News

Huck Institutes seek new Associate Directors for positions in science leadership

The Huck Institutes wish to appoint a series of new Associate Directors to work with the management team and help in developing new initiatives.

Even zombies need an agent

While unraveling a dramatic case of mind control, biologist David Hughes brought the real science behind zombies to the big-screen Hollywood blockbuster "World War Z."

How does oil affect corals?

By the time a coral exposed to oil shows signs of sickness, it may already be close to death. That's why Huck Institutes affiliate Iliana Baums is investigating the use of molecular tools to detect signs of stress in corals before they become ill and to determine just how much oil is lethal to corals.

Researchers to focus on factors affecting forest regeneration

Over the next several years, Penn State researchers including Huck Institutes affiliate Duane Diefenbach in the College of Agricultural Sciences will study factors affecting forest regeneration in Pennsylvania.

Rescuing honey bee hives

Honey bee colonies are collapsing in record numbers, and Penn State entomologists -- including Huck Institutes affiliate Christina Grozinger -- are leading the pack of researchers scrambling to figure out why.

David Hughes consulted in production of post-apocalyptic video game "The Last of Us"

Sony and video game developer Naughty Dog have consulted Huck Institutes affiliate David Hughes in making their new PlayStation game "The Last of Us," set in a post-apocalyptic world brought on by a Cordyceps-type fungus pandemic.

Mosquito behavior may be immune response, not parasite manipulation

What appears to be parasite manipulation may simply be part of malaria-carrying mosquitoes' immune response, according to a group of Penn State entomologists including Huck Institutes affiliates Lauren Cator, Simon Blanford, Courtney Murdock, Tom Baker, Andrew Read, and Matt Thomas.

Getting to the bottom of the zombie ant phenomenon

While unraveling a dramatic case of mind control, Huck Institutes affiliate David Hughes is taking calls from Hollywood and gaining new insights into the role behavior plays in spreading disease.

In honor of Lloyd Huck: the Huck Fellowship brings exceptional young scientist-scholars to the Huck Institutes and Penn State

The inaugural Lloyd Huck Fellows and the chairs of the Huck Institutes' Ecology, Molecular Medicine, Plant Biology, and Physiology graduate programs discuss the privilege and possibilities conferred by the Huck Fellowship.

Fighting fire with fire

Research by Huck Institutes affiliate Alan Taylor focuses on whether suppressing naturally occurring wildfires increases the possibility of their eventually becoming severe.