Researchers from UNC SRP’s Project 3, led by Kun Lu, PhD, recently published an article in npj Biofilms and Microbiomes titled, Detection of gut microbiota and pathogen produced N-acyl homoserine in host circulation and tissues. Their findings demonstrate that specific bacteria can produce AHLs that can be detected in host bodies which suggests that quorum-sensing... Read more »
America Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America hosted a virtual congressional visit day in March. Attendees were trained to talk to members of congress and their staff. Every attendee was advocating for $655 million to fund agricultural research. Two trainees and one researcher from UNC Superfund Research... Read more »
Hannah Peel, NC State, Department of Crops and Soil Science Graduate trainee, UNC SRP Project 4 There are times when everything goes exactly to plan. There are times when expected challenges crop up. And then there was our first trip to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, NC to learn groundwater sampling techniques. Our group... Read more »
In January, UNC Superfund Research Program (SRP) leaders and community partners met to discuss environmental justice concerns and the NC ENVIROSCAN project to ensure the program’s research is rooted in community need. UNC SRP has at least two Public Health Action Committee or PHAC meetings each year, bringing together researchers and representatives from local environmental... Read more »
UNC Superfund Research Program’s Project 3 team is studying how arsenic exposure and the gut microbiome interact to cause diabetes. One challenge, according to Project leader Kun Lu, PhD, is this research requires the measurement of many signaling molecules, tryptophan metabolites and bacterial indole derivatives found in several different parts of the body that aid communication... Read more »
As the Data Management and Analysis Core (DMAC) researchers prepare to develop a portal of interactive maps displaying environmental exposures and social stressors, they asked community partners during a recent UNC SRP Public Health Action Committee (PHAC) meeting what they would like to see in the tool. During the UNC SRP’s February PHAC meeting, researchers... Read more »
Dr. Rebecca Fry, Director of the UNC Superfund Research Program, was featured this month in a Q&A article in Knowable Magazine for her long-term research on arsenic pollution. In the article, “Battling arsenic pollution”, Dr. Fry describes her history with arsenic research and explains why arsenic is an issue. Click here to read the article... Read more »
On November 16, 2020, the UNC SRP Community Engagement Core convened the first meeting of the Public Health Advisory Committee (PHAC). Members of this advisory board include representatives from county environmental and public health departments, water quality and environmental justice organizations, and the NC Division of Public Health (DPH). UNC SRP Director Dr. Rebecca Fry... Read more »
Since March of this year, researchers within the UNC SRP have been adapting to lab shut-downs and re-openings, new lab protocols to limit exposure to the coronavirus, and adjusting to the everyday uncertainties that have come into play during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as they navigate this new way of conducting research, UNC SRP scientists... Read more »
October 30, 2020 Researchers in the UNC Superfund Research Program will use two new grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to research how exposure to arsenic and other environmental contaminants may contribute to SARS-CoV-2 infection risk and severity.
