Max Häggblom, Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, was elected Vice President of the International Society for Microbial Ecology.

For Max Häggblom, curiosity about the microbial world began in central Finland, where growing up in an industrial town exposed him early to the environmental consequences of chemical pollution. A fascination with what microorganisms could do with unusual chemicals eventually became a career exploring some of the most remarkable and consequential metabolic capabilities on Earth.

Now, Häggblom is bringing that curiosity and a longstanding commitment to scientific service to a new international leadership role. The Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) has been elected vice president of the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME), the leading scientific society dedicated to advancing microbial ecology. 

Häggblom will serve two years as vice president, followed by two years as president and two years as past president, giving him a six-year leadership role within the society.

“It is indeed a distinct honor to be elected ISME Vice President and I look forward to serving the society,” Häggblom said.

His connection to ISME stretches back more than three decades. As a young postdoctoral researcher, he attended the society’s fifth meeting in Kyoto in 1989.

“I was hooked,” he said.

Häggblom’s research has been driven in part by a fascination with what he calls the “unusual appetites” of microorganisms—their ability to metabolize and detoxify chemicals, respire metals and metalloids, and survive in extreme environments.

That interest took root during his undergraduate training at the University of Helsinki. In a microbiology journal club, he was assigned a paper on microbial degradation of chlorinated compounds. The subject immediately captured his attention, leading him to join the laboratory of Professor Mirja Salkinoja-Salonen and study the metabolism of chlorinated phenolic compounds, pollutants associated with Finland’s pulp and paper and sawmill industries.

The work became the focus of his master’s and doctoral research. Later, as a postdoctoral researcher with Lily Young, currently Distinguished Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences, he became fascinated by anaerobic microorganisms and, in particular, anaerobic organohalide respiration—a process in which halogenated organic compounds serve as the terminal electron acceptor for respiration.

“It is a topic that has kept me busy ever since,” he said.

Today, Häggblom’s research group explores, cultivates and characterizes novel microorganisms from diverse habitats, including soils, sediments and marine sponges. The goal is to understand microbial ecosystem processes and connect microbial diversity and function across scales, from genomes to biomes.

Max Häggblom sampling for soil microbes in the Malla Nature Reserve, located at Kilpisjärvi in northwestern Lapland, Finland, one of his research team’s study sites.

His research encompasses the dehalogenation of organochlorine and organobromine pollutants in oxygen-free environments, bacteria associated with marine sponges, selenium- and arsenic-respiring bacteria, and the microbial ecology of Arctic tundra soils.

Häggblom remains especially enthusiastic about a classic approach to microbiology: enrichment culture, pioneered by early microbiologists Martinus Beijerinck and Sergei Winogradsky, combined with modern molecular ecology.

“I am huge fan of the classical enrichment culture technique, combined with molecular ecology,” he said. The approach allows researchers to select for and identify microorganisms with particular metabolic traits and then investigate their physiology and ecological interactions in their natural environments.

“There is always a new chemical pollutant or intriguing habitat to explore,” he said.

Häggblom’s new ISME role builds on a long history of service to the scientific community. Early in his career, he became involved with professional societies through peer review, symposium organization and other activities, first with the American Society for Microbiology and later with the Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS).

He has also served as editor in chief of FEMS Microbiology Ecology since 2011 and has been chair of the Rutgers Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology for more than 15 years.

For Häggblom, scientific societies are about more than professional obligations. They create opportunities for researchers and educators to develop relationships, exchange ideas and build careers.

“While this society service can be time-consuming it is also tremendously rewarding, fostering professional development and cultivating connections with researcher and educators around the globe,” he said.

Max Häggblom, bottom left, pictured with “the Bloomers,” members of the Häggblom lab in 2024.

As he takes on the ISME vice presidency, Häggblom is particularly interested in expanding opportunities for early-career scientists.

“Now as a senior scientist I find delight in mentoring and inspiring the next generation of scholars and educators,” he said. “I am passionate about advancing the reach of our scholarly societies by promoting education and fostering professional development.”

He hopes to help create more opportunities for members to build international networks and friendships, while making it easier for scientists at every career stage to participate in the society. The biennial ISME Symposium remains a central gathering point for the field, but Häggblom sees potential for additional training, mentoring activities and workshops.

“I look forward to ensuring that we provide opportunities for the next generation of scholars to build their network of collaborators, that we foster a belonging and development of friendships across the world, and that we enable everyone to become engaged in our society activities,” he said.

Häggblom also sees microbial ecology as increasingly central to some of society’s most pressing challenges, including climate change, health and biotechnology.

“I think that microbial solutions will be central to solving these challenges – microbes and microbiomes have untapped potential,” he said.

He believes scientific societies have an important role to play in bringing that potential into broader conversations about the future of the planet. Häggblom points to recent efforts to unite microbiology societies around climate action, including the ISME Climate Change Committee and the 2025 Global Strategy Meeting on Microbes and Climate Change in Washington, D.C.

Häggblom considers the challenge is not simply to advance microbial research but also to communicate its importance.

“We need to expand on this commitment to raising awareness and communicating about the importance of microbes for a healthy planet and a sustainable future,” he said.

That emphasis on connection—between disciplines, researchers, communities and generations—runs through his vision for ISME.

Max Häggblom visiting in the lab of the Australian Institute of Marine Science to study dehalogenating bacteria of marine sponges.

