UConn Plans Biological Risk Institute

The University of Connecticut is establishing an Institute of Biological Risk.

The school says the new institute will seek to understand and mitigate emerging threats to agriculture, natural resources, human health and the economy. That means studying climate change and invasive plants and diseases spread by mosquitoes, ticks and other biological organisms.

The school says the institute will build on UConn’s strengths in global-change biology and will work to develop ties to Connecticut’s government, businesses and nonprofit organizations.

The institute is one of 15 new projects that will receive a total of $3 million in grants this year under the school’s recently adopted academic plan.