News
May 17, 2021
What makes plant cell walls both strong and extensible?
A plant cell wall’s unique ability to expand without weakening or breaking — a quality required for plant growth — is due to the movement of its cellulose skeleton, according to new research that models the cell wall.
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May 12, 2021
CRISPR/Cas technology could enable early diagnosis of devastating citrus disease
Penn State and U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists have used cutting-edge CRISPR/Cas technology to develop a diagnostic test that could enable early diagnosis of citrus greening, or Huanglongbing, a serious disease that threatens worldwide citrus production.
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May 03, 2021
Mutant corn gene boosts sugar in seeds, leaves, may lead to breeding better crop
An abnormal build up of carbohydrates — sugars and starches — in the kernels and leaves of a mutant line of corn can be traced to one misregulated gene, and that discovery offers clues about how the plant deals with stress.
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Apr 22, 2021
Little crop of horrors
An international team of researchers has received a grant from the Human Frontier Science Program to investigate how carnivory-related genes, such as those involved in digestion, could help crops not only avoid pests, but also thrive in low-nutrient environments.
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Apr 22, 2021
Plant Biology Students Help Solve Mystery of Turfgrass "Memory"
Poa annua, or annual bluegrass, a turfgrass species commonly found on golf course putting greens around the world, possesses transgenerational memory, “remembering” whether its parent was mowed or not mowed, according to a new study by Penn State researchers.
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Apr 09, 2021
New position will support graduate and post-graduate training
Donna Korzick, professor of physiology and kinesiology, recently assumed a new role as director of graduate training initiatives in the Huck Institutes for the Life Sciences. In this role, Korzick is dedicating half of her time to support the application for and execution of training grants from organizations like the National Institutes of Health.
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Apr 09, 2021
Plant Biology alumna receives humanitarian award
Plant Biology graduate program alumna Amelia Henry has received the Graduate School Alumni Society Humanitarian Award. This award recognizes an alumnus/alumna holding a graduate degree from Penn State who has made a positive societal impact on the welfare of humankind beyond the responsibilities of one’s profession.
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Mar 25, 2021
Three Huck Students Collect Grad School Awards
Two students from the intercollegiate graduate degree program in plant biology and one from ecology have been named among the recipients of prestigious 2020-21 Penn State Graduate School awards.
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Mar 08, 2021
New Appointments to Build on Excellence in Graduate Training
Two familiar faces within the Huck's graduate program system will be adding new roles to support the Institutes' portfolio of extramurally-funded programs.
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Feb 18, 2021
Silencing the alarm
An enzyme in the saliva of certain insects prevents their food plants from warning neighboring plants of an attack.
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