The Great Salt Lake crisis reaches far beyond its shoreline: toxic dust, reduced snowpack, $2B in annual economic activity and more are at risk The Great Salt Lake Strike Team, co-chaired by University of Utah biology professor William Anderegg, is connecting science to real solutions.

Northern forests are warming up to 4x faster than the global average, making accessible climate data more critical than ever. New University of Utah research from Wanwan Liang and Jon Wang maps 40 years of forest change to better track wildfire, timber harvest, drought and carbon impacts.

A novel angle on antibiotic resistance may come from understanding how bacteria protect themselves from viruses. Dr. Karasov’s bold new project explores how bacterial antiviral defense systems could reveal entirely new insights into antibiotic resistance and fundamental biology.

New research led by Prof. William Anderegg, in collaboration with the Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy, uses interactive maps and tools to show where forests are likely to remain strong carbon sinks and where other climate risks may limit their ability to store carbon.

PhD defended! 🎓 Andrew Butts studied how dArc1—a gene derived from ancient viral elements—regulates reward, learning, and sleep-related behaviors in #Drosophila. Congrats, Andrew! PI: Sophie Caron - thecaronlab.com #PhDLife26 #MCEB @uofu-science.bsky.social @Utah.edu

PhD defended! 🎓@orbu100.bsky.sociale tackled a major bottleneck in gene delivery—showing Septin 9 and ESCRT proteins play key roles in DNA escape from endosomes. Insights that could improve #GeneTherapies. Congrats, Emmanuel! PI: Julie Hollien #PhDLife26 #MCEB @uofu-science.bsky.social @Utah.edu

PhD defended! 🎓 Madi Waller studied how parasitic nest flies spread among bird species, showing how tolerant hosts act as hidden sources of infection that threaten vulnerable birds. Congrats, Madi! PI: Dale Clayton & Sarah Bush #PhDLife26 #EEOB #Parasitology @uofu-science.bsky.social @Utah.edu

PhD defended! 🎓 @acpostleon.bsky.social explored how wildfire and smoke impact tree physiology and forest health across scales—revealing how forests respond to environmental stress. Congrats Purna! PI: William Anderegg #PhDLife26 #EEOB #Ecophysiology #FireEcology @uofu-science.bsky.social @Utah.edu

PhD defended! 🎓 Eva Vigato explored how neural circuits shape olfactory attraction in #Drosophila—linking brain wiring to ecological interactions like yeast-derived odor cues. Congrats, Eva! PI: Sophie Caron www.thecaronlab.com #PhDLife26 #MCEB @uofu-science.bsky.social @Utah.edu

Congrats to Michael Werner, Assistant Professor of Biology, for winning 1st place + People’s Choice in the Image of Research competition! A powerful example of science captured through a single striking image. 🔗 tinylink.net/0MeWV 🔬 werner-lab.org #greatsaltlake #research #photography #biology

PhD defended! 🎓 @JacksonRidges uncovered how selfish DNA exploits a germline checkpoint (Ovd) to eliminate rival sperm and bias inheritance in #Drosophila. A key insight into genetic conflict. Congrats, Jackson! PI: Nitin_Phadnis #PhDLife26 #MCEB @uofu-science.bsky.social @Utah.edu

PhD defended! 🎓 Jackson Bladen investigated how selfish genetic elements, meiotic drive, and hybrid incompatibilities drive speciation in #Drosophila — connecting genetic conflict to origins of species. Congrats, Jackson! PI: Nitin Phadnis #PhDLife26 #MCEB @uofu-science.bsky.social @Utah.edu

Hannah S. Meier, PhD student @Utah.edu, recently contributed to a @pnas.org paper developing a mechanistic model to understand phenotypic memory in #phytoplankton! 🌊🧪🧬 #PhenotypicPlasticity

Nutrient storage links past thermal exposure to current performance in phytoplankton | PNAS

The growth of populations and organisms often depends on their previous history of environmental exposure: a phenomenon referred to as “phenotypic ...

doi.org

Michael Werner, assist. prof., #biology @utah.edu discusses research uncovering nematodes living inside microbialites in the #GreatSaltLake , first discovered by his team in 2022. Life finds a way, even when it’s salty! @drjuliejung.bsky.social 🎤listen: www.kpcw.org/podcast/cool...

“My disease drove me to pursue a degree in biology. All the while I continued competing in archery as a member of USA RED Team with a goal of qualifying for the Los Angeles Olympics.“ #HumansOfTheU Learn more about @uofubiology.bsky.social student Sydney Brooksby: attheu.utah.edu/athletics/hu...