With research, department leadership, editorial responsibilities and now an international society leadership role, Häggblom acknowledges that maintaining balance is a work in progress.

“Likely not that well,” he said when asked how he balances research, leadership and personal life.

He currently leads a research group that includes a postdoctoral researcher, approximately half a dozen doctoral students and an equal number of undergraduate researchers. He also continues to serve as department chair and editor in chief while taking on new professional commitments.

“’No’ is not in my vocabulary,” he said, acknowledging that he is frequently drawn into new activities.

But he has found an outlet that takes him far from the laboratory and the university. Every Tuesday evening, Häggblom rehearses with the Greenwich Village Orchestra in New York City, performing in approximately six concerts each year.

For a scientist whose career has been built around exploring the extraordinary capabilities of the microbial world, the music offers a different kind of connection.

As he begins his six-year leadership journey with ISME, Häggblom brings with him a career grounded in scientific curiosity, a commitment to service and mentoring, and a conviction that understanding the microbial world is essential to understanding—and addressing—the challenges facing the planet.

The current ISME Executive Board includes Gabriele Berg, president; Max Häggblom, vice president; Raquel Peixoto, past president; and Joana Falcão Salles, treasurer.

    

Related Stories

• From Scientific Curiosity to Scientific Leadership: Max Häggblom Takes the Helm of Microbial Ecology
• Rutgers Researcher Is Awarded a Federal Grant to Help Win the War on Bugs
• Rutgers Professor Ramu Govindasamy Receives Distinguished Service Award from Food Distribution Research Society

 

Professor Ramu Govindamy pictured with the Frank Panyko Distinguished Service Award presented by the Food Distribution Research Society at its annual conference in Hershey, PA, on October 5.

Recognition honors more than two decades of leadership, scholarship and service in agricultural marketing and food distribution

Ramu Govindasamy, professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE) at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, was presented the Frank Panyko Distinguished Service Award by the Food Distribution Research Society (FDRS), one of the organization’s highest honors recognizing sustained leadership, service and contributions to the field of food distribution research. Govindasamy received the award during the FDRS Annual Conference, held October 4–6, in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

“FDRS has been an important part of my professional career for many years,” Govindasamy said. “I am honored to receive the Frank Panyko Distinguished Service Award and grateful to the many colleagues, students and friends who have contributed to my experiences with the society. I look forward to continuing to support FDRS and its mission.”

The award recognizes members who demonstrate exceptional commitment to advancing the society through leadership, mentorship and professional service while helping shape the next generation of researchers and practitioners.

Govindasamy’s relationship with FDRS spans more than two decades. Since first participating in the society’s annual meetings in 1995, he has contributed extensively through research presentations, publications and leadership roles that have advanced scholarship in agricultural marketing and food distribution.

He has served on the FDRS Board of Directors, reviewed nominations for the society’s Applebaum Award, coordinated poster presentations, moderated technical sessions and judged the annual Food Marketing Challenge. In 2018, he served as president of the organization, helping strengthen collaboration among researchers, educators and industry professionals.

Among the highlights of his presidency was organizing the inaugural Direct Agricultural Marketing Summit, which brought together organizations including the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Farm Credit, the Farmers Market Coalition and the National Value-Added Conference to promote collaboration and innovation in direct agricultural marketing.

Govindasamy also played a key role in strengthening the visibility of the Journal of Food Distribution Research, supporting efforts that led to the journal’s inclusion in SCOPUS, a leading international database of scholarly literature.

At Rutgers, Govindasamy has built an internationally recognized program integrating research, teaching and Extension focused on agricultural marketing and food distribution. His work explores direct agricultural marketing, farmers’ markets, locally grown and ethnic produce, organic products, agritourism, consumer behavior and food distribution systems.

His research has helped connect academic scholarship with practical solutions for agricultural producers, food businesses and communities while informing marketing strategies and consumer engagement across the food system.

Throughout his career, Govindasamy has also been committed to mentoring students and early-career professionals. Through conference presentations, professional workshops, student competitions and collaborative research, he has created opportunities for emerging scholars to engage with leaders across the food distribution industry.

The award nomination, submitted by FDRS colleague Greg Fonsah, recognized Govindasamy’s decades of exemplary leadership, scholarship and service to the organization.

The recognition reflects Govindasamy’s enduring contributions to agricultural marketing research and Extension, as well as his commitment to strengthening the connections among research, education and industry that benefit producers, businesses and consumers alike.

    

Related Stories

• Rutgers Professor Ramu Govindasamy Receives Distinguished Service Award from Food Distribution Research Society
• From Scientific Curiosity to Scientific Leadership: Max Häggblom Takes the Helm of Microbial Ecology
• Rutgers Researcher Is Awarded a Federal Grant to Help Win the War on Bugs

 

Jennifer Sun, assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, will study how microbes influence insect chemosensory behavior. Photo: Luca Mostello/Rutgers University.

Bugs are formidable foes, spreading disease and destroying billions of dollars in crops annually. Conventional controls, such as insecticides, are losing their effectiveness amid growing resistance and environmental concerns.

Novel controls are needed – and a Rutgers-New Brunswick researcher has been awarded $2.1 million in federal funding to find them.

Jennifer Sun, assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at Rutgers-New Brunswick, has received a Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) from the National Institutes of Health to study how microbes influence insect behavior.

