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Sunrise shot of the Tucson area from the roof of the Thomas W. Keating Bioresearch Building (BIO5 Institute)

Celebrated for its vast natural beauty, wild rivers, iconic landscapes, and old-growth forests, the western United States is also central to some of our nation’s most critical environmental issues, including drought, wildfire, urban sprawl, and natural and cultural resource management. Learn how our research provides solutions to environmental challenges for the Desert Southwest, and beyond.

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University of Arizona Stops a Covid-19 Outbreak by Following the Feces

University of Arizona leaders were able to prevent a potential Covid-19 outbreak by testing wastewater.

How the University of Arizona used No. 2 to solve its No. 1 problem: The coronavirus

The university made a bold claim this week: It stopped a coronavirus outbreak before it started.

The University of Arizona says it caught a dorm’s covid-19 outbreak before it started. Its secret weapon: Poop.

As 5,000 students prepared for move-in day at the University of Arizona this week, the school warned they would be tested periodically for the coronavirus. One test, though, doesn’t involve a nose swab. The university is regularly screening the sewage from each dorm, searching for traces of the virus.

How Cold Was the Ice Age? Researchers Now Know

Scientists' ice age "hindcast" may shed light on future climate.

Fire season could last into fall, experts say

The fire season in Tucson could stretch all the way into October and beyond this year because of a lack of monsoon moisture, raid and humidity.

Taking the Fish Out of Fish Feed

Feeding wild fish to farmed fish is threatening marine ecosystems. Researchers and entrepreneurs believe they’ve found solutions.

Water Ranching in Mexico

Bobby Bascomb visits acclaimed land preservationist Valer Clark at her ranch, Cahone Bonito, in Agua Prieta, Mexico.

‘Driest I’ve seen’: Without summer rains, Arizona cattle ranchers confront tough choices

Kevin McFee looked out across the grasslands on his ranch, where a pair of cows grazed in the distance among the sagebrush and juniper trees.

Thinking Outside the Box

Indoor ag brings consumers closer with controlled-climate growing.

FAA: No prosecution for drone flight that slowed fight of Tucson's Bighorn Fire

Illegal drone intrusions into the Bighorn Fire airspace forced firefighters to shut down their air attack at some crucial moments. To combat the fire, low-flying aircraft are used, which could put them in the same airspace with a drone.

Earth is setting heat records. It will be much hotter one day.

As a heat wave roasted the western United States this week, temperatures in California’s Death Valley soared to a blistering 130 degrees Fahrenheit, marking the hottest temperature measured anywhere on Earth since 1931 and the third hottest day ever recorded on our planet, period.

Catastrophic failures raise alarm about dams containing muddy mine wastes


Mud released by a burst tailings dam at an iron mine near Brumadinho, Brazil, killed 270 people in 2019.