Research Magazine

Lake Tanganyika is an ecological jewel at the heart of desperate human misery. Prohibitions on fishing--designed to protect the fragile ecosystem--have angered local fishermen. These kinds of tensions between conservationists and local people are common. ASU researchers are working to strike a balance. --by Adelheid Fischer

Nanomaterials are in or on the surface of thousands of the products you use every day. They are part of toothpaste, stain-resistant clothing, sunscreens, plastic water bottles, and more. ASU researchers want to know if these microscopic materials are also making their way into the environment, drinking water and, ultimately, your body. --by Melissa Crytzer Fry

The Vortis Insect Suction Sampler vacuums bugs off of plants. Researcher Stan Faeth uses the tool to study what kind of bugs inhabit particular plants, and their relationships to them. --by Margaret Coulombe

Microbial symbionts live in the guts of animals, the interiors of corals, and the roots of plants. They help plants take up nutrients and help cows break down cellulose, but they can also be harmful to their hosts. Stan Faeth wants to understand the relationship between symbionts, their hosts, and their role in everything from conservation to cancer cures. --by Margaret Coulombe

Room for experiments on the Space Shuttle or the International Space Station is hard to come by. Sometimes scientists have to mimic the effects of space right here on Earth. --by Margaret Coulombe

Scientists have learned plenty about how life in outer space affects the human body. But what about germs and other nasty microorganisms? Cheryl Nickerson wants to know how disease-causing pathogens themselves are affected by space travel. --by Margaret Coulombe

Composer Tom Peterson is not very interested in music that balances consonance and dissonance. He likes conflict in his compositions, and in one piece even asked his musicians to "play what makes you angry." (part 3 of 3) --by Sheilah Britton

Megan McGinnity has has studied child slavery in Ghana. She has studied the sex trade in Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia. The ASU honors student says that seeing these problems through the lens of economics helps explain peoples' incentives. She hopes that changing the incentive structure can help solve these and other daunting problems of human trafficking. (part 2 of 3) --by Sheilah Britton

Meet Sharon Cini, an ASU student who has worked with the Senate committee on Indian affairs studying health care, law enforcement and sexual assault in Indian country. Cini is one of a rapidly growing group of undergraduates getting hands-on research experience in their fields. Read about Cini and other student researchers in this three-part series. --by Sheilah Britton

Most people assume that landscape photographs are about rocks or trees or space. For Mark Klett, the real meaning of landscape photography concerns our essential connection to place, to each other, and, most important, to time. --by Adelheid Fischer