Automated Biological Calorimetry Facility News | Biomolecular Interactions Facility

Sabab Hasan Khan, assistant research professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, is part of a Penn State research team that showed that a protein that is a key modulator of fat, glucose and cholesterol levels in the body can work with an unexpected partner — itself. Credit: Jaydyn Isiminger / Penn State. Creative Commons

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

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Feb 24, 2026

Borrowing from biology to power next-gen data storage

DNA, the genetic blueprints in every living organism, is nature’s most efficient storage mechanism, capable of storing about 215 million gigabytes of data per gram. That storage capacity, if applied to electronics, could enable significantly more efficient data centers, speedier data processing and the ability to process far more complicated data. The trick to making this technological leap is getting DNA, a biological material, to work with electronics. A team led by Penn State researchers has figured out how to bridge the wide compatibility gap.

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Feb 11, 2026

Flipping and reversing mini-proteins could improve disease treatment

For the microbe that gives rise to tuberculosis, a team of researchers from Penn State and The University of Minnesota Medical School found that a potential solution may be chemically changing the structure of a naturally occurring peptide — a building block of proteins — to make it a more stable and effective antimicrobial agent, while reducing potential toxicity to human cells.

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Oct 28, 2025

Modern methods in biological research course to be offered in spring 2026

Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences core facilities are offering a new course for spring 2026, Modern Methods in Biological Research, for upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students studying in the life sciences.

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Oct 06, 2025

Core facilities open house welcomes new researchers

More than 120 researchers attended the first-ever Huck Core Facilities Open House last month, which featured informational posters, opportunities to talk with facilities staff, and even some interactive demonstrations.

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When the sidechain bases guanine (G) and uracil (U) are paired in the 3D structure of a molecule of ribonucleic acid (RNA) the unusual pairing creates an unusual molecular conformation called a “wobble," pictured on the left. New research shows that non-covalent modifications to the bases can further alter the conformation creating a “shifted wobble," shown on the right. This conformational diversity could help explain RNAs function versatility, according to the researchers. Credit: Md Sharear Saon/Bevilacqua Lab / Penn State. Creative Commons

Sep 09, 2025

Unusual molecular conformation could help explain RNA’s versatility

Researchers at Penn State developed methods to identify and characterize modifications to ribonucleic acid, or RNA, structure that could alter the molecule’s function and serve as unique drug targets.

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Jul 30, 2024

Craig Praul named director of Huck Core Facilities

Joining Praul on the new leadership team are Rajeswaran Mani, director of the Flow Cytometry Facility, and financial specialist Kelly Foster.

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Jan 26, 2024

Undergraduate research may contribute to COVID-19 treatments

Brandywine undergraduates worked with professor to investigate potential new therapies to inhibit an enzyme that helps the coronavirus replicate

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Jan 17, 2022

Core facilities director brings more than technical advice to research

Directors of the core facilities at Penn State’s Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences are more than expert technicians — they are also researchers in their own right. And though their unique contributions are not always consistently recognized within the broader community, faculty researchers who work in the core facilities are well aware of these unsung heroes' many impressive insights.

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Nov 06, 2018

Partnership announced between Commonwealth Campuses and shared facilities

The Office of the Vice President for Research at Penn State has announced the launch of a new program to support increased usage of shared core facilities and services by faculty at the Commonwealth Campuses.

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