Sun said her research could help identify new ways of controlling insect pests that are safe and effective.

“We want to find insect control strategies that are precise, species-specific and gentle on our environment,” she said.

At the heart of her research are efforts to understand the role of bacteria and fungi in the sensory systems that drive an insect’s instinct to eat, mate and reproduce.

Sun’s past work has demonstrated the importance of bacteria to fly’s ability to find food. Her team also has extended its investigations to mosquitoes, demonstrating that their desire to seek a blood meal may be driven by microbes on the sensory organs rather than in the gut, as was long believed.

The National Institutes of Health award will support Sun’s lab to conduct three connected lines of study over the next five years:

First, her team will raise germ-free fruit flies and mosquitoes to determine how microbes affect olfactory behavior-regulating proteins on the insects’ mouths, antennae, legs and wings.

Second, through field collections throughout New Jersey, they will investigate environmental drivers of insect-microbe interactions, mapping how climate, pollution and habitat shape microbial communities in sensory organs and, in turn, influence insects’ actions. 

Finally, they will test whether certain bacteria and fungi might modulate insect behavior, paving the way for potential alternatives to chemical insecticides.

Jennifer Sun. Photo: Luca Mostello/Rutgers University.

Sun’s work has implications for both health and agriculture. In New Jersey, the Asian tiger mosquito is well established and transmits a range of diseases, including dengue, Zika and chikungunya. At the same time, fruit flies, such as the spotted-wing drosophila, pose threats to the state’s soft-fruit and berry industries.

Globally, the Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that invasive pests cause at least $70 billion in farm losses every year, while a 2016 assessment by French researchers found that associated health losses top $6.9 billion annually. 

But most chemical control strategies are either failing because of insecticide resistance or falling out of favor because of the dangers to human and ecological health.

Sun’s connection to Rutgers is long-standing. She studied Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in the School of Arts and Sciences from 2009 to 2013, returning in 2019 as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology. 

In 2022, she received a Rutgers Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, which supported the first two years of the research program now funded by the MIRA grant.

This article first appeared on Rutgers Today.

    

Related Stories

• From Scientific Curiosity to Scientific Leadership: Max Häggblom Takes the Helm of Microbial Ecology
• Rutgers Professor Ramu Govindasamy Receives Distinguished Service Award from Food Distribution Research Society
• Mosquito Waste Reveals Viruses Hiding in Plain Sight

 

The 2026 Summer School on Sustainability Governance cohort gathers at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, August 24–28, 2026.

Week-long program brought together researchers working on ocean and fisheries governance, energy justice, Indigenous land rights, food systems, and climate policy from institutions across the United States and the globe

From August 24 to 28, the Department of Human Ecology at Rutgers University–New Brunswick hosted its second annual Summer School on Sustainability Governance, bringing nearly 30 doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scholars to campus for a week of intensive training, collaborative discussions, and interdisciplinary cohort-building.

Organized by Human Ecology faculty Pamela McElwee, professor, and Rachael Shwom, professor and department chair, and supported by the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute (RCEI) and the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, the program addresses a growing need for graduate training that equips emerging scholars to understand governance challenges across disciplines and knowledge systems. Building on a successful inaugural cohort in 2024, this year’s summer school continued to strengthen an international network of researchers working to translate social science insights into practical governance solutions for an increasingly complex world. The program reflects the Department of Human Ecology’s growing leadership in interdisciplinary research that examines how institutions, communities, and policy systems respond to complex environmental and societal challenges.

Participants present their working-group models of governance systems during a hands-on session.

Participants were selected from a competitive pool of more than 140 applicants and represented nearly 25 universities and research institutions in the United States, Canada, and beyond. Their research spans topics including ocean and fisheries governance, Indigenous land rights, energy justice, food systems, climate policy, and environmental governance, with fieldwork taking place in locations ranging from the Amazon and Indonesia to coastal Ghana, the Andes, and communities across the United States.

Though their research sites and methods differed widely, participants shared a common concern: how societies govern shared resources and collective risks under conditions of rapid environmental change.

“These scholars are all wrestling with a version of the same problem: how do you govern shared resources fairly and effectively when the scale of the crisis keeps outpacing the abilities of our current institutions?” said McElwee, professor of Human Ecology and co-organizer of the summer school.

Participants brought a remarkable breadth of expertise. Ana Lucia Araujo Raurau, a doctoral student in geography at Clark University, examines how governance of Indigenous territories in Amazonia shapes forest stewardship. Ahmad Hidayat of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studies forest carbon markets in Indonesia, while Aline Bravo, a PhD student in anthropology at the University of Southern California, researches how changing water availability affects communities and ecosystems in northern Chile. Gustavo Valdivia, an anthropologist and filmmaker from Peru, shared his work on the Quelccaya Ice Cap in the Andes, the largest tropical glacier on Earth.

Participants present their working-group findings during another interactive session.

Energy governance was another major area of focus. Samuel Ayivi (University of Connecticut) researches offshore wind development and community trust, while Ben Williamson (Montana State University) examines how privately built transmission lines are reshaping the politics of energy infrastructure in the Northern Plains. Anna Demina (Columbia University) studies smart microgrids and socio-political decision-making, and Sindhura Polepalli (University of Miami), a former maritime legal consultant to the Government of India, researches global shipping emissions and equity in ocean governance.

