Boston University

Ecology

From left, Oliver McRae, Lena Dubitsky and James "Jacy" Bird, an ENG associate professor have been studying what bubbles can teach us about how microplastics, viruses, and bacteria aerosolize. Bird just put out a paper on his findings. The team worked in the lab, Wednesday, February 15, 2023. Photo by Jake Belcher. Three people stand in a lab setting with highspeed cameras and other technical equipment setup nearby.

Bubbles

New Bubble Popping Theory Could Help Track Ocean Pollution and Viruses

March 9, 2023

Photo: Emily Burbo (COM’24) presents her project on tree canopies at the Cross College Challenge exhibition in Questrom on Tuesday, Dec. 13. A young white woman with long blonde hair and wearing a white blouse a white blouse and black blazer, smiles as she stands in front of a large screen showing an example of a pop up forest.

environmental health

A Tree Grows in Boston

December 14, 2022

Collage: (From left to right, top down) Photo: Bruce Willis at a speaking engagement wearing a blue collared shirt with a white undershirt, Photo of BU Medical student, Molly Jia Yong Zhao gives a flu shot to a patient during a clinic on September 29, 2020, vector illustration of a brain pixelating and dissolving from left to right, and Photo of Clinical Assistant Professor in Health Science, Hagere Yilma, posing for a photo. A Black woman with shoulder-length black hair styled in a twist-out hairstyle wearing a black, tunic-style blouse stands in front of a brick wall and smiles to the camera.

2022 in Review

Best of The Brink 2022: BU’s Most-Read Science and Research Stories

December 13, 2022

Photo: The sun sets behind signage for the COP27 U.N. Climate Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022. The large sign reads "COP27, Sharm el-Sheikh, 2022 Egypt" and is shown in shadow against the setting sun. A few large clown fish figures can be seen below the sign.

Climate Change

Urgency, Accountability, and Private Jets at UN Climate Summit COP27

November 14, 2022

Photo of green and orange gliding tree frogs swarming on leaves against a black background.

Research in Photos

From Lovesick Frogs to Music-Making to Mouse Memories, Photo Contest Shows Stunning Breadth of BU Research

September 27, 2022

A newspaper burns. On the page the words Climate Change can be seen burning. The image has a greenish tint to it. There is a large red circular overlay on the left with a question mark inside.

Listen Now

How Do I Talk to a Climate Change Denier?

September 26, 2022

Photo: BU School of Public Health researchers (from left) Christopher Rick, Jonathan Buonocore, and Chad Milando are hoping to show how a functioning public transport system is an essential public health resource. Three men stand at a railing and look off into the distance overseeing a busy, congested highway

Orange Line Shutdown

Did Orange Line Shutdown Have Uneven Health, Economic Impacts on Lower-Income Neighborhoods?

September 19, 2022

Photo of Pamela Templer (center), Shawn Jones (left), and Yasmin Romitti. From left, a tall Black man with glasses, a dark grey blazer, purpled collared shirt and black pants stands next to a shorter white woman with arms crossed wearing black blouse and pants and red cardigan, and on right a younger, shorter white woman wearing a black and white polka dot shirt and jeans. They all stand, pose, and smile next to each other.

Climate Change

Building a Diverse, Strong Climate Workforce

June 10, 2022

Photo of a white-tailed deer fawn on a neighborhood front lawn.

Animal Conservation

POV: The Secret to Wildlife Conservation Might Be the “Animal Agency” Approach—Giving Creatures a Role in Their Own Preservation

March 9, 2022

Image of BU Earth and environment researchers Catherine Mahoney, and Amanda Vieillard at Belle Isle Marsh Reservation in Boston, Mass. The women crouch in the yellow grass and set up portable carbon sensors. The Boston City Skyline is seen behind them.

Blue Carbon

Empowering Citizen Scientists to Study and Protect Coastal Wetlands

March 3, 2022

Boston's city skyline showcasing the greenery and trees in the foreground

Forest Edges

City Trees and Soil Are Sucking More Carbon Out of the Atmosphere Than Previously Thought

February 16, 2022

photo of Randall skiing in a place called Echo Glacier. She is between a glacier and a mountain, where the ice has melted around the sides.

Climate Science

On Alaska’s Glaciers, Life Is Harsh—and So Is the Reality of Climate Change

December 13, 2021

a photo collage featuring studio photos of all 13 members of the team of Boston University researchers all posing in front of black backdrops in various poses.

Environmental Justice

This Squad of Researchers Is a Real-Life Justice League

October 27, 2021

a zoomed in photo of a spotted lanternfly resting on an open palm

Ecology

If You See a Pretty Spotted Lanternfly, Report It—Then Squash It

October 15, 2021

View of Lake Powell in July 2021. The water level is noticeably very low. Water levels in the lake hit a historic low this summer.

Climate Science

IPCC Climate Report: In New England, Extreme Heat and Sea Level Rise Are Biggest Climate Threats

August 10, 2021

Thick haze from wildfire smoke in New England is shown hanging over the Boston skyline as viewed from Fenway Park.

Climate Science

Wildfire Smoke in New England Is “Pretty Severe from Public Health Perspective”

July 27, 2021

Deepwater Discoveries

There’s More to the Story behind Rare Glass Octopus Footage

July 21, 2021

A photo of food shaped to look like microbes

Microbiomes

“Synthetic Ecology” Seeks to Boost Health by Engineering the Environment

May 20, 2021

A photo of a mushroom with a red head and white dots

Soil Microbiome

Why Scientists Want to Solve an Underground Mystery about Where Microbes Live

May 7, 2021

An aerial view of a forest

Climate Change

Northern Forest Fires Could Accelerate Climate Change

April 29, 2021

Northern Forest Fires Could Accelerate Climate Change