MCDB Assistant Professor Anthony Vecchiarelli was part of a panel discussion on the importance of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) collaborations in understanding and spreading awareness about microbial systems. If you missed the event, a recording will be available on the UM Museum of Natural History website. In the meantime, check out the exhibit featuring his work on cyanobacteria.
Algae and the Climate Crisis
Humans have put too much carbon dioxide into the air, causing climate change and issues like extreme weather and algal blooms. Algal blooms are caused by cyanobacteria (aka blue-green algae) which thrive on the abundance of carbon dioxide in the air. Cyanobacteria can be extremely harmful to our environment, but they are also extremely efficient at processing carbon dioxide and turning it into energy. Could they hold an answer to some of our climate issues? See this exhibit “pod” featuring the research of Anthony Vecchiarelli in the People and the Planet exhibit at UMMNH. Funded by the National Science Foundation.The Farrand Memorial Lecture on March 31 is a featured event in the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History's Microverse theme semester.
About the Farrand Lecture:
The existence of the microbial universe calls us to creativity. Whether harnessing the carbon-capturing power of blue-green algae or compelling society to care about something too small to see, art is often the answer. This Farrand Lecture brought together three U-M professionals who have captured the magnificence of the microbial world through art and design. They shared fascintating information about the microbes and shared what excited them about this work.
Jim Cogswell, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and professor of Art & Design in the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, creator of the Unseen Worlds vinyl mural
Erica Gardner, PhD student in the U-M Department of Chemical Engineering, co-creator of the Microbial Masterpieces Project
Anthony Vecchiarelli, assistant professor in the U-M Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and researcher behind UMMNH’s Algae and the Climate Crisis exhibit.
The Farrand Memorial Lecture honors the memory of Dr. William R. Farrand, who served as director of the U-M Exhibit Museum of Natural History for seven years (July 1993-June 2000), as well as his long career as a professor in the U-M Department of Geological Sciences. Past lectures have covered topics such as U-M collections, astronomy, biodiversity, evolution, and climate change.
