News | The Huck Institutes (en-US)

Apr 25, 2019

Food Scientist Kovac Receives Young Investigator Award

Jasna Kovac, assistant professor of food science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, recently was named recipient of the Institut Merieux Young Investigator Award in Antimicrobial Resistance from the International Association for Food Protection.

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The virus SW1 is carried by cells so that related bacteria may recognize other SW1 carriers and kill bacteria that do not have the virus, giving bacteria with SW1 a competitive advantage when foraging for food. IMAGE: SOOYEON SONG AND MISSY HAZEN/PENN STATE

Apr 25, 2019

Bacteria uses viral weapon against other bacteria

Bacterial cells use both a virus — traditionally thought to be an enemy — and a prehistoric viral protein to kill other bacteria that competes with it for food according to an international team of researchers who believe this has potential implications for future infectious disease treatment.

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White-throated sparrows are among the best-studied North American songbirds. With a typical wingspan of 6 to 7 inches, it breeds primarily in northern boreal coniferous and mixed forests and, a short-distance migrant, winters mainly in the southeastern U.S. To make these migrations, the bird's body changes significantly. IMAGE: PAUL BARTELL / PENN STATE

Apr 24, 2019

Songbird-body changes that allow migration may have human health implications

Songbirds that pack on as much as 50 percent of their body weight before migrating and that sleep very little, exhibit altered immune system and tissue-repair function during the journey, which may hold implications for human health, according to Penn State researchers.

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Apr 24, 2019

Ehau-Taumaunu awarded newly established Phytobiomes Fellowship

Hanareia Ehau-Taumaunu, doctoral candidate in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been selected as the recipient of the Phytobiomes Fellowship for the 2019-20 academic year.

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A new sensor changes its fluorescence when it binds to lanthanides (Ln), rare earth metals used in smartphones and other technologies, potentially providing a more efficient and cost-effective way to detect these elusive metals. IMAGE: COTRUVO LAB, PENN STATE

Apr 23, 2019

New sensor detects rare metals used in smartphones

A more efficient and cost-effective way to detect lanthanides, the rare earth metals used in smartphones and other technologies, could be possible with a new protein-based sensor that changes its fluorescence when it binds to these metals. A team of researchers from Penn State developed the sensor from a protein they recently described and subsequently used it to explore the biology of bacteria that use lanthanides. A study describing the sensor appears online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

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Apr 19, 2019

NIH Trainees Juan Cerda and Catherine Douds Receive NSF-GRFP Honorable Mentions

Juan Cerda and Catherine Douds, both members of NIH-sponsored training programs overseen by the Huck Institutes, were recognized for their promising research ideas.

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Apr 17, 2019

Bootcamp for Science Entrepreneurs To Run May 13-17

"The Business of Science" is a week-long opportunity for grad students and postdocs considering nontraditional careers. Applicants must register by April 29, 2019.

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Apr 17, 2019

Feiyue Lu Wins Simpson Award for Innovative Research

MCIBS student Feiyue Lu's research into RNA in Drosophila flies was recognized for its complexity, scope, and difficulty.

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Apr 15, 2019

Five Huck Researchers Among Winners at Grad Student Awards

A quintet of Huck doctoral candidates were recognized for excellence in their studies and collaborations within and outside of Penn State.

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Apr 11, 2019

New SCATTIRSTORM microscope could improve bioenergy production

The construction of a new multimodal optical microscope, SCATTIRSTORM, that could enable more efficient bioenergy production, is the focus of a three-year, $1.5 million, U.S. Department of Energy grant awarded to three Penn State researchers.

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