The western United States relies on mountain snow for its water supply. Water stored as snow in the mountains during winter replenishes groundwater and drives river runoff in spring, filling reservoirs for use later in summer. But how could a warming globe and a changing climate interrupt this process? In a new study published today […]

Two hundred and fifty-two million years ago, a series of Siberian volcanoes erupted and sent the Earth into the greatest mass extinction of all time. As a result of this mass extinction, known as the Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction, billions of tons of carbon were propelled into the atmosphere, radically altering the Earth’s climate. Yet, some […]

Alkane fuel is a key ingredient in combustible material such as gasoline, airplane fuel, oil — even a homemade bomb. Yet it’s difficult to detect and there are no portable scanners available that can sniff out the odorless and colorless vapor. But University of Utah engineers have developed a new type of fiber material for […]

At age 56, Roma Jean Ockler was continually afflicted with sinus infections and pneumonia, and despite treatments, only seemed to be getting worse. For decades, immunologist Harry R. Hill, M.D., had seen patients like her. At the time he couldn’t have known that her family’s genetic information, combined with that of five other families from […]

University of Utah scientists identified two genes that make some pigeon breeds develop feathered feet known as muffs, while others have scaled feet. The same or similar genes might explain scaled feet in chickens and other birds, and provide insight into how some dinosaurs got feathers before they evolved into birds. The study found that […]

For humans to understand speech and for other animals to know each other’s calls, the brain must distinguish short sounds from longer sounds. By studying frogs, University of Utah researchers figured out how certain brain cells compute the length of sounds and detect short ones. In addition to pitch and loudness, “sound duration is of […]

Today, there is only one class of antiviral medicines against herpesviruses – a family of viruses that cause mononucleosis, herpes, shingles, and meningitis among other illnesses – meaning options for treating these infections are limited. If viruses become resistant to these frontline treatments, a growing problem particularly in clinical settings, there are no alternative drugs […]

A raging robot war with metallic catapults and blockades will turn the Maverik Center into a battlefield this Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19. More than 40 high school teams from Utah, the West and beyond will meet at the West Valley City arena, 3200 S. Decker Lake Drive, for the annual Utah Regional […]

About eight percent of our DNA is viral in origin: remnants of ancient battles between infectious viruses and our ancestors. These so-called endogenous viruses are often perceived as a mere oddity with no clear biological significance. But a new study by scientists at the University of Utah School of Medicine shows that evolution has repurposed […]

A University of Utah-led initiative to help people with rare and untreatable diseases was highlighted by the White House at the Precision Medicine Initiative Summit today. Spearheaded by a University of Utah computer scientist whose son has a rare disease, the Patient Empowered Precision Medicine Alliance (PEPMA) joins researchers from the University of Utah College […]