Featured Stories
Penn State biochemist Denise Okafor awarded 2026 Sloan Research Fellowship
Denise Okafor, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and of chemistry and Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biophysics at Penn State, has been honored with 2026 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship. Awarded annually since 1955, the fellowship honors extraordinary researchers whose creativity, innovation and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of scientific leaders.
Full Article
Skeleton ‘gatekeeper’ lining brain cells could guard against Alzheimer’s
Brain cells are constantly swallowing material from the fluid that surrounds them — signaling molecules, nutrients, even pieces of their own surfaces — in a process known as endocytosis that is essential for learning, memory and basic neural upkeep. New research by Penn State scientists has revealed this vital process may be governed by a previously unknown molecular gatekeeper: a lattice‑like structure just beneath the surface of neurons called the membrane‑associated periodic skeleton.
Full Article
Domestication has changed the chemicals squash flowers use to attract bees
In a new study published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, a team led by researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences found that domesticated flowers have different scent chemical profiles than wild plants in several species of squash. Additionally, the specialized pollinators of these plants—squash bees—detect different compounds, called floral volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in wild plants that they co-evolved with than in domesticated plants.
Full Article
News
May 05, 2026
Dipanjan Pan named Huck director for innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems
Penn State’s Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences has named Dipanjan Pan, Dorothy Foehr Huck & J. Lloyd Huck Chair Professor in Nanomedicine and professor of materials science and engineering and of nuclear engineering, to serve as the Huck’s first director for innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
May 05, 2026
How can the same genetic mutation lead to different clinical outcomes?
Individuals that share the same deletion of a portion of chromosome 16 are at risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders, but some experience severe intellectual disability or developmental delay, while others may only exhibit milder psychiatric features like depression or anxiety. How can this be? To answer this, a team led by Penn State scientists has developed methods to evaluate how genetic variants elsewhere in an individual’s genome work with the deletion to help determine the features that the individual will manifest.
May 04, 2026
Plant genes influence bacterial evolution in legume-bacteria partnership
In a recently published study, Penn State researchers described the complex relationship between plant host genes and rhizobial genes, and how plant genes strongly influence which rhizobial strains plants chose from a diverse mixture.
News
May 05, 2026
Dipanjan Pan named Huck director for innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems
Penn State’s Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences has named Dipanjan Pan, Dorothy Foehr Huck & J. Lloyd Huck Chair Professor in Nanomedicine and professor of materials science and engineering and of nuclear engineering, to serve as the Huck’s first director for innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems.
May 05, 2026
How can the same genetic mutation lead to different clinical outcomes?
Individuals that share the same deletion of a portion of chromosome 16 are at risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders, but some experience severe intellectual disability or developmental delay, while others may only exhibit milder psychiatric features like depression or anxiety. How can this be? To answer this, a team led by Penn State scientists has developed methods to evaluate how genetic variants elsewhere in an individual’s genome work with the deletion to help determine the features that the individual will manifest.
May 04, 2026
Plant genes influence bacterial evolution in legume-bacteria partnership
In a recently published study, Penn State researchers described the complex relationship between plant host genes and rhizobial genes, and how plant genes strongly influence which rhizobial strains plants chose from a diverse mixture.
Apr 28, 2026
Q&A: What should women do to keep their bones healthy?
One in 10 Americans experience osteoporosis, which significantly weakens bones and makes them more prone to fracture. Women comprise 80% of people with osteoporosis, and women approaching or in menopause are at the highest risk, according to Mary Jane De Souza, distinguished professor of kinesiology and physiology. De Souza explained that May serves as both Osteoporosis Awareness Month and Women’s Health Month, making it the ideal time for both women and men to learn how to maintain healthy bones for as long as possible.
Events
Wednesday May
06
Multiscale imaging of neuronal cytoskeleton by cryo-ET and simulation
Monthly CryoEM User Group Meeting
Center for Structural Biology
Thursday May
07
Symposium for Reproductive Health and Aging
Center for Reproductive Biology and Health
Wednesday May
13
2026 One Health Microbiome Symposium
Microbiome Center
Events
Wednesday May
06
Multiscale imaging of neuronal cytoskeleton by cryo-ET and simulation
Monthly CryoEM User Group Meeting
Center for Structural Biology
Thursday May
07
Symposium for Reproductive Health and Aging
Center for Reproductive Biology and Health
Wednesday May
13
2026 One Health Microbiome Symposium
Microbiome Center
Friday May
15
2026 Center for RNA Molecular Biology Symposium
Center for RNA Molecular Biology