URIs_MOMENTUM_Research_and_Innovation_Magazine_Spring_2021_M

into the ocean by a careless customer or a damaged PVC pipeline. With that information, scientists and policymakers can institute steps to halt pollution at its source, a task much easier than attempting to remediate an already polluted environment. That ability is important to people like civil and environmental engineering Professor Vinka Oyanedel- Craver, who recognizes the risk of plastics overrunning the ecosystem. The tools in the core analytical lab she helps to manage allow her and many other researchers at URI to equipment,” Oyanedel-Craver said. “These tools provide an amazing level of detail.” Other labs and programs around campus assist in obtaining the samples for analysis. The URI Diving Research and Safety Program offers equipment and training for those looking to collect water samples whether from Narragansett Bay or waters halfway around the world. The samples return to tackle the issue like never before. “It is really exciting to have all this

IRENE ANDREU Director Rhode Island Consortium of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Photo by Beau Jones

“WE HAVE A UNITED FRONT SO IT’S EASY FOR AN INDUSTRY PERSON COMING FROM THE OUTSIDE. IT’S ONE-STOP SHOPPING.” - Carol Thornber

campus for analysis. Lately researchers have been particularly interested in analyzing water for plastics pollution that poses a threat to wildlife and human health. The diving program is also collaborating closely with a non-profit foundation that is in residence on URI’s Narragansett Bay Campus, The Ocean Agency, to develop novel underwater photography systems for high-resolution 3D mapping of fragile ecosystems. For those looking to skip the travel, the Seawater Facilities on the Narragansett Bay Campus literally pump in seawater to replicate any marine environmental condition. The Marine Science Research Facility offers space for scientists to prepare samples, analyze DNA, and assists with designing experiments.

Natural resources science Professor Carol Thornber recognized early on the economics of scale and research potential of formalizing connections among the labs. She’s now leading that charge as part of her leadership role within the research division. “Science over the past few decades has become more and more of a collaborative process,” Thornber said. “I can solve one piece of the puzzle and another researcher can solve the other.” Thornber said the big picture view positions researchers to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time on science. And the centralized list of equipment and expertise opens the door for industry partnerships. Especially for

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