Brutal winter storm freezes Texas chemists’ research
Extreme cold in Texas has burst pipes and flooded labs at several universities
The winter storm that hit Texas last Sunday, creating a destructive deep freeze that lasted for days and led to massive power outages, has seriously disrupted researchers’ work at key universities in the state.
Among those affected is James Batteas, a professor and chemistry researcher at Texas A&M University in College Station. His 3000 square foot lab, which houses the 10 researchers in his group, is located in the basement of the chemistry building. The storm’s prolonged freezing temperatures led to burst pipes that flooded almost every room in the lab.