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From the College of Natural Sciences
Willson Presented with National Medal
U.S. President George W. Bush (R) presents C. Grant Willson (L) with a National Medal of Technology and Innovation during an East Room ceremony at the White House September 29, 2008 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images North America) Chemistry Professor C. Grant Willson was given a National Medal of Technology and Innovation yest...
Oldest Living Lineage of Ants Discovered in the Amazon
AUSTIN, Texas—A new species of blind, subterranean, predatory ant discovered in the Amazon rainforest by University of Texas at Austin evolutionary biologist Christian Rabeling is likely a descendant of the very first ants to evolve. The new ant is named Martialis heureka, which translates roughly to “ant from Mars,” because the ant has a combinat...
Dedication, Demonstration of World's Most Powerful Laser
Event: U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and University of Texas at Austin President William Powers Jr., will dedicate the Texas Petawatt Laser on Thursday. Scientists will demonstrate aspects of the laser during the event. The Tower will be lit orange during the evening to commemorate this event. When: Thursday, Aug. 28, 11:30 a.m. – 12:...
Discovery Opens Door For Drugs To Fight Bird Flu, Influenza Epidemics
AUSTIN, Texas—Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Rutgers University have reported a discovery that could help scientists develop drugs to fight avian flu and other virulent strains of influenza. The researchers have determined the three-dimensional structure of a site on an influenza A virus protein that binds to one of the human...Gerth Gives for Future of Math
For 32 years, Frank Gerth III, gave all that he had to his students and colleagues as a mathematics professor. And though Professor Gerth is no longer of this world, he hasn’t stopped giving. Gerth, who passed away in May 2006, established excellence funds for mathematics graduate students and fellowships for faculty through his estate. Characteri...Gilbert Endowment Established by Worthingtons
Roger Worthington (B.A. ’83, J.D. ’86) and professor Larry Gilbert AUSTIN, Texas—University of Texas at Austin alums Roger and Ann Worthington have donated $500,000 to establish the Lawrence E. Gilbert, Jr. Excellence Endowment, an endowment for the benefit of Brackenridge Field Laboratory (BFL) and research and education in ecology and biodiver...
Network Fever
Edward Marcotte is using networks—like those that could be used to illustrate the connections among users of the Web sites MySpace and Facebook—to study life itself.
Genes Evolve to Minimize Protein Production Errors
AUSTIN, Texas--Genetic evolution is strongly shaped by genes’ efforts to prevent or tolerate errors in the production of proteins, scientists at The University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University have found. Their study also suggests that the cost of errors in protein production may lie in the malformed proteins themselves, rather than in th...
Global Warming Experts Recommend Drastic Measures to Save Species
AUSTIN, Texas—An international team of conservation scientists from Australia, the United Kingdom and United States, including University of Texas at Austin Professor Camille Parmesan, calls for new conservation tactics, such as assisted migration, in the face of the growing threat of climate change. They report their policy ideas in a paper publi...Read It Now
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