Inspiration Dissemination

Your gastrointestinal tract is home to hundreds of bacterial species that play essential roles in digestion and metabolism. As this field of research expands it is becoming increasingly clear that these microbes influence systems beyond the gut: they can even impact brain functioning. These effects were once thought to occur indirectly over the span of minutes to hours through complex chemical sig...

Our guest this week is Mark Kerstens, a PhD student at OSU, who studies black-backed woodpeckers with the hope of improving forest management before and after wildfires. Black-backed woodpeckers are ecosystem engineers, creating habitat for many other forest-dwelling species, and Mark's work is helping to inform natural resource managers about what these charasmatic birds may be doing.

Millions of people visit U.S. National Parks each year. The amazing flora, fauna, and natural ecosystems of these parks draw visitors from all over the world to the United States. Wes Binder, an OSU Ph. D. Student, works exclusively in one of the most famous U.S. National Parks, Yellowstone. His work focuses on understanding dynamics between two of the top predators - wolves and cougars. In this e...

Molecular biology is often introduced through the central dogma: DNA makes RNA, and RNA makes protein. But biology is rarely that simple. In this episode, Sanjay discusses how discoveries such as non-coding RNAs have expanded our understanding of how genetic information works, and how he uses computational approaches to investigate the functions and structures of these mysterious molecules. Tune i...

Many wildlife populations experience change over time. For some, this can be defined as “boom” and “bust” periods – cycles of change where population numbers rise and fall. Understanding these can be a major challenge for scientists and wildlife managers, particularly for species who have not historically been monitored. One such species, the gray-tailed vole, is being studied by PhD student Austi...

Imagine you are in the produce section of the grocery store picking out your fruit for the week, and you remember the apple marketing slogan “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Once you make your way over to the apples, you are almost guaranteed to find a variety that fits your preference for taste and texture. These varieties are only made possible because of grafting techniques, a method for...

Satellite imagery has transformed how scientists study the ocean, particularly true today with the recent launch of a new NASA satellite. However, understanding more of the oceans through satellite imagery requires data validation obtained at sea. In this episode of Inspiration Dissemination, Alexander Bailess shares how he combines remote sensing with field-based oceanography to ground-truth sate...

Alaskan wolf populations can have varied diets, likely shaped by the landscape and prey availability. But how can we study these mobile, remote animals and what is the extent of knowledge gained? In this episode of Inspiration Dissemination, Zach Muniz explains how wolf scat can reveal not only what wolves are eating, but also the parasites they may be exposed to. Using materials from the Levi Lab...

As the occurrence and intensity of wildfires in Oregon annually increase, there is an urgent need to understand how these events impact community ecology in affected areas. This episode of Inspiration Dissemination, we talk to Noelle Foster, an M.Sc. Student in the department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences about her work studying bird communities in the Oregon Cascades using rem...

Everyone living on the U.S. west coast has likely heard of "The Big One". This earthquake is commonly said to be "due any day now" and will likely have devastating consequences for coastal communities. Thankfully, researchers like this week's guest, Amina Meselhe, focus on understanding the potential extent of consequences from extreme events like The Big One and explore potential strategies for i...

A farewell interview for one of the hosts here at I.D. Esteban Hernandez. Esteban will be finishing up his degree soon and off to New Mexico to start his post-doc. Listen to his final thoughts and some more advice for one last time. Good luck E!

Climate change driven by global warming is a highly debated topic in today’s world. However, what we can be sure of is that certain gases cause changes to our environment and are often referred to as “greenhouse gases”. A large scientific effort has been made to capture these gases and turn it into things with less environment impact. One particular way is by creating molecules that mimic our bodi...

Kelp are an important foundation species in Oregon, however are experiencing multiple stressors that may directly influence their biomass, including rising ocean termperatures and being preyed upon by sea urchins. Furthermore, Oregon is in talks of reintroducing sea otters back into the environment - what does this mean for kelp? In this episode, Andrés explains how he is assessing the interplay b...

How do you identify “an expert”? The answer to this question is more complex than you might think. Most of us might think of people with multiple degrees or extensive experience in a specific field as experts. However, as our guest this week is discovering, experts can be people with passion, people with connections or people with specific job titles. Recognizing the enacted and relationally value...

Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus)  are the largest animals that have ever existed on Earth. Despite this, they feed exclusively on krill (Nyctiphanes australis) which are typically no larger than 2 cm. Thus, they must consume massive amounts of these tiny organisms to support the large energy requirements of their life history processes. Researchers are interested in understanding how predator-p...

Join us for a chat with Jazlee Crowley, a 4th year PhD student in Integrative Biology who takes us on a deep dive into the complex interactions of the bodhi tree. Jazlee's research takes us to Hawaii, but as we soon learn, relationships with the bodhi tree are prominent in many countries and cultures. As Jazlee investigates the role of the bodhi tree in Hawaii as an "invasive", it becomes apparent...

Oregon’s many winding rivers meet the Pacific Ocean in gorgeous estuaries scattered along the coastline. These estuaries are critical habitat for salmon, water birds, Dungeness crab, and oysters, and are deeply connected to the local economies of coastal communities. These estuaries are also the primary habitat of eelgrass — a fully aquatic flowering plant. We may overlook eelgrass as the creepy t...

What happens when the rich agricultural landscape meets the rugged and wild natural ecosystems of eastern Oregon? Join us as we sit down with Lara Mengak, a 4th year PhD student who is exploring this question. Her dissertation work is trying to understand what social and ecological threats impact ranchers in Oregon. What kinds of conflicts exist between natural predators, such as wolves, and lives...

Sea urchins may have a spiny reputation, but they are vital members influencing kelp ecosystems. Join us as Delaney Chabot, a third-year Master Student in Integrative Biology, discusses their importance and also how they act as a connecting link between subtidal and intertidal zones. Delaney is a passionate educator and the visionary behind the 'kelp horn' - listen in to hear more! Hosted by Matt...

Join us as we zoom into the "nano world" with Kelso Arthur, a third-year PhD student in Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at Oregon State University. In this episode we discuss nano and microplastic use in agricultural pesticides, what impacts they could have on environmental health, and how indicator species can help us assess their effects. Kelso shares their journey on how their roots in K...

Mammals encompass some of the most interesting animals on the planet. We can see how bats have mastered the sky with wings like birds or how dolphins have adapted streamlined bodies for life in the ocean just like fish. The ability to evolve similar characteristics to overcome common problems found in the environment is called convergent evolution and opens our eyes to the fundamentals of how life...