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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. […]
Biochemistry and Microbiology
Rutgers Researcher Is Awarded a Federal Grant to Help Win the War on Bugs
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 […]
How Ancient Red Algae Power Extreme Ecosystems and Offer Clues to Life’s Evolution
Rutgers researchers reveal how ancient organisms drive microbial communities and may yield tools for biotechnology Ancient single-celled red algae that thrive in scalding, acidic waters are emerging as far more than specialized survivors. Research by Rutgers evolutionary biologist Debashish Bhattacharya and his collaborators show that the organisms, known as Cyanidiophyceae, form the foundation of entire microbial ecosystems, […]
Debashish Bhattacharya Wins 2025-2026 Rutgers Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Research
Debashish Bhattacharya, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, was recognized with the Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Research, which honors tenured faculty members who have made distinguished research contributions to their discipline and/or society at large. Bhattacharya was recognized on May 6 as part of the 2025-26 University-wide Faculty Year-End […]
Coral Killer: Scientists Uncover New Clues About a Disease Devastating Caribbean Reefs
A mysterious disease has been quietly destroying coral reefs across the Caribbean for over a decade. Stony coral tissue loss disease, or SCTLD, causes coral tissue to simply fall away, killing entire colonies — and no one has been able to pinpoint exactly what causes it. Now, new research is offering some of the clearest […]
Scientists Develop New Gut Health Measure That Tracks Disease
Scientists have identified a new way to distinguish healthy guts from diseased ones and track how some illnesses progress by measuring how gut bacteria interact with one another. According to a study published in Science, a Rutgers-led team of scientists found that healthy and diseased digestive systems behave like two distinct ecological states, driven not by individual microbes but […]
“Brewology: the Science Behind the Suds” Takes Place at Alumni-Owned Brewery
On October 7, 2025, SEBS alumni gathered in the loft at Flounder Brewing Co., a brewery in Hillsborough, NJ, for an event called “Brewology: The Science Behind the Suds.” The brewery, a converted 18th century barn, is owned by Cook College alumnus, Jeremy Lees CC’99, Landscape Architecture. Guests who participated in the event were treated […]
NJ Governor’s STEM Scholars Explore Sustainability and Science at Rutgers SEBS
Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) recently welcomed students from the prestigious Governor’s STEM Scholars program for an immersive day of scientific exploration and sustainability-focused learning. The program was hosted at the Ludwig Global Village Living Learning Center and featured a full day of activities focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The […]
Abbey Isaac SEBS’25 Helps Transfer Students Navigate the Journey to Rutgers
Transferring to Rutgers University from a New Jersey community college is a common and successful pathway for many students, aided by statewide articulation agreements that are designed to streamline the process. Abbey Isaac SEBS’25 has made that transition and feels she has a lot to offer other students contemplating that transfer journey. Right out of […]
New Arctic Bacteria Could Help Us Understand Climate Change’s Impact on Carbon Release
In a recent study published in ISME Communications, researchers discovered five brand-new species of cold-loving bacteria in the Arctic tundra of northern Finland. Lee Kerkhof, professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, and Max Häggblom, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology—both affiliates of the Rutgers Climate and Energy Institute—are co-authors on […]
