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Jill Arriola, left, and Daniel Guarin collecting cores at the inlet to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, which houses the largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania. Credit: Lisa Emili. All Rights Reserved.

Microplastics increasing in freshwater, directly related to plastic production

Microplastics have been steadily increasing in freshwater environments for decades and are directly tied to rising global plastic production since the 1950s, according to a new study by an interdisciplinary team of Penn State researchers.

Study lead author Danielle Begley-Miller and a colleague collecting information about the number and height of tree seedlings at a research plot. Credit: Michael Antonishak. All Rights Reserved.

Deer, seedlings and soil pH influence local forest regeneration

New findings from long-term research underscore the challenges managers face when trying to conserve Penn’s Woods.

The Penn State Climate Consortium has awarded funding to four research projects that look to put promising climate solutions into action through interdisciplinary partnerships.  Credit: Brenna Buck. All Rights Reserved.

Climate Consortium awards projects to drive climate solutions across key sectors

The Penn State Climate Consortium has awarded funding to four research projects through its Climate Solutions Accelerator Program. Through this program, the consortium aims to put promising climate solutions into action via interdisciplinary partnerships.

Penn State researchers earn funding for sustainable weed and insect management

Three Penn State research teams have received awards totaling $1.78 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to investigate climate-smart approaches to pest control in agriculture.

Recent findings will help identify the groups of bees that may be most at-risk and aid in creating conservation strategies, according to researchers. Credit: Neringa Normantaite/Unsplash. All Rights Reserved.

Adding fall blooming plants may help both managed and wild bees in cities

Recent findings will help identify the groups of bees that may be most at-risk and aid in creating conservation strategies, according to researchers.

An approach called metagenomics — a type of DNA sequencing — may help scientists learn more about the microbes that affect plants, the researchers said. Credit: Roman Synkevych/Unsplash. All Rights Reserved.

Q&A: Using a new approach to shine a light on hidden plant microbes

Despite there being more microbes on Earth than stars in our galaxy, only a tiny fraction have been discovered. An approach called metagenomics — a type of DNA sequencing — may help scientists learn more about these elusive organisms, according to Penn State researchers.

While the findings are preliminary, the work is a promising first step in finding new therapies against tuberculosis, according to the researchers. Credit: Mathias Katz/Unsplash. All Rights Reserved.

Plant compound used in traditional medicine may help fight tuberculosis

A compound found in African wormwood — a plant used medicinally for thousands of years to treat many types of illness — could be effective against tuberculosis.

Francisco Dini-Andreote, assistant professor of plant science, was named the Huck Early Career Chair in Microbial Community Ecology. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Plant scientist named Huck Early Career Chair in Microbial Community Ecology

Francisco Dini-Andreote, assistant professor of plant science in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State, has been awarded the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Microbial Community Ecology.

Nine faculty members were named the 2024 IEE Fellows. In the front row, from left, are Heather Preisendanz, Nilanjan Ray Chaudhuri, Li Li and Miriam Freedman. In the back row, from left, are Adri van Duin, Charles Anderson, Armen Kemanian, Siela Maximova, Enrique Gomez (Not pictured: Karen Fisher-Vanden) Credit: Kevin Sliman. All Rights Reserved.

Nine researchers named Institute of Energy and the Environment Fellows

Nine Penn State researchers have been named fellows of the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE) for 2024. The program recognizes and assists the exceptional achievements and unparalleled research impacts of highly successful researchers in the areas of energy and the environment. Nominees for the fellowship were submitted by the University community.

Alan Taylor, a recently retired and now professor emeritus of geography, spent decades researching West Coast landscape and fire ecology. He used ecological signals and human history to paint a picture of how forests changed over time. Credit: Photo provided / Penn State. Creative Commons

Taylor’s research legacy shines light on California wildfires, forest ecology

Alan Taylor, a recently retired and now professor emeritus of geography, spent decades researching West Coast landscape and fire ecology. He used ecological signals and human history to paint a picture of how forests changed over time.