Our Research
Moving science forward
Jerri Bartholomew, Head of the Microbiology Department
Research fuels our core mission: To advance science and build global leaders for a healthy people, living on a healthy planet, in a healthy economy. We seek out the most promising minds who embrace our values and have the tenacity to tackle the world's toughest problems.
Collectively, we plumb a vast breadth of research topics, from aging to zooplankton, from supernovae to superbugs. We pursue scientific research wherever our curiosity leads.
Research across disciplines
Aging
Understanding how cells detoxify from the cumulative stresses of everyday life opens the door to a host of age-related health interventions.
Air pollution
Tracking air pollutants around the globe is critical to assessing global lung cancer risk.
Ancient amber discoveries
Entomologist George Poinar, the original inspiration behind the book and movie Jurassic Park, unearths insights from plants and animals frozen in time 100 million years ago.
Arthropods
Insects preexist us by almost 300 million years and have a lot to teach us about cooperation, sustainability, and more.
Astrophysics
Physicist Davide Lazzati’s research made world headlines when he predicted that a gamma ray burst from a union of binary stars could be seen from Earth – one month before it was observed in real life!
Better batteries
A critical component for efficient, longterm storage of solar power and other renewable energy sources
Area of Distinction
Biomedical Science
An interdisciplinary effort to understand the physiological and biochemical processes that underpin human health. Researchers deconstruct disease, probe the gut microbiome, engineer new genetic solutions, model smarter public health interventions and more.
Climate change
From the surprising influence of tiny ocean bacteria on our atmosphere to accurate mathematical modeling of a climate-changed future, research at the College of Science underpins the global collaborative effort to combat climate change.
Coral reefs
The race is on to understand how to fortify and preserve ocean coral reefs worldwide that are threatened by global warming and acidification.
Area of Distinction
Data Science
Data science drives research across all disciplines at the College of Science, from plumbing the gut microbiome to accurately predicting weather to cracking the code of RNA and much more.
Earthquakes
Drawing from 44 years of seismic data, statistical science reveals some surprising forecasts about earthquakes.
Genetics
Big data and deep machine learning are powerful new tools in genetic research that continue to produce novel discoveries.
Herpetology
Our world-renowned garter snake specialist, biologist Robert Mason, was the first to isolate and identify a pheromone from a reptile, a discovery which has shed a lot of light into snake behavior, including snake sex!
Area of Distinction
Marine Science
The College Science forms the intellectual core of Oregon State’s Marine Studies Initiative, a bold, campus-wide effort to address the threats facing our oceans with world-leading marine science research.
Microbiome
A hot area of research worldwide that is poised to transform society as we understand more about how the invisible world of the microbiome – including the human gut microbiome – influences health and our planet’s natural resources.
Ocean acidification
How are organisms responding to ocean acidification, which is one of the effects of global warming?
Paleobiology
How did small mammals in past epochs of global warming adapt versus today? Research into the past provides productive insights into how we can mitigate species loss as our own climate warms.
Parasites
A broad and multifaceted area of research across many species, from bacteria to snails, fish and humans, that is leading to surprising insights into evolution and adaptation as well as innovative solutions for halting disease transmission, bolstering fish health, predicting global warming with greater accuracy and more.
Pigments
Everyone loves colors, and chemist Mas Subramanian’s discovery of the first true blue pigment in 100 years made headlines around the world and inspired a new Crayola crayon! But pigments are not only pretty to look at – they can serve as semiconductors, heat reflectors and more.
Protein Structure
The biomedical implications of understanding protein structure are wide and far-reaching, from aging research to innovative cancer drugs and more.
Research on research
Studies on how to do research more effectively make research dollars go further and catalyze scientific discovery
Salmon/fisheries
Our John L. Fryer Salmon Disease Lab is part of a collaborative effort in the Pacific Northwest and beyond to preserve wild salmon stock and diversity while strengthening the ocean farming efforts that many feel are needed to feed a growing human population.
Semiconductors
As evident in the name, are neither good conductors of electricity nor good insulators, but have some conductivity under certain conditions. Because their conductivity can be controlled, they are commonly used in electronic circuits and a wide variety of other applications, from touch screens to pharmaceuticals and more.
Starfish
Seastar wasting disease on the West Coast hit the headlines in 2014 when 50% or more of the population was decimated, followed by a baby boom two years later. The population remains under stress from global warming and is the focus of much research on climate change.
Area of Distinction
Sustainable Materials
Researchers investigate new materials and methods to address current societal needs and build the foundation for a productive future. We unlock new technologies to advance the performance of batteries, solar cells, quantum information systems, and the many devices associated with the Internet of Things.
Zooplankton
Plankton, the tiny creatures at the bottom of the ocean food chain who drift at the mercy of ocean currents, have outsize influence on not only all other sea creatures but on the regulation of carbon in our planet’s atmosphere. They play a critical role in global warming — and cooling.Related Stories
Across the College
Microbiology
Unique non-oxygen breathing animal discovered
Faculty and Staff
Scientists garner innovation awards for cancer and materials research
Biomedical Science