Plant Biology News | Plant Biology | The Huck Institutes (en-US)

Study co-first author Alayna Mead, postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, stands among Torrey pine trees in southern California. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Jun 03, 2025

Isolated Torrey pine populations yield insights into genetic diversity

Researchers find a few genes that allowed trees from insular populations to adapt to local conditions may inhibit their adjustment long term to a new location.

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Jun 02, 2025

Huck opens search for Associate Director for Graduate Education

The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences is seeking an innovative Penn State faculty member with a strong background in interdisciplinary life sciences research and a passion for teaching and mentoring graduate students to join our Huck leadership team as an Associate Director for Graduate Education.

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Apr 29, 2025

HGSAC prepares for largest Life Sciences Symposium yet

The Life Sciences Symposium, organized by the Huck Graduate Student Advisory Committee (HGSAC), is set to showcase student research on May 23.

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This study is the first to scientifically document use of ghost pipe in North America, along with the growing influence of social media and the internet on how and why people are turning to ghost pipe as a medicinal plant. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Apr 25, 2025

Traditional forest medicinal plant ghost pipe used differently today

Driven by the internet and social media, consumption of a strange white plant known as ghost pipe is enjoying a resurgence — but with a twist.

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A survey of fruit growers last year revealed that 95% were eager to explore drone spraying technology, citing increased efficiency, labor savings and improved soil health as key benefits. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Apr 25, 2025

Are drones the future of tree fruit production? Researchers investigate

A team of researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is addressing the growing interest among tree fruit growers in Pennsylvania and the Northeast in adopting drone-based spraying systems for high-density apple and peach orchards.

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Credit: bergamont/Getty Images. All Rights Reserved.

Apr 23, 2025

How do you like them apples? Apple genus evolution revealed

A new comparison and analysis of the genomes of species in the genus Malus, which includes the domesticated apple and its wild relatives, revealed the evolutionary relationships among the species and how their genomes have evolved over the past nearly 60 million years.

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The study found that increased salt content in tomato plants reduces fruitworm caterpillar feeding and limits the number of eggs that moths lay on these plants. Credit: Sahil Pawar. All Rights Reserved.

Apr 16, 2025

Feeling salty? Increased salt stress reduces tomato pest activity

Increased soil salinity can reduce damage from prominent tomato pests such as the tomato fruitworm, according to researchers at Penn State. They published their findings in the Journal of Plant, Cell and Environment.

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Apr 07, 2025

Forty-two graduate students recognized with University awards

Annual awards celebrate graduate students' impact in research, scholarship, teaching, outreach and more.

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In a recent study, a team of researchers led by Penn State scientists tested a new hypothesis for why some species of butterflies and moths have very specific diets, feeding on only a few types of plants, while others are far less picky. Credit: Nick Sloff / Penn State. Creative Commons

Apr 04, 2025

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

In a recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, an international team of researchers tested a new hypothesis for why some Lepidoptera have very specific diets, feeding on only a few types of plants, while others are far less picky.

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‘Microbial Me’ brings the invisible world of microbes through visual art, showcasing the ecosystems on our skin through a series of agar sculptures displaying bacteria. By casting her own face and swabbing the bacteria, Monsoon encourages viewers to reflect on the microorganisms present on their own skin. Credit: Mellissa Monsoon. All Rights Reserved.

Mar 18, 2025

BioArtist Mellissa Monsoon to present 'Collaborating with Microbes'

The One Health Microbiome Center and College of Arts and Architecture are co-hosting three events as part of a multi-year SciArt collaboration.

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