Hurricane Florence caused widespread flooding and destruction throughout the Carolinas and parts of Virginia. Officials are still in the early stages of evaluating the full impact of the storm, but it’s clear from reports of coal ash spills, flooded hog waste lagoons, and the inundation of hazardous waste sites that […]

Hurricane Florence Presents Environmental Health Challenges for the Carolinas   Recently updated !

By Eva Greengrove, Summer Intern in Dr. Edward Levin’s lab   This summer, I worked with the Levin lab at the Duke University Superfund Research Center to investigate the behavioral effects of the organophosphate insecticide called diazinon. Although some animal studies have shown demonstrated health effects, neurodevelopment and behavior impacts […]

Can A Pesticide Change The Way We Behave?

By Sarah Heissenberger, Summer Intern in Dr. Richard DiGiulio’s lab   Hi! My name is Sarah and I was a summer intern in the 2018 Duke Superfund Research Program. I worked on Project 4, ‘Mechanisms and Consequences of Evolved Adaptation to Environmental Pollution’, in the Dr. Richard Di Giulio’s lab. […]

PAH Exposure and Resilience in Superfund-Dwelling Fish

By Talia Shoval, Summer Intern with Dr. Ed Levin’s lab and the Neurobehavioral Toxicity Core   Before I was a superfund intern, I was a preschool teacher, a babysitter, and a camp counselor. Basically, I was “Captain Childcare”. As part of Dr. Ed Levin’s lab and the Neurobehavioral Toxicity (NBTA) […]

Lessons from Caring for Baby Fish and Baby People: My ...

By Winston Lindqwister, Summer Intern in Dr. Claudia Gunsch’s lab   It may be a surprise to you, but some of the most impactful machines on this planet are smaller than a pinhead. Forged by millions of years of evolution, bacteria and fungi have established themselves as nature’s ultimate garbage […]

Microorganisms: Mini Machines for a Massive Problem

By Samantha Murphy, Summer Intern in Dr. Claudia Gunsch’s lab   For as long as I can remember, I have loved microbes. I grew up with a microscope in the house—this was the coolest thing to me. I used to collect water from the neighborhood pond, take it home to […]

A Microscopic Adventure with Macroscopic Potential