News
Feb 24, 2026
Borrowing from biology to power next-gen data storage
DNA, the genetic blueprints in every living organism, is nature’s most efficient storage mechanism, capable of storing about 215 million gigabytes of data per gram. That storage capacity, if applied to electronics, could enable significantly more efficient data centers, speedier data processing and the ability to process far more complicated data. The trick to making this technological leap is getting DNA, a biological material, to work with electronics. A team led by Penn State researchers has figured out how to bridge the wide compatibility gap.
Full Article
Feb 20, 2026
Stretchy plastics conduct electricity via tiny, whisker-like fibers
A stretchy, conductive type of plastic could help power the next generation of implantable biomedical devices, like longer-lasting pacemakers or glucose monitors, according to Enrique Gomez, professor of chemical engineering at Penn State.
Full Article
Feb 18, 2026
Plant-based material offers sustainable method of recovering rare earth element
A team led by researchers at Penn State used a plant-based material to separate and recover dysprosium, a heavy rare earth element used in industrial manufacturing, from other rare earth elements. According to the researchers, the approach is environmentally friendly, as well as more sustainable and efficient than other commercial approaches.
Full Article
Feb 17, 2026
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
Feb 17, 2026
Penn State names 14 new distinguished professors for 2026
Penn State's Office of Faculty Affairs has named 14 new distinguished professors for 2026. The distinguished professor or distinguished librarian title recognizes outstanding academic contribution to the University. This special academic title is bestowed upon a limited number of professors who are leaders in their fields of research or creative activity and who have demonstrated significant accomplishments with respect to teaching, research or creative activity, and service.
Full Article
Feb 16, 2026
Penn State town hall addresses factors affecting research
Nearly 1,000 members of the Penn State research community joined a hybrid town hall meeting led by Senior Vice President for Research Andrew Read that addressed federal policies affecting research, Penn State’s research goals and included a live Q&A
Full Article
Feb 16, 2026
Huck SciArt team’s ‘BioMachine’ installed at Penn State Harrisburg
'BioMachine,' a large-scale multimedia art installation bringing together science, research and creative expression to explore the role of viruses in everyday life, has been installed for a long-term engagement at Penn State Harrisburg.
Full Article
Feb 11, 2026
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
Feb 11, 2026
Flipping and reversing mini-proteins could improve disease treatment
For the microbe that gives rise to tuberculosis, a team of researchers from Penn State and The University of Minnesota Medical School found that a potential solution may be chemically changing the structure of a naturally occurring peptide — a building block of proteins — to make it a more stable and effective antimicrobial agent, while reducing potential toxicity to human cells.
Full Article
Feb 10, 2026
Too many saturated fats may be more harmful than too many refined carbohydrates
In recent years, many media reports and social media influencers have emphasized the dangers of eating too many carbohydrates. Though a carbohydrate-heavy diet can be harmful, consuming too many fats may cause more health problems, according to a study in mice led by researchers in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences.
Full Article