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An international team of geoscientists have discovered a 3.6-million year record of the arctic climate in the sediment of a remote Siberian lake. They have concluded that the lake is the only location in the terrestrial arctic with such a complete, continuous record. The scientists have been invited to present an exhibit on their findings at the National Science Foundation Open House Feb. 4 in Arlington, Va.

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Deposits of natural gas in Michigan were created rapidly by bacteria during the last ice age, indicating the possibility of making natural gas a renewable resource. Some of the gas was released when ice retreated, contributing to interglacial methane spikes in the atmosphere, a finding that can be used in current climate models.

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Resource economists from UMass Amherst will study the economic welfare of farmers and consumers as they face food market giants like Wal-Mart, who have enormous power to lower the prices they pay for agricultural goods. Funding is provide d by the USDA.

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The University of Massachusetts Amherst is launching a new podcast series that features the breakthrough discoveries of campus researchers, showcasing partnerships that create new commercial ventures with the potential to reshape everyday life.

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A UMass Amherst chemical engineer has used molecules from bacteria to create genetic switches that can trigger protein production from genes. This technology could lower the cost of producing therapeutic proteins and pharmaceuticals using bacteria and plant and animal cells.

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UMass Amherst Experts are ready to comment on the Worldwatch Institutes "State of the World 2008: Innovations for a Sustainable Economy" report and can speak to issues of energy and water resource economics, carbon taxes, green building and international trade and development.

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A biochemist at the UMass Amherst has received a grant from the American Heart Association to develop molecular probes capable of measuring cholesterol levels in cells membranes. The probes will be used to evaluate new drug treatments and may potentially be used as a diagnostic tool in humans.

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Globalization, an increasing shortage of good jobs and a lack of family friendly policies among employers pose major challenges for the Massachusetts economy and the state's labor force, according to a new book edited by Tom Juravich, professor of labor studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

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Health researchers have found that residents, especially women, who live in low-income housing in neighborhoods considered unsafe at night, are less physically active than those who live in safer neighborhoods.

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Infants refine and narrow their ability to discriminate between things they see and hear in their first year, revealing an apparent decline in ability when most other skills are dramatically increasing, says Lisa S. Scott, a psychologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

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A new research center focused on the cutting edge of hydrogen fuel cell science has been launched at UMass Amherst that will focus on proton transfer, a critical component of fuel cells, which offer a cleaner, more efficient alternative to fossil fuels.

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UMass Amherst is host to a new nanomedicine institute focused on developing super-tiny structures for biomedical research. Work will focus on engineering fluorescent nanostructures for tagging proteins, engineering magnetic nanoparticles to remove pathogens from blood; and developing biodegradable nanostructures for fighting the malaria parasite.

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Research on the biomechanics of foot muscles and connective tissue will help scientists to understand the mechanisms that cause chronic heel pain and may lead to more specialized treatment of the disorder.

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In married working couples, the more money a woman earns, the less housework she will do, regardless of how much money her spouse makes, says sociologist Sanjiv Gupta. That finding is based on a study of women who work full-time recently published in the Journal of Marriage and Family.

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A new responsive material with lenses that snap between concave and convex could allow for the removal of superglues, wallpaper and paints without toxic solvents; lead to adaptable optical devices or to surfaces with can change reflectivity with changing weather conditions.

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Researchers have discovered metal-rich sedimentary deposits in a New Hampshire lake that grow faster than any other deposits found in the United States. Understanding the environmental conditions that aid in the creation of the structures, which contain copper, iron and other heavy metals, could be helpful in discovering new metal sources.

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Microbiologist James Holden of the University of Massachusetts Amherst has been awarded two grants to study microorganisms from deep-sea volcanic environments that grow best at temperatures around 200°F.

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Ghost stories and other tales of the supernatural have been part of folklore and literature for centuries, according to University of Massachusetts Amherst classics professor Debbie Felton, who collects and studies spooky tales from ancient Greece and Rome as well as more modern literary works.

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In a distinctive town-gown electronic partnership, researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and town officials have unveiled the first phase of a community wireless mesh network in downtown Amherst.

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Raymond S. Bradley, director of the Climate System Research Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has received a three-year, $416,550 award from the National Science Foundation for his project, titled "Volcanoes in the Arctic System: Geochronology and Climate Impacts."

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Three scientists have devised an inexpensive and efficient way to improve security for radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, the wireless devices that allow consumers to pay for their gas or access buildings without pulling out their wallets.

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National Nanomanufacturing Network is a community-driven, open access network that will connect and inform those in the nanomanufacturing research, education and development community. Funded by the NSF as part of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, the network will serve as an important catalyst for the advancement of nanomanufacturing in the U.S.

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Scholars, fans, artists, performers and members of the extended Grateful Dead family will gather at the University of Massachusetts Amherst on Nov. 16-18 for the first major university conference on the enduring legacy of the legendary American rock band.

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The search for alternatives to fossil fuels has led to a major investment in a microbe that converts plant matter into ethanol. Noted for its appetite for all things cellulose, the bacterium efficiently converts biomass to ethanol in a carbon-neutral process that doesn't require the additional enzyme treatments usually accompanying bioethanol production.

