UO biologist John Postlethwait spent time in June with a team of scientists on a remote Alaskan island, where left-behind electronic gear from World War II and the Cold War had leached cancer-causing PCBs and contaminated fish.

The research team, led by the University of Alaska, is working with native populations on the project. Postlethwait is hoping what is learned from studying the genetic damages to the region's fish might be used to help protect the health of native populations that might be exposed to the contaminated waters and fish.

The project is described in a New York Times article "Native Alaskans Study and Clean Up a Legacy of Pollution." The story is accompanied by a video, in which Postlethwait is featured.