The Year in Science at Duke

Duke University had a very exciting year in science in 2021. Here is a roundup of some of the science stories covered this year.

• Robo Dragonfly: DraBot uses air pressure, microarchitectures and self-healing hydrogels to watch for changes in pH, temperature and oil
• Identifying New Drug Targets for COVID-19: The coronavirus’s tangled strands of RNA could offer new ways to treat people who get infected
• Ghost Forests: Rising seas and inland-surging seawater are leaving behind the debris of dying forests.
• Impact of Australian Wildfires: Clouds of smoke and ash from wildfires that ravaged Australia in 2019 and 2020 triggered widespread algal blooms in the Southern Ocean
• Aging and Metabolism: Researchers have precisely measured life’s metabolic highs and lows, from birth to old age, and the findings might surprise you
• ABC Science Collaborative Says Masks Work: What we learned about masks in schools
• Test Tells Virus From Bacteria: The approach could help clinicians know when to correctly prescribe antibiotics
• Duke Puppy Kindergarten: Advancing science to understand better canine brain development
• Brain-Eating Amoeba: Naegleria fowleri – commonly known as “the brain-eating amoeba” – can be found in warm fresh water.
• Hobbit Teeth: Stone tools may have allowed Homo floresiensis to eat their meals with less chewing effort than earlier hominins.
• Mathemalchemy: Collaborators turn mathematical ideas into art in “Mathemalchemy,” at Duke