Media Center (Blog)

Coastal areas desperately need building materials that can withstand extreme weather. LSU Civil and Environmental Engineering Assistant Professor Hai “Thomas” Lin and his PhD student Waleed Zaid have developed a treatment that makes wood as stiff as concrete and many times stronger than untreated lumber. Widespread adoption of the innovation could mean far more hurricane-resistant housing and more resilient coastal communities.

Tiny crustaceans living in freezing alpine lakes survive by activating specialized cold-tolerance and UV-protection genes. By studying their gene expression, researchers reveal how life adapts to extreme environments—insights that could inform broader research on resilience and climate adaptation.