‘Curious Conversations’ podcast: Boris Vinatzer talks about fungi's potential influence on weather and more
Boris Vinatzer joined Virginia Tech’s “Curious Conversations” to talk about fungi and their potential to influence weather through ice nucleation. Vinatzer shared insights gained through some recent research that revealed a fungi protein that helps water freeze at a higher temperature than would otherwise be possible. He explained how ice is actually formed and the potential for this discovery to be used in cloud seeding and for a host of industrial applications.
“Curious Conversations" is available on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.
Takeaways
Pure water can remain liquid at temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius without freezing unless something, a nucleating agent, helps them settle into an ice crystal formation. This is a critical step for water droplets in clouds becoming heavy enough to fall as rain or snow.
Vinatzer and his colleagues found that a fungi protein can serve as this agent and encourage nucleation more efficiently, and at a lower temperature, than other particles, such as dust.
Potential applications of fungal ice nucleators include weather modification and cloud seeding as well as snow creation for ski resorts and enhanced freezing methods for foods and during the organ transplant process.
About Vinatzer
Vinatzer is a professor in the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. His research includes molecular plant-microbe interactions, molecular evolution, and taxonomy of plant pathogenic bacteria. He is interested in investigating environmental microbes that may play a role in the formation of precipitation.
Learn more
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International scientists converge at Virginia Tech to further plant health research
Researchers find special bacteria in Claytor Lake that can freeze water
About the podcast
"Curious Conversations" is a series of free-flowing conversations with Virginia Tech researchers that take place at the intersection of world-class research and everyday life. Produced and hosted by Travis Williams, assistant director of marketing and communications for the Office of Research and Innovation, university researchers share their expertise and motivations as well as the practical applications of their work in a format that more closely resembles chats at a cookout than classroom lectures. New episodes are shared each Tuesday.
