News

Four faculty members representing the College of Agricultural Sciences, the Eberly College of Science and the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Credit: Curtis Chan / Penn State. Creative Commons

Four Penn State faculty elected AAAS Fellows

Four Penn State faculty members in areas ranging from agriculture to the biological sciences, geology and physics have been elected to the latest cohort of fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science.

Three maps showing the spatial variation of the prevalence of undernutrition among children under the age of five in Uganda. Credit: Provided by Paddy Ssentongo. All Rights Reserved.

Rainfall and drought linked to childhood growth outcomes in Uganda

Rainfall and long-term water availability in a region before a woman becomes pregnant and during pregnancy predicted future growth outcomes of children in Uganda, according to new research led by a team from the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and the Penn State College of Medicine.

Researchers found that orally administered sevelamer — a dialysis drug — can bind off-target antibiotics, shown being injected into the arm here, in the gut. Off-target antibiotics, or antibiotics that end up in the body away from the point of infection, can contribute to bacteria evolving to develop antibiotic resistance.  Credit: Provided by Amir Sheikhi. All Rights Reserved.

FDA-approved dialysis drug may help fight against antimicrobial resistance

The study, conducted in mice, revealed that sevelamer can successfully remove off-target antibiotics from the gut.

Ag Sciences research institute SAFES funds projects addressing critical issues

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, through its Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food and Environmental Science, known as SAFES, announced funding awards to accelerate the advancement of its Critical Issues Initiatives. These initiatives serve as the college’s impact hubs, addressing urgent and high-impact challenges through targeted efforts and innovative projects.

On March 25, Erika Ganda, an assistant professor in Penn State’s Department of Animal Science, will discuss via Zoom how microbes in animals, people and the environment are interconnected through a concept known as “One Health.” The lecture is part of the Penn State Alumni Association's Virtual Speaker Series. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Virtual lecture to explore the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems

On March 25, Erika Ganda, an assistant professor in Penn State’s Department of Animal Science, will discuss via Zoom how microbes in animals, people and the environment are interconnected through a concept known as “One Health.” The lecture is part of the Penn State Alumni Association's Virtual Speaker Series.

Movement of Zika virus through a tunneling nanotube formed between two cells. An imaging technique called immunofluorescence assay shows the co-localization of viral structural proteins, the capsid protein in red and envelope protein in green, indicative of virus particles in the tunneling nanotube.  Credit: Provided by the Jose Lab / Penn State. Creative Commons

Tunnel-building virus: How Zika transmits from mother to fetus

A team of researchers from Penn State and Baylor College of Medicine found that the Zika virus builds tiny tunnels, called tunneling nanotubes, to stealthily transport material needed to infect nearby cells, including in placental cells.

Nazifa Tabassum, left, and Katie Yan will speak at ENVISION: STEM Career Day Supporting Young Women on March 29. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Graduate students to present their journeys in science

Graduate students Nazifa Tabassum and Katie Yan are this year's I AM STEM contest winners. They will serve at this year's keynote speakers for ENVISION on Saturday, March 29, where they will share their experiences in STEM and provide advice to middle school and high school students eager to get involved as scientists.

The new method may eventually help give insight into why bee populations are declining overall, according to the researchers. Credit: Adonyi Gábor/Unsplash. All Rights Reserved.

Analyzing genetic ‘signatures’ may give insight into what stresses wild bees

A new method of examining gene expression patterns called landscape transcriptomics may help pinpoint what causes bumble bees stress and could eventually give insight into why bee populations are declining overall.

Bywater’s research centers on food safety within controlled environment agriculture systems, particularly in soilless farming methods such as hydroponics. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Penn State Ag student Auja Bywater wins global research award

Auja Bywater, a doctoral student in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been awarded second prize in the Global Challenges University Alliance (GCUA) 2030 research competition for her work titled “Improving Food Safety in Controlled Environment Agriculture Systems.”

Penn State to establish Animal Diagnostic Lab-West

With $6 million in state funding, the new facility, to be located at Penn State Beaver, will enhance animal health and support for animal agriculture in western Pennsylvania.