Research

A mysterious email, a scalpel, and a Princeton professor: The search for extinct wolves

Bridgette vonHoldt, a Princeton researcher specializing in canids, received a mysterious email from a curious citizen in Texas. The results of her analysis revealed the genetic material of an extinct wolf species maintained in a population of coyotes in Texas. Her continued exploration of these strange hybrid canines may hold the key to reviving the extinct wolf species in the future.

Bridgette vonHoldt, a Princeton researcher specializing in canids, received a mysterious email from a curious citizen in Texas. The results of her analysis revealed the genetic material of an extinct wolf species maintained in a population of coyotes in Texas. Her continued exploration of these strange hybrid canines may hold the key to reviving the extinct wolf species in the future.

In the eye of the storm: Princeton professor’s research may hold the key to predicting hurricanes

Princeton professor Dr. Gabriel A. Vecchi gave a talk regarding his research about hurricane frequency in the North Atlantic, expressing that the abnormal increase in hurricanes can be contributed to a phenomenon called aerosol forcing. 

Princeton professor Dr. Gabriel A. Vecchi gave a talk regarding his research about hurricane frequency in the North Atlantic, expressing that the abnormal increase in hurricanes can be contributed to a phenomenon called aerosol forcing. 

Q&A with 2021 Nobel Laureate, chemistry professor David MacMillan

Professor of Chemistry and 2021 Nobel Prize award-winner David MacMillan sat in an interview with The Daily Princetonian to discuss his upbringing, research, and Princeton’s continued influence on his work.

Professor of Chemistry and 2021 Nobel Prize award-winner David MacMillan sat in an interview with The Daily Princetonian to discuss his upbringing, research, and Princeton’s continued influence on his work.

Princeton researchers with the Dog Aging Project study how genes and the environment influence aging

Researchers are collecting genetic information from more than 10,000 dogs for a variety of studies. 

The Project is collecting genetic information from more than 10,000 dogs for a variety of studies.  

Princeton professor Bonnie Bassler awarded the Wolf Prize in chemistry

Dr. Bonnie Bassler, Squibb Professor in Molecular Biology and Department Chair of Molecular Biology, was recently awarded the 2022 Wolf Prize in Chemistry for her work surrounding quorum sensing and cellular communication in bacterial organisms. 

Dr. Bonnie Bassler, Squibb Professor in Molecular Biology and Department Chair of Molecular Biology, was recently awarded the 2022 Wolf Prize in Chemistry for her work surrounding quorum sensing and cellular communication in bacterial organisms. 

Princeton Astrophysics researchers find new way to detect coronal mass ejections

New research by Stephen Majeski, a graduate student in the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and Professor Hantao Ji of the Astrophysics department helps to detect potential coronal mass ejections and learn more about their behaviors to prevent them before they reach Earth.

New research by Stephen Majeski, a graduate student in the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, and Professor Hantao Ji of the Astrophysics department helps to detect potential coronal mass ejections and learn more about their behaviors to prevent them before they reach Earth.

Q&A with 2022 George W. Beadle Award winner, former Princeton president Shirley Tilghman

Former Princeton president Shirley Tilghman sat down with The Daily Princetonian to discuss the George W. Beadle award, her contributions to genetic research, and the significance of her time spent at Princeton. 

Former Princeton president Shirley Tilghman discusses the George W. Beadle award, her contributions to genetic research, and the significance of her time spent at Princeton. 

As pandemic-era eviction moratoria expire, Princeton’s Eviction Lab highlights surprising trends

Throughout the pandemic, University researchers led by Professor Matthew Desmond have been poring through formal eviction court records and compiling the data to analyze eviction trends in states and cities across the nation.

Throughout the pandemic, University researchers led by Professor Matthew Desmond have been poring through formal eviction court records and compiling the data to analyze eviction trends in states and cities across the nation.

3 professors awarded National Endowment for the Humanities grants promoting digital scholarship

Three University Professors, Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese Christina Lee, Professor of History Ekaterina Pravilova, and Associate Professor of History Wendy Warren, were awarded funding from the NEH, which seeks to spearhead new research and make the humanities accessible to broad audiences.

The funding seeks to spearhead new research and make the humanities accessible to broad audiences.

Princeton lab’s research on elephant tusklessness brings public attention to human impact on evolution

More elephants in Mozambique have no tusks as a result of a painful, 15-year civil war. An ocean and thousands of miles away, assistant EEB professor Shane Campbell-Staton and his team are looking at why and how this example of remarkably fast evolution came to be. Their studies have attracted media attention from newspapers to Trevor Noah, and display how closely human activity can be tied up in the process of evolution.

