Melissa Wright joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about navigating topics related to food, food ingredients, and nutrition. She explained how people should interpret labels and the complexities of topics like raw milk, protein, and color additives. Wright also offered practical advice for consumers and producers to make informed decisions about food safety and nutrition.Wright is director of the Food Producer Technical Assistance Network at Virginia Tech, which supports food entrepreneurs by assisting with nutrition label content, food safety analysis, and pertinent food regulations. The program’s goal is to help Virginia’s food-processing industry produce high-quality, safe, and innovative food products.#virginiatech #food #foodlabels #fooddyes #protein #milk #nutrition #foodsafety

Boris Vinatzer joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about fungi and their potential to influence weather through ice nucleation. Vinatzer shared insights gained through some recent research that revealed a fungi protein that helps water freeze at a higher temperature than would otherwise be possible. He explained how ice is actually formed and the potential for this discovery to be used in cloud seeding and for a host of industrial applications.

Vinatzer is a professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. His research includes molecular plant-microbe interactions, molecular evolution, and taxonomy of plant pathogenic bacteria. He is interested in investigating environmental microbes that may play a role in the formation of precipitation.

Katalin Parti joined Virginia Tech’s 'Curious Conversations’ to talk about how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) are turbocharging social engineering scams and what individuals can do to protect themselves. She shared the common techniques scammers use, what could make a person more vulnerable to scams, and the red flags that can help mitigate such threats. Parti also talked about a new project she’s working on with residents of a retirement community to develop real-time tools to assist them in thwarting threats. Parti is an assistant professor with the Department of Sociology in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on both the offender and victim sides of cybercrime, sexual violence, and online manipulative scams targeting older people. Parti is a certified mediator and holds a European Certificate in Cybercrime and Electronic Evidence. She is also a co-author and co-editor of "Juvenile Justice and Schools: Policing, Processing, and Programming."#VirginiaTech #cybersecurity #ScamAwareness #AI #FraudPrevention

Michael Schwarz joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the rapid invasion of blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay, its ecological and economic impacts, and the promising potential for turning this challenge into an opportunity. He explained what makes the fish so problematic, the challenge of standing up sustainable fishing, processing, and marketing of the fish, and its unique taste and nutritional profile. Michael Schwarz is director of the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center of Virginia Tech in Hampton, Virginia. His research includes land-based and offshore aquaculture production system design and optimization, environmental optimization and identification of environmental production limits for aquaculture species, and the development of production protocols for new and emerging species.#BlueCatfish #ChesapeakeBay #SustainableSeafood #VirginiaTech #Aquaculture #fishing #seafood #angler #seafoodindustry

Linsey Marr joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about the complexities of airborne pathogens, their impact on health, and a project she’s leading aimed at developing a smart air quality management system. She broke down the challenges of pathogen detection, the importance of collaborative research across different institutions for her current project, and shared some practical advice for improving indoor air quality.Linsey Marr is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech. She leads the Applied Interdisciplinary Research in Air Laboratory, which applies an interdisciplinary approach to study pollutants in indoor and outdoor air. She is especially interested in emerging or non-traditional aerosols such as microorganisms and engineered nanomaterials and how they are transformed in the environment. This research was funded in part by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the United States Government. #VirginiaTech #AirbornePathogens #HealthPodcast #Microbes #Wellness #CleanAir #ScienceTalk #InfectiousDisease

Adam Maxwell joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about lithotripsy, a medical procedure to break apart kidney stones, and a new procedure for which his research team just received FDA approval. Maxwell explained the most common current techniques used to treat kidney stones and their challenges. He then introduced the harmonic ultrasound technique he and his colleagues have pioneered and explained its potential benefits to patients and physicians.

Maxwell is a research associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. His research interests include the bioeffects of ultrasound, elastic waves in biomaterials, ultrasound and laser lithotripsy, and veterinary applications of ultrasounds.

Brian Romans joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about Antarctic Bottom Water and its significance for global ocean circulation and climate science. He explained the processes involved in studying ocean currents, the geological records that provide insights into past ocean conditions, and the impact of environmental shifts on these dynamics. Romans also shared his personal journey into oceanography and highlights the importance of international collaboration in addressing climate-related challenges.

Romans is a professor of sedimentary geoscience in Virginia Tech’s College of Science. His research interests include the study of ancient and modern sedimentary systems using outcrop, subsurface, and Earth-surface data to better understand past and predict future geologic problems related to tectonic or shifts in the environment.

Austin Gray joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about microplastics and the growing body of research about their impact on human and environmental health. He shared insights related to the public perception of plastic pollution, the history of microplastics, and the direction of future research. Gray also emphasizes the importance of approaching research as public service and the need for effective science communication.Gray is an assistant professor of biological sciences and an affiliate of Virginia Tech’s Global Change Center. His research focuses on addressing questions related to environmental toxicology. He primarily uses physiological and ecological approaches to examine the impacts of legacy and emerging contaminants (microplastics, nanoplastics, and pharmaceuticals) resulting from human influence and assessing their risk to a variety of freshwater and marine organisms.