Science is brewing at Hancher’s Stanley Café! Science on Tap is an informal forum for UI researchers to engage the campus and the local community in a discussion of science in a fun and inviting atmosphere. Please join us February 15 from 5:30-6:30 pm for Science on Tap during the weekly Thursday Nights at Hancher program.

In Iowa’s waterways, there are millions of freshwater mussels treating nitrogen pollution simply by “eating, peeing, pooping, and puking.” Science and engineering can characterize and quantify this underappreciated ecosystem service which is important to the current public dialogue on how best to clean up Iowa’s surface waters. Since the waste products of freshwater mussel metabolism are food sources for bacteria in sediment, we must also understand how shifts in microbial ecology, ultimately induced by human activities, impact water quality. The exploration of these topics will help determine the relative benefit of restoring mussel habitat toward mitigating Iowa’s nitrogen pollution dilemmas.

Speaker: Craig Just (Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering)

Light entrees, snacks, and refreshments will be available for purchase from the Stanley Café.