Andy Murdock

Rice is typically grown in flooded paddies where methane-producing microbes thrive, and rice cultivation is a significant source of greenhouse-gas emissions. Postdoctoral researcher Bethany Kolody and graduate student Jack Kim discuss their project in IGI Microbiology Director Jill Banfield lab’s: exploring the genomes of microbes in rice fields. If we get to know the microbes in the soil, can we intervene for a healthier planet? Watch the first video in our Inside Genomics series and see the...

Tracking down the locations of Robert Bechtle's photorealistic paintings of suburban America in his hometown of Alameda, CA.

New research shows how plants directly recognize pathogens, and how to help them fight off other attackers.

Michael Gomez grew up eating cassava with his Colombian family. Now he’s editing its genes to make it safe for the world to consume.

Songs and places: How do they become linked in our travel memories? The Statesider’s Andy Murdock looks back at the songs he connects to specific places and times.

Celebrating 100 years of A&W Root Beer in California, founded in Lodi in 1919.

If you’ve ever spent too much time on a long flight staring at an in-flight magazine, tracing the arcing lines of a route map, dreaming of the destinations you could potentially fly to, this is the article for you.

Press conferences at the White House tend to occur in predictable locations: The Briefing Room, the Rose Garden, the South Lawn. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter chose a loftier venue: the roof. He didn’t do it for the view over Washington, D.C.; he wanted to show off a brand-new array of 32 solar panels.

California has more than twice as many guitar makers as any other state. That’s good news for guitar players, woodworkers or anyone who’s simply curious to see how things are made, because many of these guitar makers are happy to show you their craft up close, from the traditional art to how California continues to shape the way the world sees and plays guitars.

Why do we feel more adventurous, more outgoing, more like your true selves when we travel? Alex Leviton wonders why we’ve convinced ourselves that we can’t tap into those feelings closer to home.

The places that hit peak beauty at the chilliest times of year are at their best for a short length of time. So grab your parka, embrace the chill and be one of the few to see these rare moments of winter wonder.

In 1864, Gold Rush millionaire Samuel Brannan had train tracks laid up the Napa Valley, in hopes of luring locals and travelers north from San Francisco to his new Calistoga spa resort. At first, his bright idea went over like a bottle of flat champagne.

I was thrilled to get to work with Impossible Foods again this year on their 2019 Impact Report. Their in-house design team knocked it out of the park.

Ready for a botanical adventure you won’t forget? From vast sweeps of color to brief bursts of brilliance, take your pick from these prime flower-spotting destinations across America.