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  • Posted on April 14, 2026
    A Grower’s Vision, a Dentist’s Brew, and a Farm’s Revival

      Laura Duesterbeck Johnson BS’03 always felt the pressure of succession when she was growing up on a farm in Walworth County. The property had […]

  • Posted on
    Viral Benefits

      It’s well-known among scientists that viruses can alter the makeup and function of ecosystems. For example, they promote microbial diversity by infecting and killing […]

  • Posted on July 15, 2025
    A MosAIC of Microbiomes

      Vector-borne diseases account for more than 17% of all infectious diseases and cause more than 700,000 deaths annually, according to the World Health Organization. […]

  • Posted on October 23, 2024
    The Landfill Lady, Hungry Microbes, and Leaping the Valley of Death

      Erica L-W Majumder might be an alchemist. Her goal? Turn trash into environmental gold. This assistant professor of bacteriology believes landfills like the one […]

  • Posted on July 1, 2024
    Most Humans Can’t Multitask to Save Their Lives. But These Microbes Can.

      We often look to the smallest life-forms for help solving the biggest problems: Microbes can make foods and beverages, cure diseases, treat waste, and […]

  • Posted on November 2, 2023
    Invasive Species Alter Mendota’s Microbes

      In the fall 2017 issue of Grow, Erik Ness highlighted bacteriologist Katherine (Trina) McMahon and her quest to understand Lake Mendota through its microbial […]

  • Posted on July 7, 2023
    One Civet Coffee, Please — Hold the Poop

      Thailand produces some of the most expensive coffee in the world, as much as $100 a cup or $600 per pound in some countries. […]

  • Posted on
    From Pesky Weed to Biofuel Resource

      It may be time for corn to take a back seat. This most widely used and cheapest source of ethanol could lose its top […]

  • Posted on March 9, 2023
    Food Flaw Fighters

      In The Promise of Safe Food for Billions (Grow, Fall 2021), Jori Skalitzky BS’22 highlighted a new food safety product called D-Tox, which was […]

  • Posted on October 18, 2022
    A New Tactic in the Superbug Battle

      During a 2015 trip to Egypt, Tom Patterson suffered a gallstone attack and soon fell terribly ill. But that’s not what nearly killed him. […]

  • Posted on August 2, 2022
    How to Time Travel Without Fear

      Betül Kaçar is a self-described gözü kara. The Turkish term refers to people from the Black Sea region of the country, but it has […]

  • Posted on
    From Plant Hybrids to Human Health

      When Krishna Ella PhD’93 arrived at CALS in 1987 to begin a doctoral program in plant pathology, his goal was to probe the mysteries […]