Core Facilities News

Keep up with the latest news for Huck Core Facilities

New images of the SIRT6 sirtuin enzyme — which regulates aging and other metabolic processes — help explain how it is able to access genetic material within the cell. This cryo-electron microscopy map shows the enzyme in complex with the nucleosome, a tightly packed complex of DNA and proteins called histones. Credit: Song Tan lab / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

April 14, 2023

How does an aging-associated enzyme access our genetic material?

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

February 09, 2023

DNA stuck in the gears of the RNA production machine

Andrew Patterson and Jonathan Lynch in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences were recognized recently as highly cited researchers. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

January 12, 2023

Two College of Ag Sciences faculty among highly cited researchers in 2022

Several types of techniques are utilized at Penn State’s Flow Cytometry Facility to analyze various parts and processes of cells, according to Mani. Some of these techniques include, immunophenotyping, cell cycle/DNA ploidy analysis, apoptosis assays, imaging flow cytometry, and cell sorting. Credit: iStock. All Rights Reserved.

November 02, 2022

Flow Cytometry Core Facility provides cell analysis expertise to scientists

September 02, 2022

Metabolomics Core Facility continues to expand while pushing scientific bounds

February 25, 2022

Microscopy director propagates new discoveries and new scientists

Neela Yennawar, director of the X-Ray Crystallography and the Automated Biological Calorimetry, Penn State Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

January 13, 2022

Core facilities director brings more than technical advice to research

Leadership teams from Gamma Biosciences and BioMagnetic Solutions visit Penn State, November 2021

December 14, 2021

Biotech company selects Innovation Park for expansion

August 23, 2021

Here and Now: Hayes Ready to Lead Center of Excellence in Industrial Biotechnology into the Next Phase of Impact

Cryo-STEM imagery showing the structural and chemical evolution of silicon and the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer. After the 36th cycle to the 100th cycle the silicon nanowire expands and becomes irregular, mingling with the SEI to form a soft composite structure. IMAGE: JENNIFER M. MCCANN

July 29, 2021

Novel method of imaging silicon anode degradation may lead to better batteries

Person holding a face mask.

July 16, 2021

Penn State’s Biotechnology Community Overcomes COVID-19 Challenges

The researchers discovered that a location on canine parvovirus (CPV) where dog antibodies bind — called an antibody binding site — overlaps with a location on CPV where the virus attaches to cells — called a receptor binding site — in a fashion that is similar to SARS CoV-2 and influenza viruses. As a result, when antibodies attach to this antibody binding site on the virus, they prevent the virus from then attaching to and infecting cells. The image shows an antibody attached to CPV. IMAGE: PENN STATE

June 01, 2021

New images of canine parvovirus may help predict how virus jumps to new species

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