Dr. Rui Cheng, Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences, is a co-author on a new paper published in Remote Sensing of Environment, entitled "Characterizing effects of tree mortality from wildfire and bark beetles using satellite observations of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence." The study used satellite measurements of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF), a signal linked to plant photosynthesis, to track forests across the western US hit by wildfire and bark beetle outbreaks. SIF dropped sharply after fire, with declines scaling with burn severity, and also picked up signs of bark beetle-driven stress two to three years before die-off was visible from aircraft surveys, suggesting SIF could serve as an early warning tool for drought-related tree mortality.

Dr. Colin Rathbun, Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences, and his co-authors have recently published a paper in ACS Omega entitled "Semisynthetic, Multicolor Probes for Bioluminescence Imaging."  Bioluminescence imaging is a sensitive and noninvasive technique for monitoring molecular and cellular processes in living systems. Traditional bioluminescent tools mostly emit blue light, which does not travel well through tissue. The new modular system described in this paper allows scientists to easily swap in different colors without redesigning the underlying protein, making it easier to visualize multiple biological processes at once and potentially improving the ability to detect disease deep inside the body.

A paper by Dr. Emily K. Ho, Assistant Professor of Integrated Sciences, and her colleagues is featured on the cover of the journal Cell Reports. The paper, entitled "A live-cell biosensor of in vivo receptor tyrosine kinase activity reveals feedback regulation of a developmental gradient", introduces a novel biosensor for detecting receptor activity. The team used this biosensor to monitor signaling in fly embryos and egg chambers. Dr. Ho plans to continue related research using advanced imaging instruments in the new Robert Day Sciences Center.

Dr. Diana Williams, Kravis Professor of Integrated Sciences, and her colleagues have published a paper in Psychological Medicine identifying biological mechanisms underlying disordered eating. Dr. Jason Keller, Kravis Professor of Integrated Sciences, and his former students and colleagues have published a paper in JGB Biogeosciences investigating the effects of water-table levels on Redox-active organic matter reduction. Both projects represent some of the types of research that is taking place in the Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences. Dr. Shibu Yooseph, Kravis Professor of Integrated Sciences and Dr. Andy Thompson, postdoctoral fellow at KDIS, have co-authored a paper with colleagues in Environmental Microbiology Reports on evidence for trace gas metabolism and widespread antibiotic synthesis in an Antarctic soil ecosystem.