News | The Huck Institutes (en-US)

The Huck Institute of the Life Sciences at Penn State University Park. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Sep 15, 2025

Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences names 2025-26 seed grant recipients

The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State has selected eight research teams that span 12 departments across six colleges to receive 2025-26 seed grant funding.

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During extreme heat, older adults can submerge their hands and forearms in tap water to cool their core temperatures and reduce their heart rates, according to a new study by researchers in the Penn State Department of Kinesiology. Credit: Dennis Maney / Penn State. Creative Commons

Sep 15, 2025

Submerging forearms in water may help protect older adults during extreme heat

Immersion of hands and forearms helps lower core body temperature, according to a new study from researchers in the Penn State Department of Kinesiology.

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Sep 12, 2025

CTSI’s resources enable clinical discoveries, researcher says

Paddy Ssentongo, infectious disease fellow at Penn State Health, and team used resources provided by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute to better understand impact of tick-borne infection.

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A group of tiny particles can be made to follow a different group of particles in new experiments demonstrating the first steps in creating intelligent communicating systems involving active particles — sometimes called nanobots — that perform specialized tasks. In the experiment particles coated with the enzyme acid phosphatase (AcP) moved toward a chemical gradient of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), which it converts to glucose that attracts the particles coated with the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx). The situation is akin to a predator chasing its prey or a police officer pursuing a criminal. Credit: Provided by the Sen Laboratory / Penn State. Creative Commons

Sep 09, 2025

Can nanobots play follow the leader?

Researchers at Penn State demonstrate the first steps in the design of tiny particles that can perform specialized tasks, such as targeted delivery of drugs or other cargo.

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Mike Campbell, distinguished professor of biology at Penn State Behrend, serves as director of the Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center. Credit: Penn State Behrend / Penn State. Creative Commons

Sep 09, 2025

Erie research vineyard provides opportunities for Behrend students

At Penn State Behrend’s Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center, students gain hands-on experience studying the science behind grape growing while supporting vineyards across Pennsylvania and New York.

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When the sidechain bases guanine (G) and uracil (U) are paired in the 3D structure of a molecule of ribonucleic acid (RNA) the unusual pairing creates an unusual molecular conformation called a “wobble," pictured on the left. New research shows that non-covalent modifications to the bases can further alter the conformation creating a “shifted wobble," shown on the right. This conformational diversity could help explain RNAs function versatility, according to the researchers. Credit: Md Sharear Saon/Bevilacqua Lab / Penn State. Creative Commons

Sep 09, 2025

Unusual molecular conformation could help explain RNA’s versatility

Researchers at Penn State developed methods to identify and characterize modifications to ribonucleic acid, or RNA, structure that could alter the molecule’s function and serve as unique drug targets.

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A new method to measure RNA velocity — which describes rate of gene expression in a single cell — overcomes limitations of previous methods and can incorporate spatial information as well as data from cells processed at different times. The new method, called spVelo incorporates two types of neural networks: a Variational Autoencoder that models gene expression and a Graph Attention Network that allows the incorporation of spatial and batch information from the sequencing data. Credit: Provided by the researchers. All Rights Reserved.

Sep 08, 2025

New method calculates rate of gene expression to understand cell fate

Researchers at Penn State and Yale University have developed a new method that combines spatial and temporal data to better capture how gene expression changes over time, offering deeper insight into how cells specialize.

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Flatheads grow fast in this river system, attain large body sizes and can eat a variety of prey. Because adult flatheads have few natural predators, they can exert strong control over the ecosystem. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Sep 04, 2025

Invasive flathead catfish now top predators in Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania

New study suggests that smallmouth bass and channel catfish are changing what they eat to avoid having to compete with or being eaten by the invader.

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Adam Hughes Credit: Adam Hughes. All Rights Reserved.

Sep 04, 2025

Huck Distinguished Lecture Series to host biochemist on Sept. 9

University of Utah professor Adam Hughes will discuss cellular aging and unexpected causes

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Researchers at Penn State are using 3D bioprinting and a novel surgical method to improve blood supply in tissue reconstruction, backed by a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Sep 04, 2025

$3M grant seeks bioprinted solution for reconstructive surgery’s blood problem

Researchers at Penn State are using 3D bioprinting and a novel surgical method to improve blood supply in tissue reconstruction, backed by a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

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