Featured Stories
Penn State biochemist Denise Okafor awarded 2026 Sloan Research Fellowship
Denise Okafor, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and of chemistry and Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biophysics at Penn State, has been honored with 2026 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship. Awarded annually since 1955, the fellowship honors extraordinary researchers whose creativity, innovation and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of scientific leaders.
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Skeleton ‘gatekeeper’ lining brain cells could guard against Alzheimer’s
Brain cells are constantly swallowing material from the fluid that surrounds them — signaling molecules, nutrients, even pieces of their own surfaces — in a process known as endocytosis that is essential for learning, memory and basic neural upkeep. New research by Penn State scientists has revealed this vital process may be governed by a previously unknown molecular gatekeeper: a lattice‑like structure just beneath the surface of neurons called the membrane‑associated periodic skeleton.
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Domestication has changed the chemicals squash flowers use to attract bees
In a new study published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, a team led by researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences found that domesticated flowers have different scent chemical profiles than wild plants in several species of squash. Additionally, the specialized pollinators of these plants—squash bees—detect different compounds, called floral volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in wild plants that they co-evolved with than in domesticated plants.
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News
Mar 04, 2026
2026-27 Huck Seed Grant Program opens call for proposals
The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences is calling for 2026-27 Seed Grant Program funding proposals, due by May 1. Huck seed grants foster innovative, interdisciplinary and collaborative life sciences research with the potential to drive scientific breakthroughs and generate new research directions leading to impactful externally funded research.
Feb 27, 2026
Protein regulator of sugars and fats may work with an unexpected parter — itself
Penn State scientists characterize structure and function of protein implicated in liver disease working with another copy of itself, rather than its usual partner, to turn genes on and off
Feb 25, 2026
The 'Spirit of Chocolate' celebrates chocolate as both science and story
On Valentine’s Day, the Palmer Museum of Art became a tasting room and a classroom all at once. “The Art of Chocolate: A Guided Tasting Experience,” presented by the Arboretum at Penn State, invited guests to explore chocolate as both science and story, pairing research with sensory discovery and chocolate with cheese. The event was a collaboration among arboretum staff and College of Agricultural Sciences professors Siela Maximova and Mark Guiltinan, co‑leaders of Penn State’s Cacao and Chocolate Research Network.
News
Mar 04, 2026
2026-27 Huck Seed Grant Program opens call for proposals
The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences is calling for 2026-27 Seed Grant Program funding proposals, due by May 1. Huck seed grants foster innovative, interdisciplinary and collaborative life sciences research with the potential to drive scientific breakthroughs and generate new research directions leading to impactful externally funded research.
Feb 27, 2026
Protein regulator of sugars and fats may work with an unexpected parter — itself
Penn State scientists characterize structure and function of protein implicated in liver disease working with another copy of itself, rather than its usual partner, to turn genes on and off
Feb 25, 2026
The 'Spirit of Chocolate' celebrates chocolate as both science and story
On Valentine’s Day, the Palmer Museum of Art became a tasting room and a classroom all at once. “The Art of Chocolate: A Guided Tasting Experience,” presented by the Arboretum at Penn State, invited guests to explore chocolate as both science and story, pairing research with sensory discovery and chocolate with cheese. The event was a collaboration among arboretum staff and College of Agricultural Sciences professors Siela Maximova and Mark Guiltinan, co‑leaders of Penn State’s Cacao and Chocolate Research Network.
Feb 25, 2026
Q&A: How can microbiome science solve problems in agriculture?
Decades of research has shown promise for using microbiome science to solve several problems facing agriculture, but these findings have not yet been translated to practical recommendations for growers, according to a team of scientists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
Events
Monday Mar
16
Advanced Cell Culture Workshop
Sartorius Cell Culture Facility
Monday Mar
16
Evolutionary and Functional Genomics of Parasitic Plants (Cancelled)
Plant Biology Seminar Series
Plant Biology
Wednesday Mar
18
Ideas Lab: Aging, Alzheimer's Disease and AI
Neuroscience Institute , Neuroscience
Events
Monday Mar
16
Advanced Cell Culture Workshop
Sartorius Cell Culture Facility
Monday Mar
16
Evolutionary and Functional Genomics of Parasitic Plants (Cancelled)
Plant Biology Seminar Series
Plant Biology
Wednesday Mar
18
Ideas Lab: Aging, Alzheimer's Disease and AI
Neuroscience Institute , Neuroscience
Wednesday Mar
18
Schmidt Science Fellows 2027 Informational Session
Bioinformatics and Genomics , Ecology , Molecular Cellular and Integrative Biosciences , Neuroscience , Plant Biology