News

Jul 27, 2023

Second species of ramp, or wild leek, documented in Pennsylvania

The presence of a second species of ramp, Allium burdickii—commonly known as narrow-leaved wild leek—has been documented in southwest Pennsylvania by a team of Penn State researchers in a new study.

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Jul 12, 2023

Growing cover crops under vineyard vines is a sustainability strategy

A new study by Penn State researchers shows that in regions with fertile soils that receive plenty of rainfall, growing cover crops under the vines so that the vineyard floor is completely covered with vegetation is a sustainable strategy.

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Jul 07, 2023

Newly identified protein regulates the creation of cellulose in plant cells

Cellulose — an integral component of plant cell walls — is an important source of food, paper, textiles and biofuels, but how its creation is regulated within plant cells has remained unclear.

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May 23, 2023

Orchids’ ability to grow on other plants independently evolved multiple times

The most extensive study of the genetic relationships among orchids to date reveals that the flower’s ability to grow on other plants evolved independently multiple times.

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Mar 22, 2023

Penn State biologist to present free public lecture on MicroRNAs in plants

Michael J. Axtell, the Louis and Hedwig Sternberg Chair in Plant Biology and distinguished professor of biology, will present the inaugural Louis and Hedwig Sternberg Chair in Plant Biology Lecture at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, March 27, at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the Penn State University Park campus.

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Dec 14, 2022

Novel 3D imaging model may show path to more water-efficient plants

Changes in Earth’s orbit that favored hotter conditions may have helped trigger a rapid global warming event 56 million years ago that is considered an analogue for modern climate change, according to an international team of scientists.

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Nov 22, 2022

New 'Life From All Angles' video features Sally Mackenzie’s epigenetics research

The latest episode of "Life From All Angles," a YouTube series from the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, features Penn State Plant Institute Director Sally Mackenzie and her groundbreaking research in the field of epigenetics.

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Sep 27, 2022

Penn State awarded grant to help dairy farmers develop climate-smart commodities

Funding of up to $25 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will support a new Penn State-led collaboration with dairy industry associations and producers to develop and implement climate-smart practices on Pennsylvania dairy farms.

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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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