News
Feb 27, 2023
Rare insect found at Arkansas Walmart sets historic record, prompts mystery
A giant insect plucked from the façade of an Arkansas Walmart has set historic records. The Polystoechotes punctata or giant lacewing is the first of its kind recorded in eastern North America in over 50 years — and the first record of the species ever in the state.
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Feb 27, 2023
New predictive models developed for bacterial diversity of soils
A new set of quantitative models that incorporates pH into the metabolic theory of ecology (MTE) has been developed by an international team that includes Penn State assistant professor of plant science Francisco Dini-Andreote.
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Feb 24, 2023
Processing, like fermentation and roasting, doesn’t cut cocoa’s health benefits
It is widely believed that when foods undergo processing, their health benefits are reduced. But that is not true for cocoa, according to a Penn State-led team of researchers, who conducted a new study using a mouse model.
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Feb 23, 2023
McGraw elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology
Elizabeth "Beth" McGraw, professor and department head of biology and Huck Scholar in Entomology at Penn State, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.
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Feb 23, 2023
Nobel Prize-winning Penn State alumnus Paul Berg dies
Penn State alumnus Paul Berg, who received the 1980 Nobel Prize in chemistry, died Feb. 15 at his home in Stanford, California, surrounded by loved ones. He was 96.
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Feb 22, 2023
Superhydrophobic biosensor could measure sweat vapors on the body
Sweat contains biomarkers that help doctors make health diagnoses. Wearable sensors can be used to monitor a person’s perspiration rate and provide information about the skin, nervous system activity and underlying health conditions.
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Feb 21, 2023
NIH grant allows grad student to study Cuban, Cuban-American health disparities
Growing up in Miami’s Cuban American community, Margarita “Maggie” Hernandez said she often felt “like I wasn’t Cuban enough, but also not American enough.” Today, though, she’s beyond proud of her roots — so much so that she’s made it a hallmark of her research.
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Feb 21, 2023
Kwapis appointed Paul Berg Early Career Professor in the Biological Sciences
Janine Kwapis, assistant professor of biology at Penn State, has been appointed as the first Paul Berg Early Career Professor in the Biological Sciences in recognition of her research contributions, teaching, and service to the Department of Biology and the Eberly College of Science.
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Feb 20, 2023
Grant will promote STEM graduate studies for students from diverse backgrounds
A consortium of institutions led by faculty in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has received a $75,000 planning grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation aimed at expanding the recruitment of and opportunities for Black, Indigenous and Latino students to enroll in science, technology, engineering and mathematics graduate programs.
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Feb 20, 2023
New Student Spotlight video highlights neuroscience's Avery Sicher
The latest entry in the Student Spotlight series from the Huck Institutes covers Avery Sicher, a graduate student in the Neuroscience Program, and her research on the effects of alcohol consumption on brain development.
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