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Sahil Pawar, a doctoral candidate in entomology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, studies how soil salinity, drought and climate change influence the interactions between crops and the pests that feed on them. Credit: Contributed photo. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 30, 2025

Salty soil, scrappy bugs and shared ideas drive graduate student’s research

Sahil Pawar says that tackling the world’s agricultural challenges is not a task for one person — it requires a collective effort. That grounded view shapes the early-career entomologist’s research, which examines how environmental stressors, such as soil salinity, drought and climate change, influence the interactions between crops and the pests that feed on them.

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$A new study involving about 850,000 adults across six continental ancestries, has identified 13 genes associated with obesity across ancestries. While eight of these genes had been found in previous studies, five were identified for the first time, having no previous links to obesity. The colors of the DNA helix in the image represent ancestral difference in genetic background around the world. The black figures represent people who do not carry gene mutations found to be associated with obesity while the red figures carry them. The fraction of red and black figures highlights the differences in genetic mutations across the world. Credit: Deepro Banerjee, Girirajan Laboratory / Penn State. Creative Commons$

Oct 30, 2025

Genes associated with obesity shared across ancestries, researchers find

A new study from Penn State involving nearly 850,000 adults across six continental ancestries has identified 13 genes linked to obesity, including five never before connected to the condition. The findings provide new insight into how genetics influence obesity and related diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and heart failure.

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A team of researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and the Allen Institute for Brain Science has produced new detailed brain growth atlas in mice offers insights into brain development. Credit: Courtesy of the Kim Lab / Penn State. Creative Commons

Oct 29, 2025

New detailed brain growth atlas in mice offers insights into brain development

A team of researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and the Allen Institute for Brain Science has produced new detailed brain growth atlas in mice offers insights into brain development.

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Oct 28, 2025

Modern methods in biological research course to be offered in spring 2026

Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences core facilities are offering a new course for spring 2026, Modern Methods in Biological Research, for upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students studying in the life sciences.

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Erica Smithwick is a distinguished professor of geography in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Credit: Provided. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 27, 2025

Erica Smithwick to participate in panel on communicating climate research

Erica Smithwick, the director of the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute at Penn State, will join three other climate scholars at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29, for a virtual panel event on communication.

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Entomologists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences examined the potential for birds to feed on spotted lanternflies. Credit: Anne Johnson / Penn State. Creative Commons

Oct 27, 2025

Spotted lanternfly may use ‘toxic shield’ to fend off bird predators

Spotted lanternflies may season themselves to the distaste of potential bird predators, according to a new study led by entomologists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

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Feral hogs, like this one pictured in a Louisiana swamp, were an animal mentioned in a new study that analyzed over half a million tweets to understand how the public talks about invasive species. Other frequently mentioned animals included cats, dogs, squirrels, goats, rats and horses. Credit: Pedro Mendes/Creative Commons. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 27, 2025

Small group of users drive invasive species awareness on social media

A new study co-authored by a scientist at Penn State analyzed over half a million tweets to understand how the public talks about invasive species — and which accounts are driving the conversation.

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Thomas Wood is investigating a previously overlooked bacterial defense system that can stop viruses in their tracks. Credit: Poornima Tomy/Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 24, 2025

Old dog, new tricks: Prehistoric viruses can be used to defend bacterial cells

Bacteria infected with ‘fossilized’ viruses offer promising defense against antibiotic-resistant viruses, according to researchers.

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Oct 22, 2025

Oct. 24 kicks off 'Plants for the People and the Planet' innovation series

This free seminar series, open to the community at-large, will showcase cutting-edge research and diverse perspectives on how plants can shape a healthier, more sustainable future.

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In a new Q&A with the Penn Stater magazine, Andrew Read, Penn State senior vice president for research, underscores the link between publicly funded basic research and long-term innovation, economic growth and societal benefit — and the very real risks if the pipeline falters. “The Envy of the World” appears in the Penn Stater's November/December 2025 issue and is available online now at pennstatermag.com/read. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Oct 21, 2025

Cuts threaten 'The Envy of the World': Penn Stater magazine interview

Penn State’s long-standing partnerships with federal agencies have helped establish its global research leadership, but that progress could be threatened if crucial funding is reduced, warns Andrew Read, the university’s senior vice president for research.

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