News

Sep 05, 2023

Herbs and spices tout taste and health as saturated fat, salt replacements

A team of Penn State researchers has figured out how to remove some saturated fat, sugar and salt from popular American foods while maintaining their tastiness. The trick? Replacing these overconsumed nutrients with a dose of healthy herbs and spices.

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Aug 29, 2023

Penn State again named among nation's most LGBTQ-friendly universities

Penn State has once again earned a spot on Campus Pride’s “Best of the Best” LGBTQ-friendly College and Universities list, achieving an overall 5 out of 5 stars in the Campus Pride Index for 2023. Institutions are evaluated on eight LGBTQ-friendly factors, including housing, campus safety, academics, student life, and recruitment and retention efforts.

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Aug 29, 2023

Penn State is tops in USDA predoctoral fellowship program awards

Eleven Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences students have received predoctoral fellowships from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). The students received a combined total of more than $1.6 million in funding.

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Aug 23, 2023

Animal microbiome researcher awarded $1.3M to study pathogenic threats

Erika Ganda was recently awarded two grants totaling $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to lead teams of scientists in studies of pathogenic threats to livestock and people.

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Aug 23, 2023

One Health Microbiome Center's 2023-24 Interdisciplinary Innovation Fellows

The One Health Microbiome Center (OHMC) in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State has named five recipients for its 2023-24 Interdisciplinary Innovation Fellowships (IIF) program.

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Aug 18, 2023

Gut bacteria variation among human social groups emerges by three months of age

Bacteria and other microorganisms that live within the human digestive tract — the gut microbiome — differ with parent-reported race and ethnicity as early as 3 months of age, according to a new study co-led by Penn State.

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Aug 14, 2023

Microbe-stuffed soil crusts menaced by climate change

Using a novel method to detect microbial activity in biological soil crusts, or biocrusts, after they are wetted, a Penn State-led research team in a new study uncovered clues that will lead to a better understanding of the role microbes play in forming a living skin over many semi-arid ecosystems around the world. The tiny organisms — and the microbiomes they create — are threatened by climate change.

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Jul 21, 2023

Penn State researchers examine how environmental chemicals affect gut microbiome

Worldwide, high rates of obesity and other inflammatory conditions are associated with increased risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

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Jul 14, 2023

Bioluminescent bacteria coordinate signaling to colonize squid’s light organ

Bioluminescent bacteria and the Hawaiian bobtail squid have formed a longstanding mutually beneficial relationship.

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Jun 12, 2023

Vaccine against deadly chytrid fungus primes frog microbiome for future exposure

A human's or animal’s microbiome — the collection of often beneficial microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, that live on or within a host organism — can play an important role in the host’s overall immune response, but it is unclear how vaccines against harmful pathogens impact the microbiome.

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