The HIV virus, a retrovirus, under the microscope

Remnants of ancient virus may fuel ALS in people

June 6, 2023

An ancient, virus-like protein best known for its essential role in placental development may, when over-expressed, fuel ALS—aka Lou Gehrig's disease—and other neurodegenerative diseases, according to new research. The discovery opens the door to a new class of potential treatments.

A fleet of electric vehicles being charged simultaneously.

Postdoc leads research into decarbonization of transportation sector

June 5, 2023

A paper recently submitted to Nature Scientific Reports explores a scenario in which a 100%-electrified fleet of vehicles must attend to both ride requests submitted by customers and charging requests sent by a utility company during a period of high renewable energy generation.

Man wearing a lab coat and gloves makes adjustments inside a large metal chamber

Space tractor beams may not be the stuff of sci-fi for long

June 1, 2023

One day, small spacecraft could fly around Earth, using devices called electron beams to remove hulking, derelict spacecraft from orbit without ever having to touch. It may sound like science fiction, but aerospace engineers from CU Boulder say they could be ready to test the idea in space in just five to 10 years.

asteroid covered in shadows with sun in the background

Avoiding Armageddon: Researchers narrow down list of potentially hazardous asteroids

May 31, 2023

The asteroid 7482 (1994 PC1) measures about two-thirds of a mile across. It will also remain in Earth's vicinity for much of the next 1,000 years. CU Boulder aerospace engineer Oscar Fuentes-Muñoz says its important to study objects like this one to make sure they don't pose a risk to life on our planet.

Researcher holds artificial pancreas in her hand

Building a better ‘bionic pancreas’

May 31, 2023

Could technology like smart watches and mobile apps change how patients manage Type 1 diabetes? A $1.2 million grant is helping faculty explore ways to give patients a better quality of life.

Jody Jahn, center, in black

Research addresses burning questions on firefighter culture

May 31, 2023

For eight summers, Jody Jahn earned money for college working as a wildland firefighter on U.S. Forest Service crews. Now, instead of rappelling out of helicopters to fight fires, she's an associate professor of communication who studies the culture of wildland firefighting crews.

Rose in the Shakespeare Gardens on campus

Reducing violence with help from The Bard

May 26, 2023

Colorado Shakespeare Festival staffers shared the Shakespeare & Violence Prevention program with scholars and practitioners in England, including at Shakespeare’s Globe theater.

aerial view of a lake

Satellites reveal widespread decline in global lake water storage

May 26, 2023

More than half of the lakes around the world are losing water. The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at CU Boulder reconstructed lake levels from the past 30 years, determining that climate change, human consumption and sedimentation are the reasons for the decline.

Man moves a piece on a wooden board, while several other people watch sitting at school desks

Collective property rights spark spirit of cooperation that extends beyond managing land

May 25, 2023

Since the 1990s, Indigenous groups and other communities around the world have increasingly fought for, and secured, collective property rights to the land they live on. New research suggests that these arrangements can have impacts not just on ecosystems like forests but on the psychology of people.

Jennifer Doudna stands on stage at a podium

Forum on gene editing draws hundreds, some with tough questions

May 25, 2023

A revolutionary technique for editing genomes, called CRISPR-Cas9, has already helped cure sickle cell disease in dozens of people. But it also raises ethical concerns, which a panel of preeminent scientists grappled with at an event on the CU Boulder campus.

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