News

Investigating roles of rare genetic variants in disease

Researchers at the Center for Systems Genomics are developing bioinformatics software to facilitate analysis of rare variation in human genome sequence data.

Kateryna Makova honored as Penn State's Francis R. Pentz and Helen M. Pentz Professor of Science

Huck Institutes affiliate Kateryna Makova, a professor of biology at Penn State, has been honored by the University's Eberly College of Science by being appointed the Francis R. and Helen M. Pentz Professor of Science.

Announcing the Huck Institutes Graduate Enrichment Fund

The Huck Institutes are pleased to announce a new fund to provide research support for students in our graduate programs.

Unique pathogen requires a novel approach to studying virulence

Huck Institutes researcher Moriah Szpara takes an interdisciplinary tack in her work -- using tools from neurobiology, virology, bioinformatics, and comparative genomics to find keys to a cure for human herpesvirus.

Mathematical models target disease with drugs chosen by your DNA

Medicines that are personally tailored to your DNA are becoming a reality, thanks to the work of U.S. and Chinese scientists including Huck Institutes affiliate Rongling Wu who have developed statistical models to predict which drug is best for a specific individual with a specific disease.

Avocado farmers face unique foe in fungal-farming beetle

Beetles with unusual "green thumbs" for growing fungi are threatening avocado crops and could transform into a more destructive pest, according to an international team of researchers that includes Huck Institutes affiliate David Geiser.

Understanding bulls' gene-rich Y chromosomes may improve herd fertility

Researchers including Huck Institutes affiliate Wansheng Liu have found that, surprisingly, the Y chromosomes of cattle have more genes and are more active than the Y chromosomes of a variety of primates and other mammals.

When people go viral over plant viruses

While we tend to think of viruses as nasty germs that we try desperately to get rid of, only a small percentage of viruses are pathogens, said Huck Institutes affiliate Marilyn Roossinck in a recent presentation at the Millennium Cafe.

Claude dePamphilis awarded Faculty Scholar Medal for Outstanding Achievement

Claude dePamphilis has been selected to receive the 2013 Penn State Faculty Scholar Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Life and Health Sciences.

Bioinformatics and Genomics graduate student awarded NSF research fellowship

Ruowang Li has been awarded a Graduate Research Fellowship by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for his proposal to combine genomics, statistics, and machine learning in a multidisciplinary approach to studying genetic factors that influence cellular response to chemotherapy drugs.