More elephants in Mozambique have no tusks as a result of a painful, 15-year civil war. An ocean and thousands of miles away, assistant EEB professor Shane Campbell-Staton and his team are looking at why and how this example of remarkably fast evolution came to be. Their studies have attracted media attention from newspapers and Trevor Noah, and display how closely human activity can be tied up in the process of evolution.

Kang Lab reports new experimental therapy with potential to stop cancer spread

Kang’s lab focuses on two central questions in cancer treatment: why do some patients develop metastatic disease, and why they are so difficult to treat?

Kang’s lab focuses on two central questions in cancer treatment: why do some patients develop metastatic disease, and why they are so difficult to treat?

Futuristic Nostalgia with Yeon Soon Shin and Rolando Masís-Obando

In this episode of The Highlights, we’re joined by Yeon Soon Shin and Rolando Masís-Obando. We discuss their paths to graduate work in psychology, their research on how environmental context affects memory, and the virtual reality environments they created to test their ideas.

In this episode of The Highlights, we're joined by Yeon Soon Shin and Rolando Masís-Obando. We discuss their paths to graduate work in psychology, their research on how environmental context affects memory, and the virtual reality environments they created to test their ideas.

Princeton researchers develop world’s purest sample of gallium arsenide

“The new samples/materials have only about 1 part per 10 billion impurities, meaning there is only one unwanted atom (impurity) for every 10 billion wanted atoms,” ECE Professor Mansour Shayegan wrote. “This is like having only one bad person on Earth!”

“The new samples/materials have only about 1 part per 10 billion impurities, meaning there is only one unwanted atom (impurity) for every 10 billion wanted atoms,” ECE Professor Mansour Shayegan wrote. “This is like having only one bad person on Earth!”

Economics Professor Ellora Derenoncourt discusses new center on inequality

In this Q&A, The Daily Princetonian sits with Professor Ellora Derenoncourt to discuss the new center on inequality, the racial wealth gap in America, and her research in labor economics. 

In this Q&A, The Daily Princetonian sits with Professor Ellora Derenoncourt to discuss the new center on inequality, the racial wealth gap in America, and her research in labor economics.  

3 Princeton faculty win ‘High-Risk, High-Reward’ grants for bacteria research

Princeton professors Coleen T. Murphy, Mohamed Abou Donia, and Zemer Gitai were awarded the grant for their research in microbiology. The grant typically funds projects which would otherwise struggle to receive grant money through traditional means due to the risks associated with conducting them. 

Princeton professors Coleen T. Murphy, Mohamed Abou Donia, and Zemer Gitai were awarded the grant for their research in microbiology. The grant typically funds projects which would otherwise struggle to receive grant money through traditional means due to the risks associated with conducting them. 

Talking Toddlers with Mira Nencheva

In this episode of The Highlights, we're joined by Mira Nencheva, a graduate student in the Department of Psychology. We discuss her path to graduate work in psychology, the day-to-day of working with toddlers at the Princeton Baby Lab, and how the vocal pitch of a caregiver can affect learning early in life. 

Princeton researchers advance knowledge of polymer fluid flows

According to Datta, the discovery is significant for many important energy, environmental, and industrial processes like groundwater remediation.

According to Datta, the discovery is significant for many important energy, environmental, and industrial processes like groundwater remediation.

Julia Berndtsson ’23 co-authors paper presenting possible planet beyond Milky Way

A group of physicists and researchers, including Julia Berndtsson ’23, reported finding evidence of the existence of a planet transiting a star in an external galaxy, marking the first such potential ‘exoplanet’ ever detected outside the Milky Way.

A group of physicists and researchers, including Julia Berndtsson ’23, reported finding evidence of the existence of a planet transiting a star in an external galaxy, marking the first such potential ‘exoplanet’ ever detected outside the Milky Way.

Economics Nobel laureate Joshua Angrist GS ’89 discusses causal inference, his time at Princeton

Joshua Angrist GS ’89 was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Economics. He won half of the prize jointly with Guido Imbens “for their methodological contributions to the analysis of causal relationships.”

Joshua Angrist GS ’89 was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Economics. He won half of the prize jointly with Guido Imbens “for their methodological contributions to the analysis of causal relationships.” 

A 'bird's-eye' view with Professor Cassie Stoddard

In this episode of The Highlights, we're joined by Mary Caswell Stoddard, a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB). We discuss her career in sensory ecology and color vision in birds, her field experiments in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and the science of nonspectral colors.

In this episode of The Highlights, we're joined by Mary Caswell Stoddard, a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB). We discuss her career in sensory ecology and color vision in birds, her field experiments in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and the science of nonspectral colors.