Stories

Modern-day meals delivered right to your doorstep are a far cry from the Swanson and Hungry-Man trays of yesteryear. Offering dinners catered to vegan, keto, and low-calorie diets, prepared meals continue to soar in popularity. But just how nutritious are they? Anne VanBeber, Nutritional Sciences professor, gives her expert opinion on modern eating habits for those concerned with quick and easy meal prep.

TCU’s Institute of Behavioral Research utilizes its $3.1 million portion of a larger $11.5 million grant to advance its ACTION research project. The project includes the use of a Mobile Health Unit (MHU), which will serve individuals who either have or are at risk for acquiring HIV or a substance use disorder. The project will initially concentrate on historically underserved areas in Tarrant County.

Research scientist and co-founder of TCU’s Eos BioAnalytics Summer Mengelkoch led the study in which 79 women and 80 men were recruited and asked to have their photos taken and their blood tested to discover if there is a link between people’s attractiveness and their immune systems.

TCU geological sciences professor, John Holbrook, discusses how geothermal energy could become the next economically viable source of clean energy. Technology for harnessing heat from the earth’s core is rapidly developing. Holbrook has been an outspoken advocate for greater investment in geothermal production, especially as Texas continues to encounter questions over its dependence on natural gas to produce electricity.

Matt Chumchal, TCU professor of biology, along with eight coauthors, recently had a paper, "Use of Riparian Spiders as Sentinels of Persistent and Bioavailable Chemical Contaminants in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Review," published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (ET&C), an international scientific journal. The article reviews the use of riparian spiders as sentinels of environmental pollution, and suggests the development of national-scale programs to monitor chemical contaminants in aquatic ecosystems using spiders.

Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency created, was at first developed to act as a payment tool solely for the online universe. It has evolved from a hobby among coders to a mainstream exchange on Wall Street. There are risks, however, with getting involved with cryptocurrency and financial systems that aren’t regulated by the government. Liran Ma, professor in the department of computer science at TCU, clears up some of the confusion surrounding cryptocurrency, including complications related to cybersecurity.

The dust has barely settled on COP26, the UN’s latest conference on climate change. Heads-of-state, negotiators, climate scientists, government representatives, businesses, and a host of other interested parties, gathered in Glasgow for 12 days to assess the state of the world’s climate and, more importantly, to lay out their commitments to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Doug Ingram, senior instructor in TCU’s department of physics and astronomy, answers questions about the reinvigorated fascination with space travel and why he thinks the United States will ultimately win the race to the moon.

Many will debate whether or not other-worldly beings have ever visited Earth, but scientists will agree that rocks from other planets have been here for many years. Recently one such rock was donated to TCU’s Monnig Meteorite Gallery by Radiant Point, Ltd. president, Philip Mani. Believed to be from Mars, this contribution comes on the heels of another noteworthy meteorite donated by Mani earlier this year named Erg Chech 002.