Rutgers was also represented in the cohort. Wan Chantavilasvong, a doctoral candidate in Geography, studies coastal urbanization and marine ecology across Southeast Asia, while Chun-ching Tu, a doctoral student in Sociology, researches the emergence of transnational climate finance governance.

The week-long program combined plenary sessions, faculty-led discussions, structured working groups, and professional development activities that encouraged participants to strengthen their own research while building collaborations across disciplines. Highlights included participant “speed talks,” interdisciplinary faculty panels on governance in health, climate, marine law, and geography, an evening conversation with Ana Baptista, director of the Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School and a nationally recognized expert on environmental justice, and hands-on skills sessions led by Rutgers faculty covering survey methods, geospatial analysis, machine learning, science communication, and stakeholder engagement.

Participants in the 2026 summer school outside the IFNH building on the Rutgers SEBS campus.

The program concluded with peer review, proposal workshopping, and discussions of career pathways inside and outside academia, reflecting its emphasis on preparing scholars to connect research with real-world governance and policy.

“Our goal was to send these incredible attendees back to their home institutions with a network of peers working on parallel problems around the world, so that the collaborations can continue on after this week and lead to sustained engagement and new partnerships,” said Shwom, co-organizer of the summer school and chair of the Department of Human Ecology.

For many participants, building that interdisciplinary community proved to be one of the week’s greatest benefits.

“The complex challenges of the Anthropocene cannot be adequately understood through a single disciplinary lens. Meaningful collaboration across disciplines, academic levels, and cultural perspectives is essential for producing research that is both intellectually rigorous and socially relevant,” said Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed, a doctoral candidate in Environmental Sociology at Utah State University.

“It expanded my intellectual community and, more importantly, connected me with colleagues who share an ethical commitment to more just and grounded approaches to sustainability,” said Gustavo Valdivia-Corrales, an anthropologist, filmmaker, and lecturer at Universidad del Pacífico in Peru who leads a project with the Ohio State University Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center on the Quelccaya Ice Cap.

Now in its second year, the Summer School on Sustainability Governance is designed to build the capacity of early-career researchers to work across disciplinary boundaries while strengthening a global network of scholars committed to translating social science research into equitable and effective environmental policy and practice. The inaugural program was supported by the National Science Foundation, while this year’s program was funded internally by Rutgers. Organizers are seeking additional support to sustain and expand the initiative in the years ahead.

    

Related Stories

• From Scientific Curiosity to Scientific Leadership: Max Häggblom Takes the Helm of Microbial Ecology
• Rutgers Professor Ramu Govindasamy Receives Distinguished Service Award from Food Distribution Research Society
• Rutgers Researcher Is Awarded a Federal Grant to Help Win the War on Bugs

 

National Finalist – Extension Education Poster, Kate Brown (Somerset)(pictured), Claudia Gil Arroyo (Cape May), and Claudia Urdanivia (Hudson/Essex), “Interactive Learning is Key to Student Success in Online Delivery of Annie’s Project 101 Course.”

The 2026 Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference, hosted by the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA), was held in Denver, Colorado.

The meeting was attended by more than 1,200 extension educators, agricultural agents and specialists across focus disciplines that included agriculture, horticulture, forestry, natural resources, community development and youth programs like 4-H.

Faculty and staff in Agriculture and Natural Resources among Rutgers and county employees, won the following awards:

National Winner – Achievement Award for Extension Excellence (less than 10 years) – Jean Epiphan

National Winner – Distinguished Service Award for Extension Excellence (greater than 10 years) – Steve Yergeau

Northeast Regional Winners – Communication Awards in the following categories:

Computer Generated Presentation (PPT) with Script – Patrick McMullen (Atlantic) for “Cut Flower Production and Marketing: Soilborne Pathogens in Field Production,” presented during the Cut Flower Production and Marketing Session of the Northeast Agricultural Expo held in Atlantic City, NJ, January 20-22, 2026.

Event Promotional Package – Kate Brown (Somerset), Claudia Gil Arroyo (Cape May), and Claudia Urdanivia (Hudson/Essex) for “Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project Builds Viable NJ Farms” flyer.

Newsletter – Rebecca Magron (Hunterdon) for “Garden Scoops,” a subscription-based public email Newsletter from the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Hunterdon County office.

Published Photo – Steve Yergeau (Ocean) for “Joe Pye Weed with a Monarch Butterfly” photo.

Website/Online Content – Tim Waller (Cumberland), Bill Errickson (Monmouth), Erin Quinn (Ph.D. Student, SEBS) and Steve Rettke (Monmouth) for “Rutgers Nursery IPM Website.” In its first year, the website received 1,590 visits, and the webinar PDFs had 4,553 total views from 27 states and 43 countries. The webinar recordings received 2,317 total views.

State Awards

Communication Award, Publication Category: Bill Errickson (Monmouth), “Elderberry: A Potential Niche Crop for New Jersey Growers,” https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1372/.

Search for Excellence in Agriculture Awareness and Appreciation – Michelle Infante-Casella (Gloucester)

Search for Excellence in Crop Production – Michelle Infante-Casella (Gloucester), Steve Komar (Sussex), Bill Bamka (Burlington), and Tim Waller (Cumberland), “Drone Applications in Agriculture for Cover Crop Planting, Assessing Wildlife Damage, and Monitoring for Plant Diseases.”

