Microbiome Center News | One Health Microbiome Center

Flies play a crucial role as pollinators, second only to bees in terms of the volume of crops and habitat they pollinate. Pictured here is a blue fly pollinating common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). Credit: Martha B. Moss/Penn State Extension Master Gardener / Penn State. Creative Commons

Jan 02, 2025

Pollinators most vulnerable to rising global temperatures are flies, study shows

New research led by Penn State scientists suggests flies are increasingly at risk due to rising global temperatures.

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A led by Penn State researchers compared two treatments for a common uterine infection, called clinical metritis, that can lead to serious health problems for dairy cows. One treatment was based on antibiotics and the other was not. Both treatments had a similar clinical cure rate in mild cases of the disease. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Jan 02, 2025

New treatment for dairy cows could help fight antibiotic resistance, study finds

A concentrated sugar solution could be just as effective as antibiotics at treating a common infection in dairy cows, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State.

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Credit: Dina Constantinides. All Rights Reserved.

Dec 11, 2024

The stories that defined 2024 for the One Health Microbiome Center at Penn State

The One Health Microbiome Center has grown, and 2024’s most popular articles below highlight the determination and innovative research by Center members in the gut microbiome, nutritional sciences, food science and agriculture, in addition to headlines featuring partnerships and internships paving the way for future success.

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Nov 15, 2024

Q&A: How do microbiomes influence the study of life?

Microorganisms — bacteria, viruses and other tiny life forms — may drive biological variation in visible life as much, if not more, than genetic mutations, creating new lineages and even new species of animals and plants, according to Seth Bordenstein, director of Penn State’s One Health Microbiome Center within the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences.

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The oral microbiome differs with lifestyle, according to a new study led by Penn State biologists. The research team gathered saliva samples from Nepali people over a range of subsistence strategies— from nomadic hunter gatherers to farmers to industrialized groups. Credit: Aashish Jha/New York University Abu Dhabi. All Rights Reserved.

Nov 06, 2024

Microbes in mouth reflect lifestyle choices

New study in Nepal reveals that oral microbiomes differ among traditional foragers, agriculturalists and industrialists, and with behaviors like smoking and diet

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Oct 30, 2024

Kantor appointed to the executive board of the Society of Nematologists

Mihail Kantor, assistant research professor of nematology, has been appointed to the executive board of the Society of Nematologists (SON). A nonprofit, international organization dedicated to advancing the science of nematology in its fundamental and economic aspects, SON is the highest professional organization for nematology and fosters knowledge across all areas of nematology.

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"LEED, Uncertified" (2023), Johanna Beam and Marianna Renda. Credit: Tess Dubler. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 22, 2024

Exhibition to showcase art and science collaborations

"Synergies in Art and Science," an art exhibition showcasing collaborations at the intersection of microbial science and artistic innovation, will be on display at the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture's Borland Project Space, located in 125 Borland Building, from Oct. 28 to Nov 15.

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The researchers collected 58 bulk tank milk samples and applied various AI algorithms to differentiate between baseline samples and those representing potential anomalies, such as milk from an outside farm or milk containing antibiotics. Credit: SeanShot/Getty Images. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 11, 2024

AI decodes microbes’ message in milk safety testing approach

By combining the genetic sequencing and analysis of the microbes in a milk sample with artificial intelligence (AI), researchers were able to detect anomalies in milk production, such as contamination or unauthorized additives.

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Penn State students completed a variety of internship experiences in summer 2024. A few of them include (clockwise from top left): Conducting microbiome research at QIAGEN headquarters in Hilden, Germany; working as a manufacturing intern on the H-47 Chinook program at Boeing; working with Sunoco LP in the race fuels department; updating firmware and reworking software at Lengrand; writing for the Centre County Gazette; broadcasting at CNN, a business unit of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.; and learning restaurant performance insights at Chick-Fil-A. The photo gallery below provides more details on these and many other recent internship experiences of Penn State students. Credit: Photos provided. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 02, 2024

In photos: Internships prepare students for career success

The following photo gallery showcases a few of the numerous internship opportunities that Penn State students from various colleges and campuses can pursue.

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While the findings are preliminary, the work is a promising first step in finding new therapies against tuberculosis, according to the researchers. Credit: Mathias Katz/Unsplash. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 02, 2024

Plant compound used in traditional medicine may help fight tuberculosis

A compound found in African wormwood — a plant used medicinally for thousands of years to treat many types of illness — could be effective against tuberculosis.

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