News: Point of Discovery

Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

Podcast

Jekyll and Hyde Bacteria

What do you do when the bacteria you study that's deadly in the real world acts all mild and gentle in the lab?

Microscope image of pink bacteria with hair-like and corkscrew-like structures

Podcast

Saving the Bees, Two Perspectives

How do you move 100,000 honeybees—a living laboratory for research on the gut microbiome—half way across the country?

A busy hive of honeybees

Podcast

Pyramid Probe

How particle physics can help explore the insides of ancient Mayan pyramids without digging

A large cylinder-shaped piece of scientific equipment hangs from chains

Podcast

The Race for Dark Energy

Karl Gebhardt explains the two leading ideas for what dark energy might be.

Illustration of galaxies bending space time

Podcast

The Case of the Missing Folate

Richard Finnell studies the genetic underpinnings of neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

Spinach leaves in a bowl, sitting on a wooden table

Podcast

Cocktail Party Effect

Your brain has to do all sorts of tricks to focus on just one voice floating in a sea of noise, including localization

Illustration of a see-through brain with bright orange spots scattered in the interior

Podcast

Fun With Chemistry

Kate Biberdorf combines the energy of a kickboxer with a passion for chemistry and a love of sharing science with the public

A woman in blue lab coat blows a puff of fire out of her mouth

Podcast

Beauty and the Yeast

The lowly yeast turns out to be a powerful model organism for understanding human biology and disease

A microscope image of the internal features of a yeast cell