Search for Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture Recognition Program – Michelle Infante-Casella (Gloucester) and Steve Komar (Sussex), “NJ Sustainable Agriculture Research, Education, and Outreach Programs”

National Finalist – Extension Education Poster, Kate Brown (Somerset), Claudia Gil Arroyo (Cape May), and Claudia Urdanivia (Hudson/Essex),“Interactive Learning is Key to Student Success in Online Delivery of Annie’s Project 101 Course.”

Third Place – Applied Research Poster, Lauren Errickson (Rutgers Gardens and Campus Stewardship), Alex Sawatzky (RU Gardens Student Farm) and Bill Errickson (Monmouth), “Ginger Production in the Northeast: Intercropping in Variable Growing Environments to Maximize Harvest Opportunities.”

    

Related Stories

• Rutgers Professor Ramu Govindasamy Receives Distinguished Service Award from Food Distribution Research Society
• From Scientific Curiosity to Scientific Leadership: Max Häggblom Takes the Helm of Microbial Ecology
• Rutgers Researcher Is Awarded a Federal Grant to Help Win the War on Bugs

 

Ximing Guo (right) and Sam Ratcliff examined selective bred oysters at Rutgers Cape Shore Laboratory. Photo credit: Micah Seidel.

New varieties of oysters that have become an important part of the global aquaculture industry have earned Rutgers researcher Ximing Guo a 2026 Edison Patent Award from the Research & Development Council of New Jersey (RDNJ). Guo’s invention is one of two Rutgers innovations recognized this year with the state’s highest honor for inventors and innovation.

Guo, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, received the Aquaculture Award for his patent, Molluscan Shellfish Produced by Controlled Crossbreeding (U.S. Patent No. 11,266,131). Conducting research at the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory, Guo has developed new oyster varieties for aquaculture in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States with improved disease resistance, growth, and genetic diversity. The resulting oysters are more uniform, faster growing, healthier, and better suited to commercial production.

Distinguished Professor Ximing Guo.

“It is deeply rewarding to see the breeding technologies developed at Rutgers contributing to oyster farming across the U.S. and around the world,” said Guo. “Oysters are remarkable organisms, valued not only as a premium seafood but also for the essential ecological services they provide. They face many diseases, and disease resistance is the single most important trait for oyster aquaculture and is critical for the restoration of natural populations devastated by disease. I remain grateful to the many students and colleagues whose dedication and expertise have shaped our breeding program over the years.”

Guo’s patented breeding technology has helped advance oyster farming both in the United States and internationally by addressing disease resistance, one of the industry’s greatest challenges, while improving productivity and supporting the restoration of natural oyster populations.

Also receiving a 2026 Edison Patent Award is a Rutgers School of Engineering research team for developing structural plastic lumber made from recycled plastics, including milk containers, coffee cups, and plastic bottles. The durable material has been used to manufacture approximately 1.5 million railway ties in the United States, diverting an estimated 300 million pounds of plastic from landfills and oceans.

This marks the fifth consecutive year that two Rutgers research teams have received Edison Patent Awards. The Rutgers researchers will be honored alongside this year’s other recipients during the RDNJ awards ceremony and banquet in November.

Now in its 47th year, the Edison Patent Awards recognize outstanding patented innovations developed in New Jersey across 12 categories. Named for Thomas Edison, the awards celebrate research that demonstrates significant scientific achievement, originality, commercial impact, and societal benefit.

R&D Council board members selected the winners after evaluating nominated patents for the significance of the problem addressed, utility and socioeconomic value, novelty, and commercial impact. At least part of the scientific or technical work supporting each winning patent must have been completed in New Jersey.

The Rutgers Office for Research supported both award-winning teams through its Technology Transfer unit, assisting with patent protection, licensing, and nominations for the 2026 Edison Patent Awards. To learn more about the Rutgers technology transfer process, visit innovate.rutgers.edu.

Read the full story about both Rutgers inventions on the Rutgers Office for Research website.

    

Related Stories

• Rutgers Researcher Is Awarded a Federal Grant to Help Win the War on Bugs
• Mosquito Waste Reveals Viruses Hiding in Plain Sight
• Rutgers Professor Ramu Govindasamy Receives Distinguished Service Award from Food Distribution Research Society

 

Researchers are exploring how plant-based and omnivore diets may shape health, fitness and athletic performance.

A Rutgers Director of Behavioral Nutrition and other researchers find no significant differences in recreational athletes’ endurance or strength

Could athletes trade meat for plants and maintain their performance? In a multi-university study, researchers found that recreational runners and resistance trainers did just that.

The study, published in Nutrition Journal and coauthored by Rutgers Director of Behavioral Nutrition and Registered Dietitian, Peggy Policastro, found no statistically significant differences in how far recreational runners ran or how much weight resistance trainers lifted after four weeks on each diet.

Researchers compared the endurance and strength of physically active college students as they switched between plant-based and omnivore diets.

“The researchers wanted to solve a puzzle regarding whether switching from a meat-inclusive diet to a plant-based diet hurts an athlete’s physical performance,” said Policastro, director of nutrition at Rutgers Dining Services.

Peggy Policastro, director of Culinary Literacy and Nutrition at the New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health and Rutgers Dining Services, studied whether recreational athletes could maintain their endurance and strength after switching from an omnivore to a plant-based diet. Courtesy of Peggy Policastro

The question has become increasingly relevant as more athletes explore plant-based eating and encounter conflicting information about whether they can meet their nutritional needs without meat, Policastro said.

