Science & Technology

On the rise: Six years of scientific success

Published: April 18, 2019 | 11:40 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

From left to right: Hanwei Gao, Kenneth Hanson, Ross Ellington and Biwu Ma. With instrumental support and guidance provided by Ellington, the three early-career scientists have made waves internationally for their cutting-edge research. (FSU Photography Services)

Three Energy and Materials Researchers Reflect on Their Remarkable Early-Career Accomplishments at FSU Florida State University researchers Biwu Ma, Kenneth Hanson and Hanwei Gao have a few things in common. Several things, actually. All three are international leaders in the fields of energy and materials research. They were all recruited by Florida State as part […]

A social equation: Engineering researcher uses network science to understand how materials work

Published: April 18, 2019 | 9:29 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

FAMU-FSU Professor of Mechanical Engineering William Oates

Network science is how mathematicians and software designers construct complicated social networks like Facebook. But a group of Florida State University researchers has found that these equations can tell engineers a lot about the composition of different materials. Using network science — part of a larger mathematical field called graph theory — FAMU-FSU Professor of […]

Report: Red wolves, Mexican gray wolves are distinct species, subspecies

Published: April 1, 2019 | 4:15 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

A yearlong study chaired by a Florida State University professor indicates the red wolf is a distinct species in the wolf family and the Mexican gray is a distinct subspecies of the gray wolf. These conclusions were published today in the consensus report “Evaluating the Taxonomic Status of the Mexican Gray Wolf and the Red […]

In ancient oceans that resembled our own, oxygen loss triggered mass extinction

Published: March 27, 2019 | 3:34 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

Seth Young (left) and Jeremy Owens (right), assistant professors in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science

Roughly 430 million years ago, during the Earth’s Silurian Period, global oceans were experiencing changes that would seem eerily familiar today. Melting polar ice sheets meant sea levels were steadily rising, and ocean oxygen was falling fast around the world. At around the same time, a global die-off known among scientists as the Ireviken extinction […]

Massive earthquakes provide new insight into deep Earth

Published: March 27, 2019 | 9:49 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

Wenyuan Fan, assistant professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science

In the waning months of 2018, two of the mightiest deep earthquakes ever recorded in human history rattled the Tonga-Fiji region of the South Pacific. In the first-ever study of these deep earthquakes — generally defined as any earthquake occurring 350 kilometers or more below the Earth’s surface — a Florida State University-led research team […]

New computational tool could change how we study pathogens, FSU researchers say

Published: March 22, 2019 | 9:42 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

The FSU researchers' new model allows for increased variation in simulations designed to identify the origins of genetic differences. The graph shows the many different environments that can change the potential of an ancestor to produce offspring.

A sophisticated new analysis tool developed by Florida State University scientists may signal a new era in the study of population genetics. Their model, which incorporates advanced mathematical strategies, could help revolutionize the way researchers investigate the spread and distribution of dangerous, fast-evolving disease vectors. The breakthrough research was an interdisciplinary collaboration between postdoctoral mathematician […]

FSU investment in high-performance microscope will take research to next level

Published: March 19, 2019 | 3:13 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

The FIB microscope will allow materials science researchers to slice through minuscule material samples and collect images of their structures.

Florida State University is the new owner of a sophisticated ion beam microscope that will allow materials science researchers to conduct a variety of experiments on the tiniest materials. The purchase of the focused ion beam microscope — also known as a FIB — is a strategic investment in the university’s materials and nanomanufacturing research […]

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Air Force Research Laboratory celebrate new partnership

Published: March 18, 2019 | 4:57 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and researchers and engineers from Eglin Air Force Base celebrated the beginning of a new partnership Monday to train undergraduate students in areas critical to the U.S. Air Force. From left: (L to R): David Lambert, AFRL; Maurice Edington, FAMU provost; Dean Murray Gibson; Charles Weatherford, FAMU; Sally McRorie, FSU provost; Col. Garry Haase, AFRL Directorate; Gary Ostrander, FSU Vice President for Research.

Multiyear Grant Will Support STEM Education The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and researchers and engineers from Eglin Air Force Base celebrated the beginning of a new partnership Monday to train undergraduate students in areas critical to the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force Research Laboratory at Eglin will fund a $400,000 grant to create the […]

No lie! FSU researcher developing world’s first online polygraph

Published: March 15, 2019 | 2:30 pm | Posted in: Science & Technology

Associate Professor Shuyuan Ho envisions lots of potential applications for her idea. "This could have wide-ranging uses for online communities, social networks and online dating environments." (FSU Photography Services)

Can you spot a liar? It’s tricky enough in face-to-face conversations that offer facial expressions, gestures and tone of voice because those physical cues add context. Spotting a liar gets even tougher in blind computer conversations. Florida State University researcher Shuyuan Ho wants to shed those blinders by creating a revolutionary online polygraph. “The future […]

Why fly the coop? With shortage of mates, some birds choose to help others raise offspring

Published: March 14, 2019 | 9:55 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

Researchers from Florida State University and the Tallahassee-based Tall Timbers Research Station found that when fewer mates were available for brown-headed nuthatches, these small pine-forest birds opted to stay home and help their parents or other adults raise their offspring. (Photo: Tara Tanaka)

It’s not uncommon for young adults to pitch in and help out with the care of younger siblings. But it turns out that sometimes birds choose to become avian au pairs rather than raise their own brood. After a five-year experiment, researchers from Florida State University and the Tallahassee-based Tall Timbers Research Station found that […]

Research team discovers link between sodium and migraines before pain occurs

Published: March 13, 2019 | 9:59 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Associate Professor Sam Grant worked with Dr. Michael Harrington from Huntington Medical Research Institutes to show how sodium distribution is disturbed in the brain using high-powered magnets at the FSU-based National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.

A Florida State University engineer and a team of researchers have found a link between migraines and how sodium is distributed through the brain, a finding that could be a key to future research on treatments for migraine sufferers. Sam Grant, an associate professor in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, and Dr. Michael Harrington, director […]

FSU researchers discover a novel protein degradation pathway

Published: March 12, 2019 | 9:33 am | Posted in: Science & Technology

Bailey Koch is a doctoral student in the lab of Associate Professor Hong-Guo Yu.

Findings May Lead To Better Understanding of Muscular Dystrophy, Other Diseases The nucleus is a treasure trove of biological information that keeps the cell — and thus living organisms — ticking. But many processes within the nucleus remain a mystery to scientists. A Florida State University research team has uncovered one such mystery — how […]