News

Dec 07, 2022

Study shows ‘steep, cheap and deep’ roots help corn plants deal with drought

Rarely in nature does less turn out to be more. But that’s the case when it comes to the roots of corn dealing with drought conditions, according to a Penn State-led international team of researchers who discovered evidence of the benefits of a “parsimonious” root phenotype in a new study.

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Nov 30, 2022

Huck Grad Students Work Towards Inclusion

A discussion and advocacy group started by student leadership is pushing for dialogue and solutions to make the Huck a more welcoming and empowering space for scientists from all backgrounds.

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Nov 15, 2022

Michael Axtell named Louis and Hedwig Sternberg Chair in Plant Biology

Michael Axtell, distinguished professor of biology at Penn State, has been named the Louis and Hedwig Sternberg Chair in Plant Biology in the Eberly College of Science.

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Nov 02, 2022

Scientist sees Penn State as a 'living lab' for climate action

With the University working to draw down greenhouse gas emissions and reduce its carbon footprint, plant biologist Charlie Anderson is likewise advancing the cause of a greener, more-sustainable future through research and advocacy.

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Oct 21, 2022

Penn State alum presents her NASA space garden research to current students

Scientist Gioia Massa conducts space plant biology research at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, growing edible vegetables on the International Space Station. Massa, who earned her Ph.D. at Penn State, presented a talk about her extraordinary career.

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Sep 14, 2022

Huck graduate students elect co-chairs for new academic year

This year, HGSAC members elected two students to serve as the graduate co-advisers for the Huck Institutes for 2022-23; Plant Biology student Alenka Hafner and Bioinformatics and Genomics student Corrine Smolen.

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Aug 17, 2022

Plant molecular geneticists discover, and begin to crack, the epigenetic code

When plants sense environmental challenges such as drought or extended periods of extreme temperatures, they instinctively reprogram their genetic material to survive and even thrive.

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Jun 30, 2022

Jared Ali named director of the Penn State Center for Chemical Ecology

Jared Ali, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair of Chemical Ecology and associate professor of entomology in the College of Agricultural Sciences, has been named director of the Penn State Center for Chemical Ecology (CCE).

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Jun 27, 2022

Jared Ali named Huck Chair of Chemical Ecology

Jared Ali, associate professor of entomology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has been named the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair of Chemical Ecology by the University’s Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences.

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Jun 24, 2022

Climate-associated genetic switches found in plants

Genetic variants that can act as switches directing structural changes in the RNA molecules that code for proteins in plants have been experimentally validated in plants for the first time. The changes to RNA structure can affect the molecule’s stability, how it interacts with other molecules, and how efficiently it can be translated into protein — all of which can impact its function and the traits of the plant.

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