Faculty researchers in the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics are searching for new ways to remove surface and ink waste from paper prior to recycling, investigating a new approach for vaccinating against equine influenza virus, and studying the fungal genetics of plant cell wall breakdown. Research in the Department of Zoology continues to find heavy emphasis on the impact of environmental stress on a variety of animal species. Researchers in the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit do a number of studies to track the diversity of populations of fish, birds, reptiles, and other invertebrates that are, or are likely to become, endangered. For example, a recently funded grant will investigate the viability and safety of land treating petrochemical industrial wastes by monitoring immunologic and pathologic responses of cotton rats indigenous to the treated areas.