News & Announcements
Working to Solve our Most Challenging Environmental Problems
DRI’s research calls on the expertise and methods of scientists from multiple scientific disciplines. More than 600 highly-skilled scientists, engineers, technicians, students, and staff work collaboratively within and across three research divisions, focused on understanding and answering critical science questions about global climate change, water quality and availability, air quality, the sustainability of desert lands, life in extreme environments, education, and more.
Low-severity wildfires impact soils more than previously believed
Above: In semi-arid ecosystems such as the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest near Las Vegas, which burned as part of the Carpenter 1 fire during July and August 2013, fuel is limited and fires tend to be short lived and low in peak temperature. New research shows that...
Significant amount of cancer-causing chemicals stays in lungs during e-cigarette use, Nevada-based researchers find
Above: Dr. Vera Samburova works in the organic analytical lab at Desert Research Institute, in Reno, Nev., on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018. Photo by Cathleen Allison/Nevada Momentum Reno, NV (August 15, 2018) – E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular as a smoke-free...
Governor Sandoval, President Averyt meet with Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo during Trade Mission
ACCRA, GHANA (July 30, 2018) – Highlighted by a meeting with President Nana Akufo-Addo, the successful first leg of Governor Brian Sandoval’s trade mission to Africa wrapped up in Ghana on Sunday. Coordinated by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED),...
Gault site research pushes back date of earliest North Americans
Stone tool assemblage recovered from the Gault Site. Credit: Produced by N Velchoff, The Gault School of Archaeological Research. Luminescence dating confirms human presence in North America prior to 16 thousand years ago, earlier than previously thought July 20,...
Tesla selects DRI’s Science Alive to develop statewide teacher training infrastructure
Reno, NV (July 19, 2018): The Desert Research Institute is proud to announce that the DRI Science Alive K-12 Outreach Program has been selected as one of several recipients of the first round of funding through Tesla’s new Nevada K-12 Education Investment Fund. This...
Lead pollution in Greenland ice shows rise and fall of ancient European civilizations
In a new study published in PNAS, a team of scientists, archaeologists and economists from the Desert Research Institute (DRI), the University of Oxford, NILU – Norwegian Institute for Air Research and the University of Copenhagen used ice samples from the North Greenland Ice Core Project (NGRIP) to measure, date and analyze European lead emissions.
DRI launches cybersecurity internship program in collaboration with SANS Institute
Program now accepting applications for 2018 Reno, NV (Tuesday, April 24, 2018): From malware infections to attacks on critical infrastructure like electricity grids, cybercrime is a growing concern across all industries and sectors of our world – and the prevention of...
Ancient ‘quids’ reveal genetic information, clues into migration patterns of early Great Basin inhabitants
Above: Cave opening at the Mule Springs Rockshelter in southern Nevada's Spring Mountain Range. Credit: Jeffrey Wedding, DRI. Las Vegas, NV (April 24, 2018): If you want to know about your ancestors today, you can send a little saliva to a company where – for a...
New research improves prospects for imperiled Devils Hole Pupfish in captivity
Above: Researchers Joshua Sackett (left) and Duane Moser (right) of DRI help National Park Service officials move scaffolding infrastructure during a routine sampling visit to Devils Hole on December 13, 2014. Credit: Jonathan Eisen. DRI study finds key differences...
Healthy Nevada Project announces pilot study insights and phase two enrollment
Reno, Nev. (March 15, 2018) – Eighteen months ago, northern Nevada made history welcoming a first-of-its-kind, community-based population health study combining clinical, genetic and environmental data with the goal of providing personalized, precision medicine for...
DRI Stories in the Snow Project collects over 400 images from local citizen scientists
Detailed photographs help local scientists understand regional storms, collect weather data Reno, NV (Wednesday, March 14, 2018): No two snow crystals are alike, an old saying goes – and this winter, students, and adults from across the Reno-Tahoe region are helping...
Board of Regents award DRI air pollution expert 2018 Rising Researcher Award
Dr. Vera Samburova works in the organic analytical lab at Desert Research Institute, in Reno, Nev., on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018. Photo by Cathleen Allison/Nevada Momentum. Reno, Nev. (Thursday, March 1, 2018) - The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board...