Mulvey lab alumna Alexis Rousek taking on UTIs with the Student Research Initiative at the U of Utah. science.utah.edu/sri/sri-stor... @uofubiology.bsky.social @globaluti.bsky.social #UTIGA

SRI Stories: Mentoring Through Microbes | College of Science

SRI Stories: Mentoring through Microbes October 15, 2025 Above: Alexis Rousek Alexis Rousek didn’t always know she would become a microbiologist — but the signs were there early. In middle school, she...

science.utah.edu

As temperatures increase, migratory songbirds’ fall feather molt advances by a day every year. Study by @uofubiology.bsky.social taps data from 22,000 songbirds captured at Bonderman Field Station to reveal changes in how they replace their feathers

As climate warms, migratory songbirds’ fall feather molt advances by a day every year - @theU

Study by U biologists taps data from 22,000 songbirds captured at Bonderman Field Station to reveal changes in how they replace their feathers

attheu.utah.edu

KPCW radio spotlights Thure Cerling (UofU Geology & @uofubiology.bsky.social) and his innovative research tracking animal migrations through strontium isotopes in elephant teeth. This method has important applications for conservation. Hear the complete interview: www.kpcw.org/show/cool-sc...

Utah scientists with Misha the elephant unlock past migrations

Thure Cerling, a University of Utah professor of both geology and biology, and a pioneer in the use of isotope analysis, shares how geologists have developed a method for tracking the movements of lar...

kpcw.org

Woodrats are basically desert superheroes, able to eat toxic plants and survive rattlesnake bites. But @utah.edu researchers find their venom resistance drops when it’s cool. @uofubiology.bsky.social attheu.utah.edu/research/woo... #ScienceNews #VenomResistance #Ecology

Woodrats’ immunity to snake venom changes with the weather - @theU

Researchers looking at effects of the desert rodent's toxic diet discover cool temperatures reduce the critter's ability to survive rattlesnake bites.

attheu.utah.edu

Warm temps and woodrats have remarkable resistance to snake venom, but that changes when temps cool! Dearing Lab (www.dearinglab.com/) in collaboration with U of Michigan and U of Nevada Reno @utah.edu @uofu-science.bsky.social

Woodrats’ immunity to snake venom changes with the weather - @theU

Researchers looking at effects of the desert rodent's toxic diet discover cool temperatures reduce the critter's ability to survive rattlesnake bites

attheu.utah.edu

On Friday, April 4th, Sara Kuebbing from @yaleforestry.bsky.social will visit @utah.edu to share her work with applied science to guide sustainable land management. RSVP here: forms.gle/6ZSEXPgoobLG... @yalee360.bsky.social @uofu-science.bsky.social @uofubiology.bsky.social #ecology

Prof Mike Shapiro, biologist and Sundance critic, reviewed SALLY: “In the mid-1980s, astronaut Sally Ride was one of the most famous people in the U.S. Ride died in 2012 and kept her 27-year same-sex relationship…a secret out of fear that going public would negate her accomplishments…”

Julie Kiefer@julieckiefer.bsky.social · last yr.

Each year, scientists, including the @utah.edu's own @gabriellekardon.bsky.social @uuhsresearch.bsky.social and Mike Shapiro @uofubiology.bsky.social, review Sundance films through a scientific lens, revealing fascinating insights. Published in @science.org -read on www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

News! @theroglab.bsky.social Gordon et al. discovers synaptonemal complex wets & aligns chromosomes, a crucial step in sexual reproduction, where errors in chromosome# can be fatal to the embryo. @utah.edu Read in Science Advances www.science.org/doi/full/10....

The synaptonemal complex aligns meiotic chromosomes by wetting

During sexual reproduction, the synaptonemal complex aligns the maternal and paternal chromosomes by wetting.

science.org

Today is also National Donor Day, for which we highlight @uofubiology.bsky.social senior Sophie Hansen who received her first liver transplant as a teenager—an experience that drives her passion for medical research and patient care.

National Donor Day: A student’s transplant journey - @theU

For National Donor Day on Feb. 14, a biology student shares how receiving her first liver transplant as a teenager ignited a passion for medical research and patient advocacy.

attheu.utah.edu

Rising seas are submerging tribal land along the Gulf Coast. One tribe is building protective reefs out of bags of recycled oyster shells.

Using Oyster Shell Reefs To Counter Sea Level Rise In Louisiana

Tribes’ historic lands on the Gulf Coast are being lost to the sea. To slow it down, one tribe has turned to oyster shells.

buff.ly

@utah.edu @uuhsresearch.bsky.social scientists: Visit the U's Executive Actions and Federal Agency Updates for the latest information and guidance on research administration. Information on awards, proposals, budgets, news, announcements and more. osp.utah.edu/news/eo-fede...

"... I ended up being reluctant to work with undergraduate researchers at all—until a new student helped me realize what is required to mentor undergraduates, and the rewards it can bring." #NationalMentoringMonth https://scim.ag/3E1bAYj

Highest honor bestowed by U.S. government on scientists and engineers: Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). Congratulations, Professor Anderegg, one of the world’s leading climate scientists and forest ecologists 🔗in bio for story @utah.edu

Ooh- How did I miss this? Learn more about the ever-curious @elearlybird.bsky.social @uuhsresearch.bsky.social @utah.edu and his lab's very cool research.

HHMI@hhmi-science.bsky.social · 2y ago

HHMI Investigator Nels Elde of the University of Utah works at the crossroads of evolutionary #genetics and cell biology to study one of the biggest battlefronts in #science: host-pathogen interactions.

How much do people around the world trust scientists? "Most people have a relatively high trust in scientists. People want scientists to take an active role in society and policymaking." www.nature.com/articles/s41...