“Popular social media claims frequently spread misinformation that plant-based diets fail to provide enough calories or protein to meet the demands of exercise,” Policastro said. “The study specifically sought to test these claims by examining recreational student athletes who rely on university dining halls for most of their daily meals.”

The researchers recruited 36 undergraduate students from Rutgers, Stanford University, Vanderbilt University and the University of Reading in England. The group included 16 recreational runners and 20 resistance trainers who exercised three or four times a week.  Of the participants, 56% identified as male; 42% female, and 2% nonbinary.

Each participant completed two four-week diet phases. During one phase, participants ate an omnivore diet and were asked to consume at least two servings of animal protein a day. During the other, they replaced the meat they would ordinarily eat with at least two servings of plant protein, such as beans, tofu or plant-based meat alternatives.

The order was randomly assigned. Some participants began with the plant-based diet, while others began with the omnivore diet. This crossover design allowed each participant to serve as his or her own comparison.

The plant-based phase focused on replacing meat with plant proteins and was broader than a strictly vegan diet.

Participants recorded what they ate at least three days a week and were asked to maintain their usual exercise routines. Researchers measured their performance before the study and at the end of each dietary phase.

Runners completed a 12-minute test in which they covered as much distance as possible. Resistance trainers completed three-repetition maximum tests using the chest press, lat pulldown and leg press.

The runners covered an average of 8,720 feet (nearly 2,658 meters) during the omnivore phase and 8,602 feet (nearly 2,622 meters) during the plant-based phase, a difference of about 118 feet (36 meters). The resistance trainers’ combined strength measurement was about 4% lower during the plant-based phase. 

Neither difference reached statistical significance, meaning the researchers couldn’t rule out chance as the explanation for the minor variation.

“After four weeks on each diet, there were no statistically significant differences in athletic performance between the plant-based and omnivore phases,” Policastro said. “Runners achieved similar distances in their timed runs, and weightlifters maintained virtually the same maximum strength across chest, back and leg press exercises regardless of the diet they were following.”

Participants consumed considerably less protein during the plant-based phase. They ingested an average of about 71 grams a day, compared with 103 grams during the omnivore phase. Their average plant-based protein intake, however, remained within published recommendations for people engaged in general fitness activities.

The plant-based diet also contained more carbohydrates, fiber, iron and calcium, while the omnivore diet contained more saturated fat, cholesterol and vitamin B12. Reported calorie intake was similar during the two phases.

The researchers said these nutritional differences underscore the importance of planning a balanced diet. Vitamin B12, in particular, is often a necessary supplement for people who follow a fully plant-based diet over an extended period.

The study emerged from the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative, an international network of colleges and universities that uses campus dining halls as settings for studying eating habits and encouraging healthy, sustainable food choices.

Rutgers coauthor Alyssa Guidetti recruited the university’s participants and analyzed the Rutgers data under Policastro’s mentorship. 

“She worked on this study as an undergraduate and then continued exploring the same topic through a systematic review for her master’s,” Policastro said. Guidetti is currently employed as a Sports Dietitian for Rutgers Athletics.

Participants also offered suggestions for making plant-based foods more appealing. Many said dining halls could improve the taste and variety of plant-based dishes. Some preferred beans, tofu and other whole foods to processed meat substitutes. Cultural background, familiarity, cost and access also influenced their willingness to choose plant-based meals.

The findings apply most directly to healthy, recreational college athletes over a short period. Their unusually low reported calorie totals also suggest that some food consumption went unrecorded.

For those reasons, the study cannot determine how plant-based eating might affect elite athletes or influence performance, muscle development and recovery over many months or years, Policastro said. 

She added that the study doesn’t establish that the diets produce precisely identical results. Larger, longer and more tightly controlled studies will be needed.

Still, Policastro said the findings should reassure physically active students who want to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diets.

“This is important because it shows that everyday athletes can safely choose plant-based foods without worrying about harming their fitness or strength goals,” she said. “These findings provide evidence-based support for colleges to comfortably expand healthy and environmentally friendly plant-based menu options for their active student populations.”

This article first appeared in Rutgers Today.

    

Related Stories

• Rutgers Researcher Is Awarded a Federal Grant to Help Win the War on Bugs
• Second Annual Summer School on Sustainability Governance at Rutgers
• From Scientific Curiosity to Scientific Leadership: Max Häggblom Takes the Helm of Microbial Ecology

 

Image by samael334, licensed via Adobe Stock (Education License)

When it comes to understanding China’s relationship with the environment, the way we frame the question can change everything. A new editorial published in the Chinese Journal of Sociology argues that researchers need to think more carefully about “scale” — meaning the size, level, and reach of the environmental processes and systems— in order to get a fuller and more accurate picture of what’s happening.

Jesse Rodenbiker, professor in the Department of Geography at Rutgers University and an affiliate of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute, is a co-author on the study, alongside Julia Teebken of the Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space in Germany.

Most research on China and the environment tends to fall into one of three camps: (1) studies that focus on past environmental damage, (2) studies that emphasize China’s unique political system, and (3) studies that compare China to other countries dealing with the same problems of industrial growth and resource use. Each of these approaches tells part of the story — but none of them fully capture how local decisions connect to global processes, or how power relations shape environmental outcomes at different levels.

