Robin Ann Smith

Climate change alters the hidden microbial food web in peatlands. Duke Today, March 18, 2024. To better understand a carbon sink in danger, scientists are turning to tiny organisms that have long been overlooked.

Tiny tunable nanotubes. Duke Today, March 11, 2024. Too small to see with the naked eye, tiny cylinders of carbon atoms called nanotubes could one day be tuned for use in devices ranging from night vision goggles to more efficient solar cells, thanks to methods developed by researchers at Duke University.

A grueling math test is so hard, almost no one gets a perfect score. Duke Research blog, March 1, 2024. The Blue Devils placed third out of 471 schools in North America’s most prestigious math competition

From growing roots, clues to how stem cells decide their fate. Duke Today, Feb. 9, 2024. Researchers have captured time-lapse videos of stem cells dividing in growing plant roots. By watching how the cells divide in response to certain chemical signals over time, the team is uncovering new clues to how stem cells choose one developmental path over another. Picked up by Cosmos Magazine.

The AI explosion, explained. Duke Today, Feb. 8, 2024. The field of AI has been around for decades. So why is it suddenly everywhere, and what lies ahead?

Putting stronger guardrails around AI. Duke Research blog, Nov. 21, 2023. AI regulation is ramping up worldwide. Here’s where we’ve been and where we’re going.

Betting on made-in-America computer chips. Duke Today, Nov. 7, 2023. In 2022, Congress set out to bolster the domestic chip industry. One year later, how is it going? Experts from academia, government, industry weigh in.

One of the world’s leading lemur doctors is hanging up her stethoscope. Duke Today, Nov. 4, 2023. Duke Lemur Center veterinarian Dr. Cathy Williams retires after 28 years.

Taking a larger view of the universe. Duke Today, Oct. 18, 2023. NASA’s next space telescope will offer an expanded view of the cosmos and generate colossal amounts of data. Duke scientists are part of $31M in grants to help prepare for the mission, which will help demystify the universe’s “dark side.”

The virus hunters. Duke Today, Oct. 16, 2023. Climate change isn’t just making the planet hotter. It’s also increasing the risk of viruses jumping species. Researchers working in a biodiversity hotspot in Madagascar are trying to figure out how to stop them.

Philip Benfey, plant biologist who studied roots as a window to development, dies. Duke Today, Oct. 2, 2023. Biology professor Philip Benfey, a plant geneticist and entrepreneur who advanced our understanding of the way cells develop and differentiate, died Tuesday, September 26, after a battle with lung cancer. He was 70.

Unzipping mRNA rallies plant cells to fight infection. Duke Today, Sept. 20, 2023. Scientists have discovered hairpin-like mRNA structures that, by zipping and unzipping, help cells change the mix of proteins they produce when under stress.

Mysterious family of microbial proteins hijack crops’ cellular plumbing. Duke Today, Sept. 13, 2023. Researchers have identified the molecular weapons bacteria use to waterlog plant tissues and spread infection, costing $220 billion in crop losses each year. What’s more, they may have come up with a way to disarm them

Creating new quantum materials, atom by atom. Sept. 5, 2023. Physicist Divine Kumah is designing the next generation of electronic materials.

Blink and you’ll miss these plants shooting their seeds. Duke Today, Aug. 23, 2023. Members of the witch hazel family can fling heavier seeds just as fast as lighter ones, thanks to their spring-loaded fruits. Picked up by Popular Science, Ars Technica, Earth.com, New Atlas and Futurity.

Summer camp meets AI. Duke Today, Aug. 22, 2023. As the first days of school approached, many teens spent their last precious days of summer sleeping in, or hanging out at the pool. But one group of Durham middle schoolers spent it playing around with artificial intelligence chatbots.

This fish doesn’t just see with its eyes. It also sees with its skin. Duke Today, Aug. 22, 2023. Without a mirror, it can be hard to tell if you’re blushing, or have spinach in your teeth. But one color-changing fish has evolved a clever way to keep watch on the parts of itself that lie outside its field of view — by sensing light with its skin. Picked up by The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American, UPI, Inverse, Popular Science, ZME Science, The Guardian and Salon.

Smart Devices: Putting a Premium on Peace of Mind. Duke Today, Aug. 7, 2023. Cybersecurity labels for smart gadgets are coming. Are consumers willing to pay to know their risks before they buy?

Helping people and wildlife coexist in ways that benefit both, using math. Duke Research Blog, July 13, 2023. Duke team wins top prize in mathematical modeling contest.

Making rubbery materials that can take a beating without losing their bounce. Duke Today, June 22, 2023. Research could pave the way to flexible-yet-durable materials that help cut down on microplastic pollution from things like the wear and tear of car tires. The secret to their toughness: Weak bonds that actually make them stronger. Picked up by Science News and ZME Science.

Could biological clocks be the next weapon against malaria? Duke Today, June 6, 2023. Research could pave the way to new anti-malarials that work by “jet-lagging” the parasites that cause the disease.

Little-known microbes could help predict climate tipping points. Duke Today, June 1, 2023. Rising temperatures could push ocean plankton and other single-celled creatures toward a carbon tipping point that fuels more warming. But new research shows it’s also possible to detect early distress signals before they get there. Picked up by Eos, Grist, Oceanographic Magazine, Earth.com and Mirage News.

Adult friendships can triumph over childhood trauma, even in baboons. Duke Today, May 17, 2023. New study of baboons shows that a stressful upbringing can shorten life, but strong social bonds can help get those years back. Picked up by Forbes, Barron’s, Popular Science, France 24, Yahoo News and Earth.com.

Creating a ‘parts list’ for cancer’s spread, with help from a worm. Duke Today, May 4, 2023. As most textbooks tell it, cells are the basic building blocks of the body. But to one research team at Duke University, cells are a jailbreak waiting to happen. Now, in a study of C. elegans worms, they’ve created a “parts list” for a cell caught in the act of making an escape — a key step in the spread of cancer.