A champion of science and scientists Elisar Barbar, head of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, received the 2026 Outstanding Oregon Scientist Award from the Oregon Academy of Science, one of the state’s highest scientific honors. The award recognizes achievement, leadership, mentorship and contributions that advance science in Oregon and beyond. For decades, Barbar has combined internationally recognized scientific discovery with a deep commitment to mentorship. Her groundbreaking research has transformed understanding of how proteins function within living cells, helping scientists better understand the molecular systems that underpin health and disease. The academy also recognized Barbar’s longstanding commitment to education and mentorship. Throughout her career, she has helped train and inspire students, postdoctoral scholars and emerging faculty members, extending her impact far beyond the laboratory. The honor comes as Barbar launched a $1.3 million National Institutes of Health-funded training program in molecular biophysics. The highly competitive program supports doctoral students studying complex biological systems at the intersection of biology, chemistry and physics. Designed to prepare the next generation of structural biologists and biophysicists, the program strengthens Oregon State’s capacity for interdisciplinary research and graduate education in the molecular sciences. A rising leader in environmental science Alison Bain, assistant professor of chemistry, received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the foundation’s most prestigious honor for early-career faculty. The $75K award will support research on how microscopic plastic particles in the atmosphere influence airborne droplets that affect clouds and climate. Micro- and nanoplastics are increasingly being detected in atmospheric samples around the world, yet scientists know little about how they affect aerosol chemistry and cloud formation. Bain and her students will investigate how environmental aging changes the surface chemistry and structure of common plastics, including polyethylene, polystyrene and nylon, and how those changes influence interactions with water and other atmospheric molecules. The project will also develop new tools to study individual aerosol particles, helping researchers determine how plastics behave within atmospheric droplets and affect properties linked to cloud formation and climate. Because aerosols remain one of the largest sources of uncertainty in climate models, the findings could improve understanding of how plastics move through the atmosphere and interact with the environment. The award also supports educational initiatives connecting research, computing and environmental science for students across Oregon. Listening to the gut microbiome Trillions of microbes live in the human gut, influencing everything from how we process food and medications to how our bodies respond to environmental pollutants. Microbiologist Thomas Sharpton is working to understand how these microscopic communities shape health and disease. Sharpton leads interdisciplinary research exploring the gut microbiome’s role in behavior, cognition and the body’s response to its environment. Using zebrafish, mice and human studies, his team investigates how microbes interact with the brain and other biological systems. In one study, researchers found that removing the microbiome changed how a pollutant affected zebrafish behavior, highlighting the microbiome’s role as a biochemical mediator between the environment and the body. Sharpton also helped establish the Oregon State University Microbiome Initiative, which connects researchers studying microbial communities across disciplines, from human health to agriculture and ocean science. His work aims to move microbiome research beyond simply identifying which microbes are present to understanding what they do and how that knowledge can improve human health. Ultimately, the research could help scientists develop new approaches to preventing, diagnosing and treating chronic disease. 4 OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
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