News
May 17, 2021
What makes plant cell walls both strong and extensible?
A plant cell wall’s unique ability to expand without weakening or breaking — a quality required for plant growth — is due to the movement of its cellulose skeleton, according to new research that models the cell wall.
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May 03, 2021
Mutant corn gene boosts sugar in seeds, leaves, may lead to breeding better crop
An abnormal build up of carbohydrates — sugars and starches — in the kernels and leaves of a mutant line of corn can be traced to one misregulated gene, and that discovery offers clues about how the plant deals with stress.
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Dec 01, 2020
Student Poster Session Highlights Biorenewable Research on Campus
A student poster session highlighted a recent workshop hosted by the Center for Biorenewables
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Oct 22, 2020
Novel bioresorbable, tissue-healing surgical device approved by FDA
A new surgical tendon fixation system that not only re-attaches damaged tissues but also facilitates healing as it is absorbed by the body has been granted 510(k) clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, indicating that the device is “as safe and effective” as other legally marketed devices and is ready to go to market.
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Sep 25, 2020
Team wins grant to develop nitrogen fertilizer decision tool for organic farmers
Penn State researchers have received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture to perfect a tool they developed to help organic corn producers decide how much nitrogen — as fertilizer or manure — to apply to their crop fields.
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Aug 25, 2020
Advanced biofuels show promise for replacing some fossil fuels
Plant-based biofuels can play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and growing these crops in certain landscapes offers net climate benefits compared to other land use options, according to a team of international scientists.
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Aug 21, 2020
Cover crop roots are key to understanding ecosystem services
To judge the overall effectiveness of cover crops and choose those offering the most ecosystem services, agricultural scientists must consider the plants’ roots as well as above-ground biomass, according to Penn State researchers who tested the characteristics of cover crop roots in three monocultures and one mixture.
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Aug 21, 2020
Flavonoids' presence in sorghum roots may lead to frost-resistant crop
Flavonoid compounds — produced by the roots of some sorghum plants — positively affect soil microorganisms, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest the discovery is an early step in developing a frost-resistant line of the valuable crop for North American farmers.
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Jul 21, 2020
Researchers offer solution for one of synthetic biology's biggest problems
A team of Penn State and University of Washington researchers recently developed a new algorithm to help prevent the failure of engineered genetic systems, or organisms engineered to have new capabilities.
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Jun 09, 2020
Research team to study food resilience in the face of catastrophic global events
An interdisciplinary team of Penn State professors has received $3 million from Open Philanthropy to study food resilience in the face of potentially catastrophic global events.
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