News | The Huck Institutes (en-US)

Oct 13, 2023

Females less likely to heal from ACL injuries than males

A study using an animal model is the first to examine tissue healing following chronic overuse injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament. Females also are less able to heal from these microtraumas than males.

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Oct 12, 2023

Honey bees may inherit altruistic behavior from their mothers

True altruism is rare behavior in animals, but a new study by Penn State researchers has found that honey bees display this trait. Additionally, they found that an evolutionary battle of genetics may determine the parent they inherit it from.

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Oct 09, 2023

Climate-driven extreme heat may make parts of Earth too hot for humans

If global temperatures increase by 1 degree Celsius (C) or more than current levels, each year billions of people will be exposed to heat and humidity so extreme they will be unable to naturally cool themselves.

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Oct 08, 2023

Podcast explores impacts of inter-species microbial interactions

Over the past two decades, scientists have discovered that all multicellular life forms on Earth, including human beings, play host to a multitude of microorganisms.

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A new method for selecting aptamers, or "chemical antibodies," created by Penn State engineers takes only days to complete, instead of the months typically needed for traditional methods. Credit: Kate Myers/Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 06, 2023

Novel hydrogel finds new aptamers, or ‘chemical antibodies,’ in days

One double-helix strand of DNA could extend six feet, but it is so tightly coiled that it packs an entire sequence of nucleotides into the tiny nucleus of a cell. If that same DNA was instead split into two strands and divided into many, many short pieces, it would become trillions of uniquely folded 3D molecular structures, capable of bonding to and possibly manipulating specifically shaped molecules — if they’re the perfect fit.

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Nikki Crowley, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Neurobiology and Neural Engineering and assistant professor of biology and of biomedical engineering, with her son after receiving the Women to Watch: Class of 2023 award as part of the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts’ Women in STEAM Awards. Credit: Nikki Crowley. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 06, 2023

Nikki Crowley honored with Women in STEAM Award by the Whitaker Center

Nikki Crowley, Huck Early Career Chair in Neurobiology and Neural Engineering and assistant professor of biology and of biomedical engineering, has been named among Women to Watch: Class of 2023 as part of the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts’ Women in STEAM Awards.

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Oct 04, 2023

Ruffed grouse population more resilient than expected, genetic study finds

Despite decades of decline, a genetic analysis of ruffed grouse reveals that Pennsylvania’s state bird harbors more genetic diversity and connectivity than expected.

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Oct 03, 2023

Girirajan named T. Ming Chu Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Santhosh Girirajan, professor and interim head of the Penn State Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has been named the T. Ming Chu Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

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Oct 01, 2023

Gugino to enhance impact of agricultural research in new role in Ag Sciences

A longtime faculty member and research leader in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will serve in the newly created role of associate director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station.

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Sep 29, 2023

Liana Burghardt named new Director of Center for Root and Rhizosphere Biology

Assistant Professor of Plant Science Liana Burghardt is serving as the new Director of the Center for Root and Rhizosphere Biology, replacing outgoing director Jonathan Lynch, distinguished professor of plant nutrition.

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