technology.
Research by Vikesland and his associates suggests that consumer products containing triclosan can produce chloroform when mixed with chlorinated water, which can be absorbed through skin or inhaled. The production of chloroform has implications for human health and the environment due to its potential to accumulate in body tissues.
A Virginia Tech researcher is awarded a prestigious NSF CAREER grant to develop unique micro-analytical systems and detection strategies for proteomic investigations. The project aims to address basic technological limitations, enabling faster proteomics and new analytical capabilities.
Researchers developed a new technique to detect damage in composite materials using vibration and heat detection. The vibrothermography method can identify internal damage not visible to the human eye, crucial for preventing catastrophic failures.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $12 million to the Center for Advanced Separation Technologies (CAST) at Virginia Tech to develop advanced separation technologies for efficient coal cleaning. The project aims to reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, and mercury content, while increasing domestic energy production.