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Science

New study finds less than 10% of Americans have antibodies against novel coronavirus

By Amit Syal

Now nearly seven months into the global pandemic, the world has seen a wide gamut of strategies to battling the coronavirus. In Sweden, the futile attempt to induce herd immunity led to a sharp increase in the number of deaths nationwide. In the U.S., despite nearly 7.5 documented infections and over 200,000 reported deaths, a new study published in The Lancet on Sept. 25 found that under 10% of Americans have antibodies against the coronavirus. Read more

UA COVID-19 Test Tracker

Daily (9/25)
944 31 3.3%
Total (8/4)
35,583 2,255 6.3%
Includes tests since August 4, 2020
Data from https://covid19.arizona.edu/updates
Updated September 25, 2020

Summertime sunshine: A potential link between vitamin D and COVID-19

As pretty much every state around the nation begins to open up in phases, it can sometimes be too easy to put the past behind us and forget about the nature of the highly transmissible novel coronavirus. As of May 19, there have been over 1.5 million confirmed cases alongside 92,000 confirmed deaths in the U.S. The country as a whole has seen a downward trend in both cases and number of deaths recently, but as people start to adventure out of their homes, this trend could very easily revert back upward. Read more

Science fiction of the plague and why we need it

In the past month, there has been a resurgence in the consumption of plague stories and apocalyptic fiction. Pandemic films like “Contagion” and Netflix’s “Outbreak” have risen to particular prominence according to Business Insider, as well as Emily St. John Mandel’s novel “Station Eleven.” Being older works, the revival of these stories during the time of COVID-19 begs the question of why people turn to such stories now. What can these stories teach us? Read more

Data shows high levels of species extinction

Cristian Román-Palacios and John Wiens, who work in the University of Arizona Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, conducted research that led to the discovery that 44% of the species they were analyzing had gone extinct in certain sites.   Read more

UA student lands Brooke Owens fellowship and prestigious internship

Brooke Owens Fellow Lindsey Koelbel, an aerospace engineering major at the University of Arizona, expects to intern at HawkEye 360 this coming summer.  Koelbel decided to come to the UA because of the College of Engineering, which offers an aerospace-specific degree. Originally planning to leave the state, Koelbel said she feels extremely fortunate with her decision to go to the UA because of its affordability, resources and opportunities. Koelbel says her interest in the STEM field started at a young age with a “knack” for puzzles and problem-solving. Read more

Study looks into the way vertebrates communicate

On Jan. 17, University of Arizona professor Dr. John J. Wiens, along with a visiting scientist from China, Dr. Zhuo Chen, published a study titled “The origins of acoustic communication in vertebrates” that found that species who are active at night have utilized acoustic communication over a stable timeline. Read more

Science for the future

Science and technology are constantly changing, and the University of Arizona is at the forefront of the change. The University of Arizona hosts the Arizona Science Lecture Series, which will be held at Centennial Hall at 7 p.m. on Feb. 4, Feb. 18, Feb. 25 and March 3. Read more

UBRP Conference showcases undergraduates' biology research

Over 100 University of Arizona undergraduate researchers presented their work at the 31st annual Undergraduate Biology Research Program Conference in the Environmental and Natural Resources 2 building on Saturday, Jan. 25. This conference served as a public showcase of the work UBRP students completed during their time in the program.  Read more