News
Feb 21, 2022
Omicron detected for first time in white-tailed deer
Some white-tailed deer living in Staten Island, New York, are actively infected with the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of SARS-CoV-2, according to new research led by scientists at Penn State. The team also found neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in one of the Omicron-infected deer, suggesting that, like humans, deer can be reinfected with the virus.
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Feb 17, 2022
Penn State biologist Michael Axtell named distinguished professor
Michael Axtell, professor of biology at Penn State, has been selected to receive the title of distinguished professor of biology in recognition of his exceptional record of teaching, research, and service to the University community.
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Feb 17, 2022
Penn State biochemist Manuel Llinás named distinguished professor
Manuel Llinás, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and of chemistry at Penn State, has been selected to receive the title of distinguished professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in recognition of his exceptional record of teaching, research, and service to the University community.
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Feb 16, 2022
New video series highlights game-changing life sciences researchers
The Huck institutes of the Life Sciences has launched a new monthly series of short video essays to feature highly innovative Penn State researchers who are pushing boundaries and forging new pathways in their respective fields. “Life From All Angles” tells the stories of these risk-takers in a condensed, easy to digest, 5-minute format.
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Feb 15, 2022
World’s first gene editing tools for ticks may help decrease tick-borne diseases
Reducing tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease, may now be possible thanks to two new gene editing methods developed by researchers at Penn State; the University of Nevada, Reno; and the University of Maryland. The methods could allow scientists to alter parts of the tick genome that are involved in harboring and transmitting pathogens.
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Feb 15, 2022
Researchers to study COVID-19 effects on maternal, child health during pregnancy
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has awarded Penn State College of Medicine $3.9 million through May 2025 to study the impact COVID-19 has on pregnancy. The researchers will conduct a multi-site study to examine the health outcomes for pregnant women and their infants before and after childbirth.
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Feb 14, 2022
Student receives Fulbright to study honey bee health, behavior in Kenya
Darcy Gray, a graduate student in Penn State's intercollege graduate degree program in ecology, has received a Fulbright Study/Research Award to help beekeepers by examining how habitat and weather patterns drive bee migration and honey production in Kenya.
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Feb 08, 2022
Geneticists close to grasping how plant communities may adapt to climate change
A century after scientists first noted that the environment contributes to the evolution of adaptive differences among plant populations, scientists are on the verge of figuring out how that adaptation happens — by combining results from huge “common garden” experiments with genomic sequencing.
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Feb 07, 2022
Benkovics support pioneering research in chemistry and the life sciences
You might think of Patricia and Stephen Benkovic as Penn State’s “first couple of chemistry,” considering all the pioneering contributions they’ve made at the University in their shared discipline over a span of more than five decades. Now the pair are giving back to their research community in an exciting new way, hoping to inspire the next generation of scientists to carry the torch of innovation and discovery to even greater heights.
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Feb 07, 2022
Soil tillage reduces availability of ‘longevity vitamin’ ergothioneine in crops
Soil tillage on farms may significantly reduce the availability in crops of ergothioneine, an amino acid produced by certain types of soil-borne fungi and bacteria that is known as a “longevity vitamin” due to its potent antioxidant properties, according to new research. The study is among the first to demonstrate that soil disturbance can directly impact a key dietary factor associated with long-term human health.
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