The climate change issue
Storms. Drought. Fire. Flooding. Stifling heatwaves. Unseasonable cold snaps. Lakes vanish in some regions, while land washes away in others.
The effects of climate change may be uneven, but they are undeniably being felt around the world. In response, more and more biochemists are looking for ways to contribute their expertise to political and technical solutions.
The articles in this month’s special section explore a few of the many threads connecting biochemistry to the climate crisis.
Researchers are hard at work to understand how organisms respond to escalating heat stress on a molecular level, and how their responses may alter global biogeochemistry. They are exploring new ways to use environmental DNA to trace ecological shifts — and synthetic DNA to store our ever-increasing information archives at a lower energy cost. Industrial researchers are investigating approaches to make manufacturing more sustainable using enzymes. Meanwhile, educators work to raise public awareness of the climate crisis and to make biochemistry feel relevant to future students.
Even geologic carbon sequestration has a metagenomics story waiting to be heard.
Here are links to our eleven climate change articles. Read on.
What does biochemistry have to do with climate change?
Artists, technologists bring data storage to life
A probiotic for the environment’?
Bears, fungi and global warming
Regenerative agriculture: A boost for soil health
CALeDNA: Tracking biodiversity at the molecular level
‘Filling the void of the virosphere’
Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?
Become a member to receive the print edition monthly and the digital edition weekly.
Learn moreGet the latest from ASBMB Today
Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.
Latest in Opinions
Opinions highlights or most popular articles
'Don’t be afraid to take a different path'
In 2016, MOSAIC scholar Rebecca Ann Faulkner paused her career for four years to focus on her family, a decision she believes made her a more effective and empathetic scientist.
The perverse legacy of participation in human genomic research
The story of how one person became the majority source of DNA for the Human Genome Project encapsulates 20th-century researchers’ attitudes toward donor consent, the author says.
Announcing the winners of the Molecular Motifs bioart competition
The 12 winning works of art to be featured in the 2025 ASBMB calendar were selected from 37 entries received from scientists in both academia and industry at all career stages with submissions coming from as far away as Pakistan and Brazil.
The fourth third of my career: Living the dream
After a few decades of being a professor, Jonathan Monroe thought it would be fun to return to the life of a postdoc after retiring. Here’s how he did it.
Advice for first-year grad students
A second-year and a fourth-year grad student share their tips on choosing the right lab, getting through tough courses, keeping up with your non-research interests and more.
Introducing the ASBMB Active Site
This virtual community platform is designed to allow members to share exciting news and updates and connect with colleagues who share their passion for research.