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C. Denise Okafor, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State. Credit: Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

Penn State biochemist Denise Okafor receives 2023 Marion Milligan Mason Award

C. Denise Okafor, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and of chemistry at Penn State, has been selected as a recipient of the 2023 Marion Milligan Mason Award for Women in the Chemical Sciences by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

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Penn State College of Medicine researchers’ findings are among the latest evidence suggesting that people diagnosed with COVID-19 may experience a range of health issues in the time period following their illness. Credit: Getty Images | Tempura . All Rights Reserved.

COVID-19 survivors may have higher risk of developing diabetes

COVID-19 survivors have a 66% higher risk of developing type 1 or type 2 diabetes following their diagnosis compared to those not diagnosed with COVID-19, according to a study by Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

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Researchers have worked out the mechanism of transcription pausing in some bacteria by determining the structures of RNA polymerase in a complex with a DNA template, an RNA product, and a protein factor using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). The nucleotide addition cycle of bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) is depicted by cartoon models of template DNA (tDNA, green), RNA (red), trigger loop (TL, magenta), bridge helix (BH, blue), incoming NTP (red) and Mg2+ (yellow spheres) together with the conformational changes of RNAP (swiveling, folding Trigger loop) associated with each step of the nucleotide addition cycle. NusG and non-template DNA (ntDNA, light green) interaction (center panel) inhibits the RNAP swiveling, the Trigger loop folding allosterically thus pauses RNA synthesis. Credit: Murakami Laboratory / Penn State. Creative Commons

DNA stuck in the gears of the RNA production machine

Precise control of gene expression — ensuring that cells make the correct components in the right amount and at the right time — is vital for all organisms to function properly. Cells must regulate how genes encoded in the sequence of DNA are made into RNA molecules that can carry out cellular functions on their own or be further processed into proteins.

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A honey bee visits an apple flower. Managed honey bees and wild native bees provide critical pollination services for agricultural crops in the United States, but researchers say the public's knowledge of wild bee species is low. Credit: Laura Russo. All Rights Reserved.

Mar 23, 2023

Study: Mapping people’s knowledge of bees may aid in pollinator conservation

U.S. college students’ knowledge of bees focuses primarily on honey bees and pollination services, according to Penn State researchers, who said findings from their recent study could help in designing campaigns to generate support for protecting threatened pollinators.

Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics in Penn State's College of Engineering. Credit: Kelby Hochreither/Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

Mar 22, 2023

New soil sensor may improve efficiency of crop fertilization

Measuring temperature and nitrogen levels in soil is important for agriculture systems but detecting them apart from one another is difficult to do.

Michael Axtell Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Mar 21, 2023

Penn State biologist to present free public lecture on MicroRNAs in plants

Michael J. Axtell, the Louis and Hedwig Sternberg Chair in Plant Biology and distinguished professor of biology, will present the inaugural Louis and Hedwig Sternberg Chair in Plant Biology Lecture at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, March 27, at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the Penn State University Park campus.

News

Mar 23, 2023

Study: Mapping people’s knowledge of bees may aid in pollinator conservation

Mar 22, 2023

New soil sensor may improve efficiency of crop fertilization

Measuring temperature and nitrogen levels in soil is important for agriculture systems but detecting them apart from one another is difficult to do.

Mar 21, 2023

Penn State biologist to present free public lecture on MicroRNAs in plants

Mike Stedelin Credit: Michael Stedelin / Penn State. Creative Commons

Mar 21, 2023

Mike Stedelin named executive director, Office of Research Information Systems

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Research has announced that Mike Stedelin, has been named executive director of the Office of Research Information Systems, effective May 1.

Events

Monday Mar

CIDD Lunch: What is going on in Machtinger Lab

Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics

Monday Mar

Conserving Genetic Diversity of Plant Species Using Genetic Data, Simulations, and Effective Population Size

Plant Biology

Tuesday Mar

Using Microsurgery to Induce Angiogenesis

Regenerative Engineering and Translational Ecosystem Forum

Events

Monday Mar

CIDD Lunch: What is going on in Machtinger Lab

Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics

Monday Mar

Conserving Genetic Diversity of Plant Species Using Genetic Data, Simulations, and Effective Population Size

Plant Biology

Tuesday Mar

Using Microsurgery to Induce Angiogenesis

Regenerative Engineering and Translational Ecosystem Forum

Thursday Mar

CIDD Seminar: Climate and Plant Disease: From Global to Local to Microclimate Scales

Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics