News

Nov 15, 2024

Q&A: How do microbiomes influence the study of life?

Microorganisms — bacteria, viruses and other tiny life forms — may drive biological variation in visible life as much, if not more, than genetic mutations, creating new lineages and even new species of animals and plants, according to Seth Bordenstein, director of Penn State’s One Health Microbiome Center within the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences.

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Oct 30, 2024

Kantor appointed to the executive board of the Society of Nematologists

Mihail Kantor, assistant research professor of nematology, has been appointed to the executive board of the Society of Nematologists (SON). A nonprofit, international organization dedicated to advancing the science of nematology in its fundamental and economic aspects, SON is the highest professional organization for nematology and fosters knowledge across all areas of nematology.

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Penn State students completed a variety of internship experiences in summer 2024. A few of them include (clockwise from top left): Conducting microbiome research at QIAGEN headquarters in Hilden, Germany; working as a manufacturing intern on the H-47 Chinook program at Boeing; working with Sunoco LP in the race fuels department; updating firmware and reworking software at Lengrand; writing for the Centre County Gazette; broadcasting at CNN, a business unit of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.; and learning restaurant performance insights at Chick-Fil-A. The photo gallery below provides more details on these and many other recent internship experiences of Penn State students. Credit: Photos provided. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 02, 2024

In photos: Internships prepare students for career success

The following photo gallery showcases a few of the numerous internship opportunities that Penn State students from various colleges and campuses can pursue.

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Credit: vegefox.com/Adobe Stock. All Rights Reserved.

Oct 01, 2024

One Health Microbiome Center launches new video series

The Penn State One Health Microbiome Center (OHMC) announced the launch of a new video series highlighting the center's state-of-the-art resources, research capabilities and collaborative efforts in microbiome sciences.

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

Sep 26, 2024

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.

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The researchers tested raw sewage samples collected twice a week from two treatment plants in central Pennsylvania for non-typhoidal Salmonella and characterized isolates using whole genome sequencing. They recovered 43 Salmonella isolates from wastewater samples. Credit: Provided by Ed Dudley. All Rights Reserved.

Sep 20, 2024

Wastewater monitoring can detect foodborne illness, researchers find

Results of a new study suggest sewage monitoring could provide early warning of foodborne disease outbreaks to public health authorities

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Jasna Kovac, associate professor in food science, has been selected to receive the 2025 Award for Early Career Environmental Research by the American Society for Microbiology. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Sep 17, 2024

Food science researcher receives early career award

Jasna Kovac, associate professor and Lester Earl and Veronica Casida Career Development Professor of Food Safety in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been selected to receive the 2025 Award for Early Career Environmental Research by the American Society for Microbiology.

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Vishal Singh, left, conducted this study in his lab, the Nutrition and Microbiome—Singh Lab, as part of a team that consisted of graduate research assistants, postdoctoral scholars, undergraduate students and collaborations with researchers from other departments in the University and outside of Penn State. Credit: Provided by Vishal Singh. All Rights Reserved.

Sep 13, 2024

Refined dietary fiber may increase risk for inflammatory bowel disease

New research in mice suggests that guar gum powder — a common dietary fiber additive used in processed foods — may negatively change gut microbiome and increase risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease.

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Aug 29, 2024

Research teams receive $1.1 million to study microbiomes in agriculture

Two Penn State-led research teams have received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture for projects investigating the ways microbiomes — the microorganisms in a particular environment, such as in soil or a living organism — can affect disease dynamics in agriculture.

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Aug 14, 2024

Early life exposure to common chemical permanently disrupts gut microbiome

Early life exposure to "forever chemicals" in the environment permanently disrupts the gut microbiome in mice, contributing to the development of metabolic disease in later life, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. The results suggest that human exposure to these chemicals during early childhood may be contributing to the recent epidemic of metabolic disorders, including obesity and Type 2 diabetes among adults.

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