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The researchers simulated corn production in 38,572 locations under the six nuclear war scenarios of increasing severity. Because of the crop’s global significance, the researchers chose to model corn’s collapse in a nuclear winter to represent the expected fate of agriculture overall. Credit: crisserbug/Getty Images. All Rights Reserved.

Simulating the unthinkable: Models show nuclear winter food production plunge

A team led by researchers at Penn State have modeled precisely how various nuclear winter scenarios could impact global production of corn — the most widely planted grain crop in the world.

Matt Langland, who recently graduated from Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in environmental resource management, examines salt-encrusted soils in New Mexico's migratory bird habitats. Credit: Contributed photo. All Rights Reserved.

College of Ag Sciences grant program supports student learning, experiences

A grant program in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences aims to enhance student learning by empowering faculty and students to design immersive, hands-on projects that bridge classroom knowledge with real-world partnerships.

Credit: Keith Hickey / Penn State. Creative Commons

Optical tweezers help elevate single-molecule research at Penn State

The instrument, supported by a new NIH infrastructure grant, uses laser light to ‘tweeze’ tiny objects like DNA molecules and proteins.

What if Pennsylvania apples disappeared?

Penn State’s fruit tree task force helps farmers protect both their harvest and their future. From hands-on support to innovative blossom-thinning techniques, the work of Penn State researchers and educators is vital for the success of agriculture across the commonwealth.  

Study first author Maureen Kahiu, who earned her master’s degree from Penn State with this research project, maneuvers a light box on a research fairway, used to take closeup photos of turfgrass damage resulting from fungicides that golf course managers use to suppress diseases such as dollar spot. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Fungicides intended to suppress turfgrass diseases may damage fairways

Golf course managers have much more insight into which fungicides to use to suppress turfgrass diseases, such as the common and costly dollar spot disease, without damaging the grass on their fairways, thanks to a new study by researchers at Penn State.

Credit: Dani Zemba / Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

Lab Bench to Commercialization program broadens its scope

Eberly College of Science seed grant program to shift emphasis to earlier development of research, focusing on societal impact and career readiness.

The study's findings could be used to help inform precision agriculture approaches to help conservation efforts, the researchers said. Credit: Freestocks/Unsplash. All Rights Reserved.

Warmer spots within fields have more blooms and more bees

Climate can vary across large areas of land, but it also can vary within much smaller areas such as farms. A new study by researchers at Penn State examined whether these microclimates — the climate of a very small or restricted area — affect pollination by both wild and managed bees and resulting wild blueberry yields.

From left are: Jill Hamilton, Wenrui Hao and Gustavo Nader Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Huck announces 2025-26 Leadership Fellows

Three faculty members, representing three different Penn State colleges, have been named Huck Leadership Fellows for the 2025-26 academic year.

More than 30 researchers from seven Penn State colleges received seed funding from the Institute of Energy and the Environment to advance innovative, early-stage work addressing critical energy and environmental challenges. Credit: Brenna Buck. All Rights Reserved.

Ten interdisciplinary research teams awarded IEE seed grants

Ten interdisciplinary research teams have received funding through the Institute of Energy and the Environment’s (IEE) 2025 Seed Grant Program.

Teh-hui Kao, distinguished professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and chair of the plant biology intercollege graduate degree program, speaks with prospective students at a recruiting event on Jan. 19, 2024. Credit: Keith Hickey / Penn State. Creative Commons

Kao steps down as plant biology graduate program chair

Teh-hui Kao, distinguished professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, has stepped down as chair of the Intercollege Graduate Degree Program (IGDP) in Plant Biology after 26 years in the role.