Hello! Welcome to Breakthroughs, a site devoted to sharing with you the latest, greatest advancements from the College of Science at Oregon State University. From breakthroughs in research to transformational philanthropy to interesting tidbits from the daily life of the College, we'll post frequently to keep you up-to-date. Please visit often and absolutely let us know what you might like to learn more about. Enjoy, and of course, GO BEAVS!
Oregon State University zoologist Andrew Blaustein says monitoring amphibians is important because they are especially sensitive to environmental changes. They have no hair or feathers and their eggs have no shells, and they also have to survive both on land and in water— what Blaustein calls, “a double-whammy.”
To read more about Andrew and check out some fun pictures from the Blaustein Lab, click here!
Why aren’t fishing conditions as good as they used to be?
And… what is Dioxin, anyway?
Oregon State University is helping the community understand the answers to these questions through their Community Outreach and Education Program. The Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) Center and the Marine and Freshwater Biomedical Sciences (MFBS) Center present Unsolved Mysteries of Human Health: how scientists study toxic chemicals.
This kid-friendly site gives us an inside look at the methods and instruments that experts use to solve environmental mysteries. One scenario revolves around two such instruments – the gas chromatograph and the mass spectrometer, working in conjunction to detect chemicals in the air. Another scenario describes the flow cytometer, a device that measures cells in liquid.
The goals of the website include increasing student interest in the field of environmental health science, increasing the public’s understanding of environmental health science research, and highlighting current research being performed at the EHS and MFBS Centers.
With all due respect to the other Janes on campus, at OSU when you say “Jane”, it can only mean one person: Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Wayne and Gladys Valley Professor of Marine Biology and Distringuished Professor of Zoology, Oregon State University.
