News

Researchers collected samples and took chemical measurements of the sediment from San Francisco Bay
Energy-Environment, Research

Study shows new potential indirect effects of humans on water quality

Posted

A study published today shows that a newly studied class of water contaminants that is known to be toxic and hormone disrupting to marine animals is present likely due in part to indirect effects of human activity.

Yunaska Island, Alaska
Energy-Environment

University of Minnesota Polar Geospatial Center to lead effort on mapping Alaska and arctic

Posted

Much of Alaska and the arctic lack modern, reliable maps needed to support modern activities including ground and air transportation, safe recreation, land management, sustainable development, and scientific studies.

drawing of EOS solar car
Energy-Environment, Infrastructure/Transportation

University of Minnesota solar car team to unveil new car Aug. 18

Posted

The University of Minnesota Solar Vehicle Project team will give the public a first look at its newest solar-hybrid car at a special event for the media, sponsors and supporters.

Sustainable Research Network group photo
Energy-Environment

University of Minnesota researchers to lead a $12M research network to build sustainable, healthy, and livable cities

Posted

The University of Minnesota has received a $12 million dollar award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to bring together a unique network of scientists, industry leaders, and policy partners committed to building better cities of the future.

world map showing pollution related deaths
Energy-Environment

Meeting global air quality guidelines could prevent 2.1 million deaths per year

Posted

Improving air quality—in clean and dirty places—could potentially avoid millions of pollution-related deaths each year.

illustration of high performance photodetector
Energy-Environment

Black phosphorus is new ‘wonder material’ for improving optical communication

Posted

Phosphorus, a highly reactive element commonly found in match heads, tracer bullets, and fertilizers, can be turned into a stable crystalline form known as black phosphorus.

Solar Lab
Energy-Environment

A ray of sunshine for bioenergy

Posted

Even at historically low natural gas prices, bioenergy may not be out of the running — it just may need a little help from the sun.

graphs that look at thousands of zeolites in the virtual world and identify their performance for specific applications
Energy-Environment, Research

Researchers identify materials to improve biofuel and petroleum processing

Posted

Using one of the largest supercomputers in the world, a team of researchers led by the University of Minnesota has identified potential materials that could improve the production of ethanol and petroleum products.

3-dimensional graphic of a 70-meter-deep basin formed near the summit of Greenland’s Flade Isblink Ice Cap in the fall of 2012
Energy-Environment

Atmospheric warming heats the bottom of ice sheets, as well as the top

Posted

University of Minnesota researchers are part of a national team of scientists that has published a new paper showing for the first time that meltwater from the surface of an ice cap in northeastern Greenland can make its way beneath the ice and become trapped, refilling a subglacial lake.

Powerline at sunset
Energy-Environment

Switching to vehicles powered by electricity from renewables could save lives

Posted

Driving vehicles that use electricity from renewable energy instead of gasoline could reduce the resulting deaths due to air pollution by 70 percent.