Decline of World's Coral Reefs
Dr. Rebecca Vega-Thurber
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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Salmon parasite Henneguya salminicola
A New Leader in Microbiology
Testing probiotics for honeybees
Riddles in the cold: Antarctic endemism and microbial succession impact methane cycling in the Southern Ocean
A parasitic bacterium saps energy from corals
DDT Toxic Waste Discovered
An integrative investigation of the role of the gut-brain axis on sex differences in anxiety
Congratulations to former micro student Brandon Kieft and Dr. Ryan Mueller on their work showing specialization in the use of organic carbon resources by heterotrophic bacteria in the ocean. They have shed light on the mechanisms of carbon cycling in the ocean, using a novel approach to track which microbes are consuming different types of organic carbon produced by common phytoplankton species.
Microbiology Graduate Student, Benjamin Americus (Dr. Bartholomew Lab) has received the prestigious MacVicar Animal Health Scholar Award for his work on fisheries conservation, evolutionary biology, and on the parasites of salmon. He receives a $5500 stipend and $500 for supplies/travel. Ben will present a seminar on his research in the near future.
ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award Becca Maher, Graduate Student in Dr. Rebecca Vega-Thurber's Lab, has won the Oregon State University CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award. These dissertation awards are made annually to students who have completed dissertations representing original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to their disciplines.
May 2021: Dr. Jerri Bartholomew and group are helping to reveal the grim outlook for Klamath River salmon this year. Over the past several weeks, an outbreak of the parasite Ceratonova shasta has ripped through young salmon throughout the lower reaches of the Klamath watershed. Driven by high temperatures and low flows out of Iron Gate Dam, the disease is resulting in .... a “catastrophic” fish kill. Dead in the water: Serious fish kill consumes the Klamath River |[...]
Congrats to Becky on her promotion to full professor, which was just announced! Becky has risen to the top of the critically important field of coral biology and was appointed the Pernot Distinguished Professor ahead of her promotion to full professor, an unusual accomplishment that recognizes her outstanding performance. She continues to teach and mentor a large numbers of students while maintaining active field research programs at locations around the world. Good luck Becky on your next adventure! We are[...]
April 2021: Congratulations to Dr. Maude David on receiving Oregon State University's Breaking Barrier Award in Education. This award recognizes a member of the OSU community whose high impact in teaching and mentoring has paved the way to advance gender equity in higher education and allows all to thrive and prosper.
January 2021: Congratulations to Dr. Rebecca Vega Thurber, Microbiology, on being selected as a recipient of the 2020-21 James and Mildred Oldfield/E.R. Jackman Team Award along with other members of the The COVID Wastewater Team. This award recognizes superior and distinguished interdisciplinary team achievements through teaching, research, international, or extended education activities of faculty and staff. The CAS Faculty and Staff awards event will be held virtually on Wednesday, February 24 at 12 pm.
Research by Dr. Maude David, OSU Microbiology, indicates that children with autism may have a subtly different set of bacteria in their gut than their non-autistic siblings, according to unpublished data presented virtually on Tuesday at the 2021 Society for Neuroscience Global Connectome.
Gut bacteria associated with animal-based diet may mitigate risk of cardiovascular disease: “The connection between TMAO and cardiovascular disease has tended to focus the conversation on how animal-based diets cause negative health consequences,” said Dr. Veronika Kivenson, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral fellow in the College of Science with Microbiology. CHANNEL 8 NEWS VIDEO
Dr. Rebecca Vega Thurber, Microbiology and other scientists at Oregon State University have shown that viral infection is involved in coral bleaching -- the breakdown of the symbiotic relationship between corals and the algae they rely on for energy.
May 21, 2020: Saving Atlantis, a feature documentary produced by OSU filmmakers tracks coral microbiologist Rebecca Vega Thurber and other OSU researchers, uncovering the causes and seeking solutions for the global decline of coral reef ecosystems, is now streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime. Saving Atlantis. Coral reefs cover only 0.1 percent of the Earth’s surface, but they’re home to 25 percent of all marine species, and they’re being lost at an alarming rate. Pollution, overfishing and[...]
April 2, 2020: A study that included the first-ever winter sampling of phytoplankton in the North Atlantic revealed cells smaller than what scientists expected, meaning commonly used carbon sequestration models may be over-optimistic. The OSU research into the microscopic algae, part of NASA’s North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study, was published today in the International Society for Microbial Ecology Journal. The findings are significant because the spring phytoplankton bloom in the North Atlantic “is probably the largest biological[...]
April 1 2020: Dr. Andrew Thurber: An exhibit that was presented at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, "Deep Sea and Me" communicated the diversity of habitats (such as this methane seep) and societal benefits that Oregonians get from the Deep Sea. Photo courtesy of Ocean Exploraton Trust. The Deep Sea and Me: Using a Science Center Exhibit to Promote Lasting Public Literacy and Elucidate Public Perception of the Deep Sea
February 2020: A group of researchers, including Dr. Jerri Bartholomew and Dr. Stephen Atkinson from OSU, have discovered that a common salmon parasite in the PNW has lost its mitochondrial genome and cannot use oxygen directly. READ FURTHER
Researchers at Oregon State University have proposed a new genus of bacteria that flourishes when coral reefs become polluted, siphoning energy from the corals and making them more susceptible to disease. The NSF-funded study is published in the ISME Journal (Phylogenetic, genomic, and biogeographic characterization of a novel and ubiquitous marine invertebrate-associated Rickettsiales parasite, Candidatus Aquarickettsia rohweri, gen. nov.,sp. nov) and adds fresh insight to the fight to save the Earth's[...]
Dr. Stephen Giovannoni, Head
Amy Timshel, Dept. Manager
Microbiology; Nash Hall 226
OSU, Corvallis, OR 97331
Microbiology: 541-737-4441
BioHealth Science: 541-737-5414
