Lawns in the Salt Lake Valley up to 100 years old are not yet saturated in the nutrient nitrogen, which is added by fertilizer, according to a new study from University of Utah researchers. The result is surprising, since previous studies in the Eastern U.S. suggested that fertilized soil would become saturated with nitrogen within […]

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a grant with total funding expected to reach $1.3 million this month to the Natural History Museum of Utahand the College of Education at the University of Utah to develop and evaluate an on-line learning environment to support student learning in the biosciences.  This pioneering project, titled Engaging […]

Following a three-year, five-way competitive process, the U.S. Department of Energy has selected the Energy and Geosciences Institute (EGI) at the University of Utah to develop a geothermal laboratory near Milford, Utah. The laboratory, called Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) will focus on developing enhanced geothermal systems which could greatly expand the […]

When bacteria and viruses get into well water and make people sick, often the contamination comes after heavy rain or flooding. In 2000, more than 2,300 people in Walkerton, Ontario, got sick when, after unusually heavy rains. E. coli bacteria found their way to drinking water wells. Seven people died. The reason appears straightforward – the […]

In 2018, University of Utah Health was ranked 19th out of 100 top health care institutions worldwide for scientific research by the Nature Index, up 31 percent from last year’s ranking. The University of Utah also ranked in the top 100, placing 73rd out of 500 academic institutions (up 22 percent from last year) and 86th […]

Three common antidepressants – Paxil (paroxetine), Lexapro (escitalopram), and Prozac (fluoxetine) – could be less effective at high elevations, suggests research involving lab rats and led by scientists at University of Utah Health. When rats were placed in conditions that simulate moderate-high altitudes, the three pharmaceuticals failed to suppress behaviors that model human depression. By […]

University of Utah Health biochemist Dana Carroll is one of four honorees who will be awarded the 2018 Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology. “These medal recipients are defined by their tireless passion and service to promoting science, technology and innovation here in Utah,” said Gov. Herbert in a statement. “These individuals’ contributions in scientific advancement […]

Hurricane Maria’s devastation of Puerto Rico last September, which left nearly all the island’s 3.4 million residents without power, is one of the most frightening scenarios for a metropolis: A natural disaster or cyberattack wipes out a city’s power grid. But University of Utah electrical and computer engineering assistant professor Masood Parvania is building a […]

While humans can only broadcast about one percent of their vocal power through their speech, some animals and mammals are able to broadcast 100 percent. The secret to their long-range howls? A combination of high pitch, a wide-open mouth and a clever use of the body’s shape to direct sound – none of which are […]

In the western Utah desert, the Telescope Array sprawls across an area the size of New York City, waiting for cosmic rays. The facility detects the high-energy particles that collide with Earth’s atmosphere constantly; the cosmic rays trigger the 500-plus sensors once every few minutes. While pouring over data in 2013, Telescope Array physicists discovered […]