Research

On Climate, GW Scientists See Biden Plans as Fresh Air
The incoming administration has proposed a broad strategy to address climate change. The Biology Department's Tara Scully and other GW scientists say the new administration can reach crucial environmental goals — but time is running out.
Ghosts of the Coast: Artists and Scientists Bring ‘Ghost Forests’ to Life
Biology Professor Keryn Gedan is joining artists and scientists on Virginia’s Eastern Shore to draw attention to “ghost forests” along the Chesapeake Bay.“They are evocative, very visible signs of climate change,” Gedan said. “In some ways, a scientific paper just can’t capture the spooky feeling you get when you are out in the marshes surrounded by all these dead trees.”

Getting Creative: Biology Student Continues Research From Home
Rising senior biology major Alison Pagalilauan was engrossed in her research on oanalyzing meta-genomic data from steam vent samples collected in Hawaii’s Kilauea East Rift Zone when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down campus. Since then, Pagalilauan has used an online interface to continue her research from her home in New Jersey.
New Study Reveals How Wood Decay Drives Carbon Cycle
Through a combination of lab and field experiments, Associate Professor of Biology Amy Zanne and a team of researchers have developed a better understanding of the factors accounting for different wood decomposition rates among fungi. Their findings reveal how deciphering fungal trait variation can improve the predictive ability of early and mid-stage wood decay, a critical driver of the global carbon cycle.
