News | The Huck Institutes (en-US)

Oct 29, 2024

Penn State’s Neurosciences Biorepository expands access to University Park

The Neuroscience Biorepository, a collection of specimens and data housed at the Penn State College of Medicine, will be expanding its availability to researchers at University Park.

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Joseph Cotruvo, Jr., professor of chemistry at Penn State, and Wonseok Choi, a graduate student, have been researching ways to separate rare earth elements using re-engineered bacterial proteins that are found in nature. Credit: Michelle Bixby / Penn State. Creative Commons

Oct 29, 2024

Bacterial protein discovered, engineered to better separate rare earth metals

A newly discovered protein naturally houses an unusual binding site that can differentiate between rare earth elements, and researchers at Penn State have made it even better.

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Jill Arriola, left, and Daniel Guarin collecting cores at the inlet to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, which houses the largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania. Credit: Lisa Emili. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 29, 2024

Microplastics increasing in freshwater, directly related to plastic production

Microplastics have been steadily increasing in freshwater environments for decades and are directly tied to rising global plastic production since the 1950s, according to a new study by an interdisciplinary team of Penn State researchers.

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Reuben Kraft, professor of mechanical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering, is using computational tools — such as mouthguard sensors — to model and predict injury in the human brain. Here, a 3D visualization shows deformation in the brain caused by physical impact during a game of football. Credit: Kraft Lab. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 29, 2024

Research team aims to better understand traumatic brain injuries

Penn State researchers are using computational methods and tools — such as custom mouthguard sensors — to model and predict injury in the human brain.

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Paul Markowski, head of the department of meteorology and atmospheric science at Penn State, presents tornado research at the Penn State-hosted workshop titled "Improving the Prediction and Communication of Weather/Climate Extremes in Africa and the United States." Credit: David Kubarek / Penn State. Creative Commons

Oct 28, 2024

Extreme weather workshop focuses on saving lives worldwide

Experts from across the globe look for options to enhance outcomes for nations most impacted by climate change.

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Researchers developed novel contrast agents that target two proteins implicated in osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease commonly characterized as wear-and-tear arthritis, and imaged the proteins using a photon-counting CT scanner. Here, the green and red are the targeted nanoparticles, while the yellow is adipose tissue. The white is bone and the gray is cartilage. Credit: Provided by the Pan Lab. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 25, 2024

New technique allows technicolor imaging of degenerative joint disease

Photon-counting CT scanner uses novel contrast agents in rats to observe multiple biological processes, revealing evidence of osteoarthritis long before clinical symptoms develop.

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In modern apple production, blossoms must be thinned, so that remaining blooms can reclaim the plant’s resources to grow better fruit. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Oct 25, 2024

Research team gets grant to study precision chemical thinning of apple blossoms

To assist apple producers and mitigate environmental harm, the USDA has awarded a three-year, $601,125 grant to a team of Penn State researchers for the development of a robotic precision spraying system.

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Findings from this study suggest that azolla is food safe and has the potential to safely feed millions of people due to its rapid growth while free-floating on shallow fresh water without the need for nitrogen fertilizers. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Oct 23, 2024

Water fern gains more evidence as safe potential global food insecurity solution

International research points to promise and safety of azolla, a plant that can double its biomass in two days and capture nitrogen from the air.

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Credit: Sean Anthony Eddy/Getty Images. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 23, 2024

Re-engineered, blue light-activated immune cells penetrate and kill solid tumors

A team led by researchers from the Penn State College of Medicine has re-engineered immune cells so that they can penetrate and kill solid tumors grown in the lab.

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Study lead author Danielle Begley-Miller and a colleague collecting information about the number and height of tree seedlings at a research plot. Credit: Michael Antonishak. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 22, 2024

Deer, seedlings and soil pH influence local forest regeneration

New findings from long-term research underscore the challenges managers face when trying to conserve Penn’s Woods.

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