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December 09, 2021

The Rise of COVID-19 Vaccines for Animals

December 08, 2021

A claim that viruses and other pathogens always evolve to become less lethal is false

December 08, 2021

Animal health experts: US ag needs to be prepared for disease outbreaks

December 05, 2021

Omicron variant’s unusual mutations could mean it spread from an animal, scientists suggest

December 04, 2021

Omicron's 'wacko' combination of mutations has scientists split over whether it developed in humans or animals

December 03, 2021

Take Note: COVID-19 modeling expert and Penn State professor on the Omicron variant and how modeling works

December 02, 2021

Iowa deer are being infected with COVID. What does it mean for hunters?
The omicron variant (B.1.1.529) of SARS-CoV-2, which has now been detected in the U.S., has been listed as a ‘variant of concern’ by the World Health Organization, which has stated that the overall global risk related to the variant is ‘very high.’ According to Matthew Ferrari, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Penn State, omicron contains more mutations in more locations of the genome than any of the previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, and some of these mutations are in parts of the virus that may affect the virus’s transmissibility and ability to evade the immune system. However, he says, there is no evidence yet that the severity of disease that omicron causes is any worse than delta.

December 02, 2021

Should I be worried about the new omicron coronavirus variant?

December 02, 2021

Foraging for food connects you to nature – but do your homework before you eat

December 01, 2021

Dr. Fauci, former president Obama visit DC elementary school to encourage vaccinations
Researchers found that the same type of antibody can neutralize Zika and dengue viruses in two different ways — one where it binds to the virus and deactivates it (left), which is the traditional way we think about antibody activity, and the other where it burrows in and distorts the virus (right). Credit: Ganesh Anand, Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

November 30, 2021

Distortion: Researchers discover new strategy for antibodies to disable viruses

November 30, 2021

Will omicron – the new coronavirus variant of concern – be more contagious than delta? A virus evolution expert explains what researchers know and what they don’t

November 29, 2021

Omicron Needs 3 Evolutionary Surprises to Wreak Havoc

November 29, 2021

Upcoming workshop series on using data science for ecological applications

November 29, 2021

Vaccine Makers Already Testing Their Shots Against Omicron Variant

November 26, 2021

Will Covid variant omicron need a new vaccine? Time and data will tell

November 26, 2021

Why You Always Have Room for Pie
Researchers tested blood plasma samples for antibodies against 11 strains of human influenza A to assess the exposure of their study population to the virus. Credit: Getty Images. All Rights Reserved.

November 22, 2021

New technique better assesses exposure of a population to a virus
Kenan Ünlü, Jean Paul Allain and Justin Schwartz, along with other representatives from Penn State and nuclear industry, ceremoniously broke ground on the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor expansion on Oct. 21. Credit: Penn State/Kelby Hochreither. All Rights Reserved.

November 18, 2021

Penn State Breazeale Reactor expands in size and in opportunities

November 18, 2021

More than a million people in the US may not have regained sense of smell months after Covid-19 infection, study estimates
Credit: Getty Images. All Rights Reserved.

November 16, 2021

New tool weighs costs and benefits of managing evolution of pathogens and pests
Researchers created a transistor-like 'logic gate,' which is a type of computational operation in which multiple inputs control and output, and embedded it into a protein. They found that not only could they rapidly activate the protein using light and the drug rapamycin, but also that this activation resulted in the cells undergoing internal changes that enhanced their adhesive capabilities, which ultimately decreased their motility. Credit: Yashavantha Vishweshwaraiah, Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

November 16, 2021

Nanoscale ‘computer’ controls function of protein, influences cell behavior
A PlantVillage farmer receives tree seedlings that will help her farm become resilient to climate-change shocks. A recent gift that includes a matching component could provide up to $2.5 million for PlantVillage to expand its programming in climate-change adaptation and mitigation. Credit: Courtesy of David Hughes. All Rights Reserved.

November 16, 2021

Hopper-Dean family helps combat global hunger with PlantVillage matching fund

November 15, 2021

End of COVID-19 crisis stage — fingers crossed — might be near