News
Feb 17, 2021
Silencing the alarm
An enzyme in the saliva of certain insects prevents their food plants from warning neighboring plants of an attack.
Full Article
Feb 16, 2021
Three from Eberly College of Science awarded 2021 Sloan Research Fellowships
Three faculty members from the Eberly College of Science have been honored with 2021 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowships in recognition of their research accomplishments. The new Sloan fellows include Maria del Carmen Carmona Benitez, assistant professor of physics; Joseph Cotruvo Jr., Louis Martarano Career Development Professor of Chemistry; and Elizabeth Elacqua, assistant professor of chemistry.
Full Article
Feb 15, 2021
MCIBS Chair Melissa Rolls Wins Leadership Award
Melissa Rolls, who is also the Paul Berg Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Director of the Center for Cellular Dynamics, has been recognized for outstanding leadership of the Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences graduate program.
Full Article
Feb 10, 2021
Researchers awarded $1.5M to create stem cell predictive model
Stem cells are the building blocks of the body, according to Penn State researchers. Though similar to one another at their origins, stem cells take on unique characteristics as they mature, becoming specialized cells throughout the body — such as bone, muscle, ligament, tissue or other organ cells.
Full Article
Feb 10, 2021
Baby food product names may not accurately reflect ingredient amounts
The descriptions on the fronts of infant and toddler food packages may not accurately reflect the actual ingredient amounts, according to new research. The team found that vegetables in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “dark green” category were very likely to appear in the product name, but their average order in the ingredient list was close to fourth.
Full Article
Feb 10, 2021
Friends matter: More sociable giraffes live longer
Adult female giraffes that group together with more of their peers live longer than less sociable individuals, according to a five-year study of giraffes in Tanzania.
Full Article
Feb 09, 2021
Andrew Patterson receives Society of Toxicology Achievement Award
The Society of Toxicology has named Tombros Early Career Professor Andrew Patterson of Penn State as the recipient of its 2021 Achievement Award, recognizing his significant contributions to the field of toxicology within 15 years of obtaining the highest earned degree.
Full Article
Feb 08, 2021
Rebuilding soil microbiomes in high-tunnel agricultural systems focus of study
The presence of high salt and nitrogen concentrations in high- tunnel soils may make it more challenging to rebuild a healthy soil microbiome following a soil-clearing event, according to microbial ecologists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
Full Article
Feb 04, 2021
Unusual DNA folding increases the rates of mutations
DNA sequences that can fold into shapes other than the classic double helix tend to have higher mutation rates than other regions in the human genome. New research by a team of Penn State scientists shows that the elevated mutation rate in these sequences plays a major role in determining regional variation in mutation rates across the genome.
Full Article
Feb 04, 2021
The business of bees
The economic value of insect pollination services is much higher than previously thought in the U.S., new research finds.
Full Article