'Sunday Scientist' features Weber's research on microbes

Karrie Weber works with UNL student Gregory Hollis in a Manter Hall lab. (Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communications)
Karrie Weber works with UNL student Gregory Hollis in a Manter Hall lab. (Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communications)

Few things in life are certain: Death, taxes, and… microbes?

Microbes are everywhere. The tiny, invisible microorganisms are the oldest form of life on Earth. Millions of them are in the food we eat, the air we breathe and countless other places. They may even be on other planets. The next Sunday with a Scientist program for children and families at the University of Nebraska State Museum of Natural History will focus on microbes in soil and water.

"Microbes Rock” will be from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. May 19 at Morrill Hall.

Activities and displays, organized by Karrie A. Weber, assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences and Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, will help visitors discover the amazing things microbes do in the environment, what they tell us about Earth's past, and why they matter.

For example, microbes can eat or "breathe" contaminants in our groundwater such as nitrates and uranium, leading to better quality drinking water. Scientists can collect rock specimens and search for fossil organisms in them to determine what role they may have played on Earth millions of years ago. Microbes may also be a key factor in the search for life on Mars.

Children will enjoy molding microbes out of Play-Doh and playing a game to test their knowledge of environmental bacteria. "Microbes Rock" coloring books will be available.

In addition to Weber, presenters will include Jason Nolan, a graduate student in earth and atmospheric sciences; and Abigail Heithoff, NU State Museum.

For more information on Weber's research on microbes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/microbialbiogeochemistry.

Sunday with a Scientist is a series of monthly presentations that highlight the work of UNL researchers while educating children and families on a variety of topics related to science and natural history. Presenters share scientific information in a fun, informal way through demonstrations, activities, or by conducting their science on site. For more information, including a list of upcoming topics, go to http://www.museum.unl.edu.

— Dana Ludvik, NU State Museum