That’s where scale comes in. By paying attention to how environmental issues play out at the individual level, the community level, and the global level researchers can achieve greater clarity on China’s relationship with the environment.

For example, consider the rise of China’s environmentally conscious urban middle class. At the level of individual consumers, it looks like a green success story — people embracing environmentalism, simplicity, and frugality in their daily lives. Zoom out to the city level, and the picture grows more socially complicated: the “circular” recycling economies that make urban sustainability possible are built on the precarious labor of rural migrant workers who turn the city’s garbage into tradable commodities. Zoom out further to the global scale, and a darker environmental side emerges, as growing Chinese demand for consumer goods and clean-energy technologies fuels extractive mining for metals and minerals in places like South America and Africa. Related phenomenon, in other words, can be read as progress at one scale, or social inequity and environmental harm at another scale.

“By centering the question of scale, we can move beyond monolithic portrayals of China’s environmental pursuits and consider alternative ways of understanding multi-scalar relationships across local and global processes and relationships. Ultimately, a better approach to environmental policies and practices depends on attention to multiple scales of a given climate or biodiversity issue,” said Rodenbiker

This attention to scalar politics has real practical value. It can help policymakers, planners, and communities better understand why environmental policies sometimes fail and how to design more effective solutions. Understanding these connections across space and place could improve climate governance both inside China and internationally.

You can read the full study here: https://doi.org/10.1177/2057150X261417716

Editor’s note: This article was written with assistance from Artificial Intelligence, was reviewed and edited by Kenneth Tam, and was reviewed by Jesse Rodenbiker, a co-author on the study.

    

Related Stories

• Rutgers Researcher Is Awarded a Federal Grant to Help Win the War on Bugs
• Asian Mountain Rivers Are Changing and Better Climate Data Can Help Us Prepare
• Antarctic Plankton Are Adapting to a Brighter Ocean — And It’s Telling Us Something Important About Climate Change

 

The glacially fed Paro Chhu (Paro River) in Bhutan. Image by atosan, licensed via Adobe Stock (Education License)

Billions of people across Asia depend on rivers fed by glaciers and snowpack high in the mountains. But as the climate warms, those rivers are changing — and predicting exactly how, is harder than it sounds. A new study takes a closer look at how we can improve those predictions, and why it matters for water supplies, hydropower, and flood risk.

Efthymios Nikolopoulos, associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rutgers University and affiliate of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute, is the corresponding author on the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Water and funded by NASA’s High Mountain Asia program. The research focuses on High Mountain Asia (HMA) — a region spanning countries like Pakistan, Nepal, and Bhutan that is sometimes called the “water tower of Asia.”

The core problem: the global computer models scientists use to simulate future climate are too coarse to capture what’s happening in rugged mountain terrain. Think of trying to describe a detailed mountain landscape using only a blurry, low-resolution photo. To fix this, researchers use a process called “downscaling” — essentially sharpening that blurry picture using local weather data.

In testing two downscaling methods across five river basins, both methods significantly reduced errors across different climate models, particularly during the seasons when precipitation is highest. Ultimately, the choice of climate model had a bigger influence on future projections than which downscaling method was used.

Looking ahead, under a high-emissions scenario, the computer models predict that the rainfall-runoff portion of streamflow will increase across all five basins, while snowmelt will decline in central and eastern parts of HMA. Overall water availability and extreme flood events are both expected to rise by the end of the century.

“These findings highlight that without proper downscaling, we risk making poor decisions about water infrastructure and flood protection in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions. Getting the projections right is not just a scientific exercise — it directly affects how communities plan for their water future,” said Nikolopoulos.

These findings have real-world consequences. Governments and planners in the region are making major investments in hydropower — some plants discussed in the study have a combined generating capacity of more than two thousand megawatts. Knowing how much water these rivers will carry, and when, helps avoid building infrastructure that is over- or under-designed. Similarly, better flood projections can guide where and how to build flood defenses, potentially protecting lives and communities downstream.

You can read the full study here: https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2025.1611141

This article was written with assistance from Artificial Intelligence, was reviewed and edited by Kenneth Tam, and was reviewed by Efthymios Nikolopoulos, corresponding author of the study.

    

Related Stories

• Rutgers Researcher Is Awarded a Federal Grant to Help Win the War on Bugs
• How We Study China and the Environment Matters — And Scale Is the Key
• Antarctic Plankton Are Adapting to a Brighter Ocean — And It’s Telling Us Something Important About Climate Change

 

Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too) will serve as the shipboard laboratory for a 25-day Atlantic expedition in which Rutgers-led researchers will collect water samples, deploy instruments and study how small-scale ocean mixing may affect marine life and carbon movement. Misha Vallejo Prut / Schmidt Ocean Institute

Rutgers researchers will study small ocean processes with big consequences 

At sea, their days will begin in darkness.

Before dawn, Rutgers oceanographers Joe Gradone and Corday Selden expect to be on deck aboard the research vessel Falkor (too), preparing instruments, reviewing data and directing the first collection of water samples of the day.

Related: Read more about the scientists leading the mission

Gradone and Selden will serve as co-chief scientists on a 25-day expedition in the Atlantic Ocean supported by Schmidt Ocean Institute. Departing from Bridgetown, Barbados, on Aug. 9, the international research team will study salt finger mixing, a subtle form of ocean mixing that may influence marine life, ocean chemistry and the movement of carbon through the sea.

