A van parked in a mountain landscape.

Keep Tahoe Blue, The Tyre Collective, and DRI launch innovative pilot program to protect Lake Tahoe’s air and water 

By | Sep 17, 2025 | Research findings

Today, Keep Tahoe Blue, The Tyre Collective, and Desert Research Institute (DRI) announced a groundbreaking collaboration with the Emerald Bay Shuttle and its operator, Downtowner, that brings together science, technology, and alternative transportation to protect Lake Tahoe’s world-renowned water clarity.  The pilot program employs The Tyre Collective’s proprietary technology — discrete, compact devices affixed to a vehicle’s undercarriage — to capture harmful tire wear particles directly at the wheel.  

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Student researchers sorting through microplastics on the beach.

DRI Internships Offer TMCC Students Insight Into Science Careers 

By | Sep 3, 2025 | Announcements

This summer, DRI brought eighteen students from Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) to our Reno campus for a paid, immersive research experience. Over the course of the ten week program, students worked under the mentorship of DRI faculty members to learn about the process of using scientific research to solve real-world problems. This unique internship program welcomes all students, not only those pursuing majors in science.  

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Researcher kneeling on ground holding a device into water to take a sample for analysis

DRI Launches Collaborative New Project Investigating PFAS and Microplastics for Department of Defense 

By | Aug 27, 2025 | Featured projects

DRI’s Monica Arienzo, Director of the Microplastics and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, was recently awarded $250,000 by the Department of Defense to investigate laundering and textile degradation as a possible source of PFAS and microplastic pollution. The one-year grant will fund laboratory studies and analysis led by Arienzo, with DRI’s Daniel Saftner and Yeongkwon Son contributing to the work. Matt Reeves of Western Michigan University is partnering with the DRI scientists for the project.  

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Monica Arienzo in a river looking at a water sample with a overlay of a Green Box kit to educators.

DRI’s STEM Education Team Receives EPA Grant to Support Microplastics Education for Nevada Students and Communities

By | Jul 24, 2024 | Announcements

The $100,000 grant will fund the production of additional educational kits known as Greenboxes that raise awareness and understanding of the prevalence and role of microplastics in the environment. In addition to the Greenboxes, the grant will also support community partnerships with The Nature Conservancy, the Walker Basin Conservancy, Get Outdoors Nevada, Sierra Nevada Journeys, and Envirolution.

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Researcher kneeling down at the edge of a river collecting water samples.

EPA Selects Nevada’s Desert Research Institute for Funding to Support Environmental Education

By | Jul 8, 2024 | Announcements

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection DRI to receive a competitive grant for environmental education in Nevada. This organization has been chosen for its exceptional work in promoting youth ecological stewardship and environmental education, with the grant supporting a project to mitigate microplastics in Nevada waterways.

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Senator Cortez Masto in a lab at DRI on a tour of the Reno Campus

In Reno, Cortez Masto Highlights $9.2 Million She Secured To Support Nevada’s Clean Energy Boom, STEM Education, And Workforce Development Initiatives At DRI

By | Apr 25, 2024 | Announcements, News releases

U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto visited DRI for a tour of their upgraded facilities to highlight over $9.2 million in investments she secured through recently passed bipartisan legislation to support DRI’s critical research projects that are helping grow Nevada’s clean energy economy, protect the environment, and preparing students for careers in STEM fields.

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