Future Foods News | Future Foods | The Huck Institutes (en-US)

Food science doctoral candidate Auja Bywater was selected as a recipient of the 2025 Pennsylvania Space Grant Graduate Research Fellowship. Credit: Auja Bywater / Penn State. Creative Commons

Nov 28, 2025

Food science graduate student awarded Pennsylvania Space Grant fellowship

Auja Bywater, a doctoral candidate, studies sustainable farming practices and how to make food safer.

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Morels, like this yellow or common morel, Morchella esculentoides, were one of the two most often collected wild mushroom species by respondents to the researchers' survey, with 13% reporting that they harvest them. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Oct 09, 2025

Wild mushrooms harvesters in Mid-Atlantic region collect fungi, build community

Researchers see the emergence of ‘digital mycology community,’ as mushroom foragers seek guidance and band together into groups online to further their knowledge.

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Charlene Shupp Espenshade, executive director of the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation, prepares to sample microgreens cultivated at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences during the college’s recent Legislative Research Tour. She is joined by graduate students Auja Bywater and Rishi Ravichandran. Credit: Sean Duke / Penn State. Creative Commons

Oct 06, 2025

College of Ag Sciences research tour explores connection between food, health

Government and industry stakeholders got a literal taste of the future of agriculture by sampling hydroponically grown greens at one of several presentations during the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences’ annual Legislative Research Tour, held Sept. 25 at the University Park campus.

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The team found that a number of populations of Xanthomonas and Pseudomonas bacteria were present on the plants that had developed a resistance against bacterial speck, suggesting they play a role in suppressing the disease. Credit: Dan Gol/Unsplash. All Rights Reserved.

Sep 29, 2025

New clues in how plant microbiomes protect against bacterial speck disease

Bacterial speck is a common disease affecting tomatoes that can result in lower yields for growers. A new study led by researchers at Penn State gives new clues on how a plant’s microbiome can be used to combat the pathogen.

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Mycelium of phytophthora palmivora, which can give rise to cacao black pod disease, grows from an agar plug, infecting a cacao leaf 48 hours after inoculation. Credit: Mark Guiltinan/Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

Sep 24, 2025

Gene editing, traditional crossbreeding produce disease-resistant cacao plants

Novel approach could revolutionize sustainable chocolate production while addressing global food security, researchers report.

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Study first author, Marjorie Jauregui, a pilot plant research technologist at Penn State, found that radish microgreens, no matter at what temperature they were dried, retained a significant portion of nutrients. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Sep 19, 2025

Hot air drying largely preserves nutritional composition of radish microgreens

Inexpensive, low-tech process preserves plant compounds that provide health benefits; offers potential insight into producing microgreens food powder supplements.

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

Sep 16, 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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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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Zinc enrichment and light intensity affect the nutritional composition of radish microgreens, shown here. The researchers found that high light intensity decreased the production of plant-defense compounds while it increased the production of antioxidants. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Aug 26, 2025

Fine-tuning zinc supplementation, light exposure to boost microgreens’ nutrition

Microgreens, which are young, edible plants that only take one to three weeks to harvest, are more than garnish at trendy restaurants — they could be the answer to global hunger, according to plant scientists at Penn State.

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Although the researchers looked far back into time in conducting their study, they suggest the findings may have implications for the future. Credit: Manfred Richter from Pixabay. All Rights Reserved.

Aug 19, 2025

Corn root traits evolved with both human-driven, natural environmental changes

Study shows plants adapted to farming and irrigation with root changes that helped corn adjust to low nitrogen and deeper water, making them key to the success of its domestication.

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