by Jimmy Robertson
On any given weekday afternoon, Austin Gray can be found washing beakers, flasks, and test tubes inside the research lab that bears his name.
Gray, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences within Virginia Tech’s College of Science, could pawn off such grunt work on any number of undergraduate students aspiring to become polished researchers. But for Gray, washing glassware takes on a certain meaning.
“When I was at The Citadel [as an undergraduate], I was looking for a summer work study, and the only job available was as a glassware washer in an aquatic toxicology lab,” Gray said. “That’s where it started for me. I ended up cleaning glassware. But more so, I started learning about the research that was happening, all the work that was going on, and I started to ask, ‘Can I help? Can I take part in this?’ And by my junior year, I knew I wanted to be a researcher.
“Even now, I don’t let my undergrads do glassware. My grad students and I do glassware because it’s very humbling to remind myself where I started and that I’m never above that. The grad students remember that too. Just because you’re at a certain state doesn’t mean you can’t do those things. Those small things matter.”
Such small things have propelled the 34-year-old Gray into the global spotlight. A career that may have started in a small lab washing glassware gradually led to him becoming an expert in the field of micro plastics, and his research today continues to garner international acclaim.
In November 2024, Gray and a group of researchers from the College of Charleston, The Citadel, and the University of South Carolina teamed up on a project that involved capturing exhaled air from 11 dolphins. The findings revealed that each dolphin had at least one suspected microplastic in its breath.
Their findings were important on a global scale, not just from understanding the impact of microplastics on mammals, but more importantly, the extent to which humans may also be inhaling microplastic particles.
“Dolphins have similarities to us humans, and so by understanding microplastics within them, we can then tease apart pathways of entry and assess risk,” Gray said. “This is especially important as research on the health effects of microplastics on humans is still in its infancy, so we use animal models to learn as much as we can since we can’t do human health studies with actual humans.”
The group’s findings were published in PLOS One, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by the Public Library of Science that covers primary research from any discipline within science and medicine. The group brought to light the potential harms for people living and working in coastal areas. Gray served as a co-author of the paper.
“Professor Gray is a pioneer in the emerging field of microplastics biology,” said John Morris, associate dean for research in the College of Science. “He has helped shape this rapidly developing area of research … and just as importantly, he is an outstanding mentor who inspires the next wave of coastal scientists every day.”
“Austin is the kind of collaborator that every researcher hopes for: eager to engage, generous with his expertise, and driven by curiosity and a commitment to mentorship,” said Leslie Hart, an associate professor at the College of Charleston who has worked extensively with Gray. “I’m so thankful that his former mentor, Dr. [John] Weinstein from The Citadel, connected us. His insights and enthusiasm have already enriched my own work, and I look forward to a long and productive collaboration.”
The youngest of five boys, Gray didn’t want to let her down, considering some difficult situations that she and the family had endured. One of those came when Gray’s father, a math and science teacher for 33 years, died just five days after being diagnosed with lung cancer when Gray was 14.
“I thought, ‘The least I can do is just go to The Citadel,’ and it was a gamble that paid off,” Gray said. “It paid off in the best way possible because I really did well there — and I didn’t know I would.”
Gray earned his master’s degree in biology from The Citadel while working under Weinstein, who served as a mentor. He earned his Ph.D. in environmental health sciences from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and he said he became the first Black American to graduate with a Ph.D. in environmental science from the school.
For him, this is the beauty of science.
“I remind myself this is still all a gift,” Gray said. “It’s a privilege to be a scientist. I teach that in my lab. To be a scientist, we’re servants in the world. Just like public servants, this is our job, and it’s a privilege that we get to serve the world.”
