Grant awards in biology and arctic sciences have totaled nearly $50 million since FY02. This investment has led to an extraordinary increase in research activity, the hiring of new faculty and the expansion of programs. BIOS will free up space to further expand important research programs at UAF.

When a person suffers a stroke, blood flow and oxygen in the brain plummet. A similar process occurs in hibernating mammals, yet unlike humans, they suffer none of the devastating consequences. Understanding how they do it may help scientists develop treatments for stroke and battlefield injuries. >> more

Diane O'Brien, University of Alaska Fairbanks assistant professor of biology and wildlife, is investigating whether naturally occurring chemical variations in subsistence and nonsubsistence foods can serve as an easy, noninvasive way to accurately describe important dietary differences between individuals in Alaska Native communities. >> more

Alaska's iconic muskoxen hold within their guts amazing microbes. These microbes could reduce the amount of grain beef cattle, dairy cows, sheep and other domestic ruminants require to produce meat, milk and wool. >> more

University of Alaska Fairbanks neurobiologist Barbara Taylor is investigating how prenatal exposure to nicotine and alcohol increases babies' risk of sudden infant death syndrome and how that vulnerability can be reduced. >> more