News

Environment influences ability of bacterium to block malaria transmission

The environment significantly influences whether or not a certain bacterium will block mosquitoes from transmitting malaria, according to Penn State scientists including postdoctoral researcher Courtney Murdock of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics.

Scientific racism's long history mandates caution

Racism as a social and scientific concept is reshaped and reborn periodically through the ages, and according to Huck Institutes affiliate Nina Jablonski both medical and scientific researchers need to be careful that the growth of genomics does not bring about another resurgence of scientific racism.

Asian longhorned beetles pheromone could be used for management

According to an international team of researchers that includes Huck Institutes faculty scientist Kelli Hoover, female Asian longhorned beetles lure males to their locations by laying down sex-specific pheromone trails on tree surfaces, and this finding could lead to the development of a tool to manage these invasive pests.

Coral reef biologist Todd LaJeunesse stars in comic

Cartoonist Adrian Pijoan illustrates a story of conservation research to highlight environmental challenges.

Nanomotors are controlled, for the first time, inside living cells

For the first time, a team of Penn State chemists and engineers including Huck Institutes faculty scientist Tony Jun Huang has placed tiny synthetic motors inside live human cells, propelled them with ultrasonic waves and steered them magnetically.

Wasps use ancient aggression genes to create social groups

Aggression-causing genes appeared early in animal evolution and have maintained their roles for millions of years and across many species, even though animal aggression today varies widely from territorial fighting to setting up social hierarchies, according to a research team that includes Huck Institutes faculty scientist Christina Grozinger.

Three Huck Institutes faculty among eight named distinguished professors

Huck Institutes faculty researchers Ottar Bjornstad, Margherita Cantorna, and Joan Richtsmeier are among the eight Penn State faculty members recently named distinguished professors.

Quantifying the genomic variation of herpes viruses is a crucial step toward a vaccine

A new study by Huck Institutes faculty researcher Moriah Szpara and an international team of scientific collaborators begins the process of quantifying variation between the genomes of all known strains of herpes simplex virus (HSV) a crucial step toward developing an effective vaccine.

Critical protein discovered for healthy cell growth in mammals

A team of researchers including Huck Institutes affiliates Aimin Liu and Gang (Greg) Ning has discovered a protein required for the growth of tiny, but critical, hair-like structures called cilia on cell surfaces.

Will Hancock named American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering fellow

Huck Institutes faculty researcher William Hancock has been named a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).