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Charles D. Schewe, a marketing professor and author on generational cohorts, says the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 jolted the nation and the people who were coming of age at that time, but may not have the far-reaching impact of the JFK shooting or the attack on Pearl Harbor.

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The University of Massachusetts Amherst is the first public institution in New England to offer a professional architecture degree after its recent accreditation by the National Architecture Accrediting Board.

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The 2 billion years of Earth history exposed in the rock walls of the Grand Canyon are being brought to life by a team of scientists who are creating the world's largest geosciences exhibit on the canyon's southern rim. The 2.8 mile "Trail of Time" will teach some of the Canyon's nearly 5 million annual visitors about geology and geologic time.

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Two prominent markets in the Boston area are hosting events featuring Brazilian vegetables, reflecting a growing market for ethnic crops created by the Brazilian community of Massachusetts, one of the largest in the country, and a trend among upscale consumers to explore exotic cuisines.

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By combining the capabilities of several telescopes, teams of scientists have spotted extremely bright galaxies hiding in the distant, young universe. They are the most luminous and prolific galaxies seen at that great distance, churning out stars at a rate 1,000 times greater than that of the Milky Way.

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Wrinkles are often considered a nuisance, but it turns out that they can reveal fundamental properties of materials, according to research newly published in Science. Scientists have discovered that the thickness and elasticity of a thin film can be calculated by counting and measuring the wrinkles that form when a force is applied to the film.

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If lawmakers approve an Indian-run casino in Massachusetts, the new facility may not have to look beyond the state border for trained workers and executives thanks to a program run by the University of Massachusetts Amherst's department of hospitality and tourism management.

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University of Massachusetts Amherst chemistry professor Julian Tyson has been awarded a $200,000 Discovery Corps Fellowship by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support his research and educational efforts on the toxic contaminant arsenic.

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This fall, 1,400 honors students will read and discuss the book "Terror in the Name of God" in their Dean's Book Course, a small-group seminar series required of all Commonwealth College students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

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Scientist Norman Johnson has written the first book for general audiences examining what biologists can learn about evolution by studying DNA sequences.

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Joseph Kunkel, professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has received a two-year, $200,000 grant from the New England Lobster Research Initiative to study shell disease in lobsters.

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Scientists have created a synthetic polymer that doesn't burn and doesn't require the flame-retardant chemicals used in most plastics, making it an attractive alternative to materials currently used in bus seats, airplanes, textiles and consumer electronics.

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A University of Massachusetts Amherst researcher has identified a new class of genes that appear to play a significant role in breast cancer risk. The results have been published online in The American Journal of Pathology.

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A newly completed 53-mile, $3.6 million fiber optic network should provide virtually unlimited bandwidth for teaching and research while creating new economic development opportunities for several communities in the Pioneer Valley

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A University of Massachusetts Amherst biochemist is creating the first online models of biological molecules customized to figures in scientific research articles. Readers can rotate the models; zoom in on mutations and other sites, and in some cases, watch atoms rearrange during chemical reactions.

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A team of scientists have created a kind of molecular nose that uses nanoparticle-based sensors to sniff out and identify proteins. The sensors can be trained to detect a wide variety of proteins and could eventually serve as a tool for diagnosing diseases like cancer by sniffing out the proteins made by sickly cells.

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A fender-bender between two celestial bodies that left a 186 mile-wide metallic chunk to cool in space was the likely source of a group of meteorites known as the IVA iron meteorites, suggests new research by University of Massachusetts Amherst scientists.

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"Every woman over 40 remembers her first gym suit," says Patricia Campbell Warner, professor of theater at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, whose new book, "When the Girls Came Out to Play," traces the history of modern sportswear as a universal style that broke down traditional gender roles.

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If solar power is going to play a significant role in the energy equation of the future, there must be advances in technologies to store that power and more investment by manufacturers, concludes a new federally funded study by University of Massachusetts Amherst scientist Erin Baker.

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The New England News Forum, a new journalism initiative at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will host a seminar on Saturday, April 7, that explores the impact of media changes on civic engagement. Session topics include bloggers as journalists, shield laws, civics, and consumers and the news.

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The first day of spring is Wednesday, March 21 and Mother Nature is kicking things into high gear. Soon, pollinating insects will be cruising for nectar and mother ticks will lay roughly 3,000 eggs apiece in the leaf litter of Northeastern forests.

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Bookshelves are replete with tales of business turnarounds and successful investments in failing firms, but a new book co-authored by University of Massachusetts Amherst finance professor Ben Branch offers a first-of-a-kind look at the final stage of death for a company: liquidation.

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A team of Engineers Without Borders students recently returned from Kenya where they began implementing a plan to bring clean drinking water to more than 3,000 subsistence farmers. Working with villagers of Namawanga, their projects focused on water quality, sites for future wells, grading topsoil and fencing out livestock.

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Assigning dates to the events in the life of a rock"”such as a collision, or a journey through the Earth's crust"”has long challenged geologists. But now, armed with a custom-built machine known as the Ultrachron, scientists are refining a technique that allows them to pin dates to geologic processes with unprecedented precision.

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Gerome A. Miklau, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has received a five-year, $500,000 federal grant to study privacy and accountability in computer database systems.

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Lisa Chasan-Taber, associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is launching a study of the effects of exercise programs on pregnant women with a history of gestational diabetes.