In this opinion piece, Carla Ramsdell, an instructor in App State’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, explains how a hybridized kitchen can be an environmentally positive solution for gas stove users. Ramsdell suggests that along with a gas stove, having a single-burner electric induction cooktop provides another cooking option that helps improve indoor air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

A recent viral Facebook post claims that mushroom DNA is closer to humans than plants. Experts, including John Walker, professor in App State's Department of Biology, confirm that this is true. In this article, Walker highlights the major overlapping characteristics shared by fungi and animals that plants do not have.

Dr. Marketa Zimova, assistant professor of biology at App State, explores how climate change has negatively impacted mountain hares in the Scottish Highlands. Zimova explains that mountain hares have turncoat capabilities — changing from a brown coat to a white coat during winter months to blend in with the snow — but with less snow each year, they are becoming more easily exposed to predators.

Michael Reddish, assistant professor in App State’s Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences, is responsible for the university’s biggest ever National Institutes of Health grant. With $1.6 million in funding, including a $20,000 NCBiotech Flash Grant and a $250,000 National Science Foundation grant, Reddish is researching human enzymes in an effort that could lead to new therapies for treating cancer and other serious diseases. Reddish’s team is made up of App State undergraduate students.