Oceanographers Joe Gradone (at left) and Corday Selden will serve as co-chief scientists on a 25-day Atlantic research expedition aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too).

The work will require a demanding shipboard rhythm.

Gradone and Selden expect to be on deck by about 3 a.m. as the ship approaches the first major sampling location of the day. Before dawn, the team will prepare instruments, lower equipment into the ocean and begin collecting information from below the surface.

At full sampling stations, a carousel of bottles will descend through the water. As measurements appear on a screen, Selden and other scientists will decide the depths at which those bottles should close.

When the device returns, teams will divide the water for experiments measuring photosynthesis, nutrients and the condition of microscopic marine organisms. Other researchers will collect zooplankton, tiny organisms that graze on marine plants.

After breakfast, the sequence will begin again. A third major station will follow in the afternoon. Smaller teams will continue taking measurements through the night.

Most days will preserve this rhythm. During two especially demanding 48-hour studies, the ship will remain in place while scientists conduct large experiments involving many bottles, extensive water sampling and repeated net tows.

“It’s a big lift,” said Selden, who meant that literally as well as scientifically.

The demanding schedule is designed to help the team capture changes in the ocean that cannot be detected from the surface.

The team will travel along a line of sampling locations stretching from west to east across part of the Atlantic. 

An autonomous glider sent ahead of the ship will function as a scout, recording temperature and salinity and helping the team decide where the most revealing measurements might be found.

The scientists have 25 days to find those conditions, measure them and connect their physical structure with changes in ocean physics, chemistry and life. Their first task will be to determine, while still at sea, whether they are seeing the range of salt finger mixing conditions they set out to study.

Ashley Hann, a doctoral student in the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and a member of the research team sailing aboard the R/V Falkor (too), takes a break from packing equipment for the expedition. She sits on a box containing an Imaging FlowCytobot, an instrument used to study microscopic marine life. Photo: Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences

Some decisions will be made in the moment, as profiles from the water column appear on shipboard screens. Those real-time readings can help the team decide where to sample next or whether to work with the ship’s crew to adjust course.

Other findings will emerge only after the cruise ends. Some samples must survive the voyage, be transported to New Jersey and undergo laboratory analysis before the scientists know what they contain. Only one previous scientific paper has directly examined the connection between salt finger mixing and chemistry in a similar way, Gradone said.

The Rutgers-led expedition will attempt something more comprehensive by bringing physical oceanographers, chemists and biologists together at a much finer scale. Their observations may eventually help improve models of how the ocean supports biological growth and stores carbon.

The shipboard schedule will become a training ground. Students won’t simply watch the work: They will be responsible for parts of it.

For Gradone, one of the lessons of going to sea is that field science rarely unfolds cleanly.

“Problems, failures, issues, they’re all like the norm,” said Gradone, adding that he wants students to become comfortable adapting when plans change, instruments falter or unexpected problems arise.

“Things go wrong,” he said. “We’ll figure it out.”

Selden said that same process of adapting under pressure can become a turning point for students, especially when they begin to see themselves not as helpers, but as scientists responsible for a piece of the larger effort. 

“One of the most rewarding parts of shipboard science is watching students come fully into their responsibilities,” she said. “Everybody gets to own a part of the mission, and you can see their confidence grow as they come into their role.”

Gradone plans to end his days by reading at least a few pages of nonfiction, a practice he adopted while finishing his doctorate. Reading something outside science, he said, helps turn off the part of his mind still working through problems.

Selden expects the ship itself to help her sleep. The bunks become completely dark, and on calmer nights the motion of the vessel can be soothing. She may listen to music or an audiobook. On deck, when time permits, she likes to read.

Both will try to remain connected to families at home. Selden’s daughter will still be an infant when the voyage begins. Gradone has a toddler son. Satellite connections should make video calls possible, offering a link between the highly regulated world of steel-toed boots, hard hats and overnight watches and the lives continuing on shore.

Gradone described the scientific side of the voyage as potentially life changing. The family side, he said, is “a whole other ball game.”

The work requires a ship built for complex ocean science. Schmidt Ocean Institute, founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt, supports ocean research by providing selected scientists with access to advanced shipboard tools, technical staff and time at sea. Its 363-foot research vessel, the R/V Falkor (too), gives the Rutgers-led team access to laboratories, instruments and onboard support needed to collect and process data far from shore. 

The opportunity also gives Rutgers students a role in research that few people at any career stage experience. It puts Gradone and Selden in charge of decisions whose consequences will unfold hour by hour at sea.

Gradone draws confidence from knowing that responsibility will be shared among people accustomed to solving problems together.

“I’m not afraid of making mistakes,” he said. “I feel like we have a great support system to bounce ideas off of.”

When the R/V Falkor (too) leaves Bridgetown, Gradone and Selden will be the co-chief scientists. They also will remain part of a scientific community that has prepared them for this moment.

“You can’t do this kind of thing by yourself,” Selden said. “There’s just no way.”

This article first appeared in Rutgers Today.

    

Related Stories

• Rutgers Researcher Is Awarded a Federal Grant to Help Win the War on Bugs
• From Scientific Curiosity to Scientific Leadership: Max Häggblom Takes the Helm of Microbial Ecology
• Second Annual Summer School on Sustainability Governance at Rutgers