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Kateryna Makova IMAGE: PENN STATE

Makova selected as holder of the Verne M. Willaman Chair in the Life Sciences

Avoid These Foods for a Healthier Heart, According to Experts

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Podcast unpacks interdisciplinary team’s rapid new virus diagnostics

Trick-or-treat date set for Centre Region. Here’s what to know about safety, changes

Adenoviruses have emerged as a promising gene-delivery platform for therapeutic and vaccine purposes. But many people have preexisting immunity to human adenoviruses, such as those shown here, which can cause a variety of common illnesses. Using a delivery system based on a modified bovine adenovirus, researchers hope to develop an effective COVID-19 vaccine that avoids issues associated with vector immunity. IMAGE: CDC/DR. G. WILLIAM GARY, JR.

Penn State researcher part of project to develop novel COVID-19 vaccine

Researchers have reconstructed the ancestral sequence of the great ape Y chromosome by comparing three existing (gorilla, human, and chimpanzee) and two newly generated (orangutan and bonobo) Y chromosome assemblies. The new research shows that many gene families and multi-copy sequences were already present in the great ape Y common ancestor and that the chimpanzee and bonobo lineages experienced accelerated gene death and nucleotide substitution rates after their divergence from the human lineage. IMAGE: DANI ZEMBA AND MONIKA CECHOVA, PENN STATE

Evolution of the Y chromosome in great apes deciphered

The Oak Road meadow project

Designated 'no-mow' turf grass areas provide environmental, economic benefits

The magic of mushrooms: Why they're the next big wellness trend

Riparian buffer designs studied included widths of 35 to 100 feet, some all grass, some all trees, and some — like the one shown — both trees and grass. On some, the effects of harvesting grass every year and trees every three years were modeled. IMAGE: ROB BROOKS/PENN STATE

Harvesting vegetation on riparian buffers barely reduces water-quality benefits

D.J. McNeil

Researchers hear more crickets and katydids 'singing in the suburbs'

robot hand touching human hand through computer screen IMAGE: ISTOCK/IPOPBA

Assistant professor intends to bridge gap between humans and robots

An international team led by Penn State investigated the origin of the severe brain infections afflicting thousands of Ugandan infants in the neonatal period, and often resulting in hydrocephalus in the survivors. Fluid from the brain taken at surgery led to the recovery of a novel strain of a highly virulent bacteria, shown on the tree of life of related organisms. These infection cases, shown as red dots on the map, are concentrated within a region in Eastern Uganda characterized by wetlands and swamps on the north and south banks of Lake Kyoga that the Nile river flows into and out of. This map is adapted and based on OCHA/ReliefWeb (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) and is used as permitted by the agency. IMAGE: SCHIFF LAB, PENN STATE

Bacteria virus combo may be cause of neonatal brain infections in Uganda

Squire Booker, Evan Pugh Professor of Chemistry and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Penn State, Holder of the Eberly Family Distinguished Chair in Science, and investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Mapping a trail of chemical reactions, Howard Hughes Investigator Squire Booker shows how one group of enzymes helps us stay healthy

According to a new study, coral's ability to respond to warming ocean temperatures may depend in part on the amount of iron in the environment.IMAGE: PENN STATE

Coral’s resilience to warming may depend on iron

Coronavirus steals a chef’s sense of taste, and there’s no telling when it might come back

Teams competing in the 2020 Nittany AI Challenge spent the past six months competing virtually from all over the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic.IMAGE: NYANSAPO

Four student teams use AI for good to win 2020 Nittany AI Challenge

Comparisons of DNase Hypersensitive Site (DHS) signals among L1 flanking regions and control.The figure illustrates the distribution of one genomic feature (DHS) surrounding de novo, polymorphic, human-specific L1s, and control regions. The X-axis indicates the position of L1 flanking regions (in kb from L1 insertion site), and the Y-axis shows the average number of DHS sites in each 1-kb window. IMAGE: DI CHEN AND MARZIA CREMONA

Scientists take a step toward understanding 'jumping genes' effect on the genome

Using sewage samples to predict Covid-19 cases in State College; PSU tests campus & community sewage to forecast spikes or falls in Covid-19

aerial photo of Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Public health preparedness master's students take on COVID-19-related projects

How Coronavirus Spreads Through The Air: 5 Essential Facts

What’s the risk of coronavirus exposure while running? Plus, the various types of tests

One of the challenges that farmers face is deciding which nutrient sources to use and how much to apply to their fields. The online tool predicts corn yield based on the amount of nitrogen that is slowly released from the soil and decomposing cover crops. Using site-specific information, the tool calculates the amount of nitrogen needed to supplement the existing soil fertility and to achieve a goal for corn yield.   IMAGE: JAMES JORDAN/FLICKR

Team wins grant to develop nitrogen fertilizer decision tool for organic farmers

microbiome

Penn State Microbiome Center elects new executive committee

Five new research collaborations between Penn State and minority-serving institutions selected to receive seed funding via the Inter-Institutional Partnerships for Diversifying Research program

Huck Institutes Seeks Director of Graduate Training Initiatives