Featured Stories
Penn State biochemist Denise Okafor awarded 2026 Sloan Research Fellowship
Denise Okafor, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and of chemistry and Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biophysics at Penn State, has been honored with 2026 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship. Awarded annually since 1955, the fellowship honors extraordinary researchers whose creativity, innovation and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of scientific leaders.
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Skeleton ‘gatekeeper’ lining brain cells could guard against Alzheimer’s
Brain cells are constantly swallowing material from the fluid that surrounds them — signaling molecules, nutrients, even pieces of their own surfaces — in a process known as endocytosis that is essential for learning, memory and basic neural upkeep. New research by Penn State scientists has revealed this vital process may be governed by a previously unknown molecular gatekeeper: a lattice‑like structure just beneath the surface of neurons called the membrane‑associated periodic skeleton.
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Domestication has changed the chemicals squash flowers use to attract bees
In a new study published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, a team led by researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences found that domesticated flowers have different scent chemical profiles than wild plants in several species of squash. Additionally, the specialized pollinators of these plants—squash bees—detect different compounds, called floral volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in wild plants that they co-evolved with than in domesticated plants.
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News
Mar 13, 2026
Targeting two flu proteins sharply reduces airborne spread
A long-running debate in vaccine design revolves around whether a vaccine should be optimized to prevent the virus from replicating inside an infected host or prevent the virus from transmitting to others. New research led by Penn State scientists suggests there may not have to be a tradeoff.
Mar 13, 2026
'Brain awareness week' informs public and spotlights neuroscience expertise
From March 16 to 22, the neuroscience research community at Penn State is joining "Brain Awareness Week," a global public health movement started by the Dana Foundation in 1996 to bring attention to science and public health issues concerning the human brain.
Mar 10, 2026
Q&A: What factors influence likelihood and severity of Ebola outbreaks?
Since its first documentation in 1976 there have been over three dozen outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in Central and West Africa, the largest of which resulted in the death of over 11,000 people between 2013 and 2016. A severe and often fatal disease, Ebola causes fever, weakness and bleeding, and spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of someone who is infected. Researchers at Penn State recently published two papers that looked at factors that contribute to how these outbreaks begin and how severe they become.
News
Mar 13, 2026
Targeting two flu proteins sharply reduces airborne spread
A long-running debate in vaccine design revolves around whether a vaccine should be optimized to prevent the virus from replicating inside an infected host or prevent the virus from transmitting to others. New research led by Penn State scientists suggests there may not have to be a tradeoff.
Mar 13, 2026
'Brain awareness week' informs public and spotlights neuroscience expertise
From March 16 to 22, the neuroscience research community at Penn State is joining "Brain Awareness Week," a global public health movement started by the Dana Foundation in 1996 to bring attention to science and public health issues concerning the human brain.
Mar 10, 2026
Q&A: What factors influence likelihood and severity of Ebola outbreaks?
Since its first documentation in 1976 there have been over three dozen outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in Central and West Africa, the largest of which resulted in the death of over 11,000 people between 2013 and 2016. A severe and often fatal disease, Ebola causes fever, weakness and bleeding, and spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of someone who is infected. Researchers at Penn State recently published two papers that looked at factors that contribute to how these outbreaks begin and how severe they become.
Mar 10, 2026
Q&A: Gassing up bioengineered materials for wound healing
Biomaterials are specifically engineered to support tissue, nerve and muscle regeneration across the body, yet physicians and researchers have limited control over the size and connectivity of the internal pores that transfer oxygen and vital nutrients to where they are most needed. To solve this problem and better support tissue regeneration, a team at Penn State has designed a new class of tunable biomaterials.
Events
Wednesday Mar
18
Ideas Lab: Aging, Alzheimer's Disease and AI
Neuroscience Institute , Neuroscience
Wednesday Mar
18
Schmidt Science Fellows 2027 Informational Session
Bioinformatics and Genomics , Ecology , Molecular Cellular and Integrative Biosciences , Neuroscience , Plant Biology
Wednesday Mar
18
Writing a Scientific Proposal: Tips, Tricks, and Tools for Success
Events
Wednesday Mar
18
Ideas Lab: Aging, Alzheimer's Disease and AI
Neuroscience Institute , Neuroscience
Wednesday Mar
18
Schmidt Science Fellows 2027 Informational Session
Bioinformatics and Genomics , Ecology , Molecular Cellular and Integrative Biosciences , Neuroscience , Plant Biology
Wednesday Mar
18
Writing a Scientific Proposal: Tips, Tricks, and Tools for Success
Wednesday Mar
18
Finding immune receptors and microbes in sequencing data
Weekly Wednesday Wartik Genomics Lecture Series
Genomics Core Facility