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Researchers produce jet fuel compounds from fungus

By Tina Hilding, Voiland College of Engineering & Architecture RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University researchers have found a way to make jet fuel from a common black fungus found in decaying leaves, soil and rotting fruit. The researchers hope the process leads to economically viable production of aviation biofuels in the next five years.

Bird flu leapfrogged, Northwest to Midwest

By Linda Weiford, WSU News PULLMAN, WASH. – The strain of bird flu causing sickness and the culling of millions of birds in the Midwest is the same strain first detected in Washington state in December, according to a Washington State University scientist who helped identify the virus. Until then, the pathogen had never been […]

No dis, just abled: Ph.D. student tweaks the message

By Linda Weiford, WSU News PULLMAN, WASH. – When Davi Kallman was a second-grader in El Paso, Texas, her teacher pulled her from the classroom one day to tell her she was “retarded” and would have to drop to a lower grade. Now pursuing a doctoral degree at Washington State University, she has proven that […]

Researchers use plant oils for novel bio-based plastics

By Ethan Nash, Voiland College of Engineering & Architecture intern PULLMAN, Wash. – Researchers have developed a new way to use plant oils like olive and linseed oil to create polyurethane, a plastic material used in everything from foam insulation panels to tires, hoses and sealants.