Within only a few decades of higher temperatures, microbial systems change in ways that disrupt carbon and nutrient cycles. Long-term ecosystem warming changes not only plants but the fungi in the soil below, according to a new study including researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “Hidden mycorrhizal fungi below ground are much more vulnerable […]
“I study some of the most energetic explosions in the universe—those caused by stars collapsing at the ends of their lives, and those resulting from the violent collisions of neutron stars. I focus on how neutrinos drive these explosions and determine how they enrich the universe with many types of elements.” Sherwood RichersAssistant ProfessorDepartment of […]
“I use mathematics to understand how things change and grow, like how tumors expand, how ice melts, or how diseases spread. My work helps predict what might happen in these systems so scientists and doctors can make better decisions.” Xinyue (Evelyn) ZhaoAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Mathematics I study partial differential equations, especially free boundary problems, motivated […]
An international research team unveils how viral lysis of blue-green algae in the Sargasso Sea enhances ecosystem-scale productivity. Newly published interdisciplinary research led by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and University of Maryland shows viral infection of blue-green algae in the ocean stimulates productivity in the ecosystem and contributes to a rich band of oxygen […]
“I use mass spectrometry to ‘take pictures’ of proteins within our cells so we can see how they look when they work and how they change in disease.” Jie SunAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology My lab develops mass spectrometry-based structural proteomics, such as chemical footprinting approaches, to study the structure and […]
Alumni share geologic passion through new endowed professorships. Alumni David and Barbara McDonald established two endowed professorships that support new faculty members specializing in critical minerals and energy in the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences (EEPS). Assistant Professor Manuel Scharrer began in August 2025 as the David McDonald Endowed Professor in Critical Minerals. […]
UT microbiology research into cyanobacterial blooms reveals that colonies take on metabolic functions and resistance to viruses. An international team of researchers led by a visiting scholar at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is shedding light on the dynamics in cyanobacterial blooms that can threaten freshwater safety. By analyzing Microcystis spp. in single cells and […]
Assistant Professor Carolyn Ibberson is investigating the interaction of microbes to discover what might prevent infection and promote healing. Assistant Professor Carolyn Ibberson at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has received a four-year, $1.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to support research on infections in chronic wounds. The R35 Maximizing Investigators’ Research […]
UT research into a pink algae bloom that closed the popular swimming area at Ijams Nature Center in 2024 is providing insight into how the organisms thrive. Researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who quantified high toxin levels during a 2024 pink algae bloom at Mead’s Quarry Lake have published a new study identifying […]
“I use physics to study how natural selection shapes the geometry of plants, in particular branching patterns in trees, and how communities of trees fit together.” Chuck PriceResearch Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) Using physical models based on idealized fluid distribution networks, I study how natural selection has shaped the geometry of […]
