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October 07, 2025

1 gene, 1 disease no more – acknowledging the full complexity of genetics could improve and personalize medicine
New research helps explain why disease-associated genetic variants can lead to variable clinical outcomes, influenced both by the patterns of secondary variants, or genetic background, and by how cohorts of individuals in a study are ascertained. In a family, shown on left, secondary variants can influence the severity of clinical outcomes, which is indicated by intensity of blue shading, or which features are present between a parent and a child that both carry the primary variant. However, this relationship between secondary and primary variants is different if the primary variant was discovered in a biobank that includes mostly healthy individuals, in the middle, or people identified for a shared clinical feature, on right. Credit: Corrine Smolen/Girirajan Laboratory / Penn State. Creative Commons

October 07, 2025

Background genetic variants influence clinical features in complex disorders
Wenrui Hao, professor of mathematics, was named director of the Center for Mathematical Biology. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

October 06, 2025

Center for Mathematical Biology appoints new director

October 06, 2025

Researchers unlock gene-editing for fungi-resistant cacao plants
The winners of a quiz competition held at the 2025 Core Facilities Open House

October 06, 2025

Core facilities open house welcomes new researchers
Researchers in lab coats using lab equipment

October 06, 2025

Penn State Center for Human Evolution and Diversity requests proposals for 2025-26 seed grants
Charlene Shupp Espenshade, executive director of the Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation, prepares to sample microgreens cultivated at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences during the college’s recent Legislative Research Tour. She is joined by graduate students Auja Bywater and Rishi Ravichandran. Credit: Sean Duke / Penn State. Creative Commons

October 02, 2025

College of Ag Sciences research tour explores connection between food, health
The International Union for Conservation of Nature is formally including all microbial life in its framework by establishing a Microbial Conservation Specialist Group (MCSG), that includes Penn State biologist Seth Bordenstein. Credit: CDC/Unsplash. All Rights Reserved.

October 01, 2025

New microorganism survival commission aims to fill critical conservation gap

October 01, 2025

Penn State and Ghanaian researchers to host symposium, launch seed grant
Researchers analyzed the genetic composition of 46 mammals, including lions, lemurs and porcupines, illustrated here. Credit: Provided by Yana Safanova . All Rights Reserved.

September 29, 2025

Population bottlenecks cause decline of mammals’ immunity, researchers find
New clues in how plant microbiomes protect against bacterial speck disease

September 29, 2025

New clues in how plant microbiomes protect against bacterial speck disease

September 28, 2025

Organic beekeeping is healthier for bees - and their keepers
Mark Latash and Sayan Deep De Credit: Provided by Sayan Deep De. All Rights Reserved.

September 25, 2025

Q&A: How do humans control their bodies?
A new research network co-led by researchers at Penn State seeks to detect the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias years before symptoms emerge, in order to to reduce the personal and financial impacts of the disease. Credit: Getty Images - Milan2099. All Rights Reserved.

September 25, 2025

Penn State to co-lead national brain health and dementia prevention initiative

September 24, 2025

Simple Home Test for Endometriosis Developed
Penn State doctoral students selected to participate in the Biotechnological and Integrative Opportunities in Microbiome Science doctoral training fellowship, from top left: Erika Biernbaum, Talon Jost, Paula Blanco Ortiz, Jie Feng, Natalie Ford, Jessica Gaydos, Ashley Ohstrom, Shane Connolly, Mackenna Yount, Yara Cavalcante Viera and Kathleen Culhane. Credit: Provided by fellows. All Rights Reserved.

September 23, 2025

One Health Microbiome Center awards 11 inaugural doctoral training fellows
Gene editing, traditional crossbreeding produce disease-resistant cacao plants

September 23, 2025

Gene editing, traditional crossbreeding produce disease-resistant cacao plants
The human egg cell, illustrated here, contains specialized genetic instructions called mitochondrial DNA. Credit: Jezperklauzen/Getty Images. All Rights Reserved.

September 23, 2025

In brief: Certain age-related DNA mutations are less common in human eggs
Andrew Patterson has been named director of Penn State’s Center for Molecular Toxicology and Carcinogenesis. Credit: Michael Houtz. All Rights Reserved.

September 23, 2025

Patterson to lead Penn State center on environment and health
Extension Educator Michael Powell instructs on proper, safe chainsaw usage. Penn State Extension offers videos on using the powerful, dangerous tools safely. Credit: Michael Houtz/Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

September 19, 2025

Q&A: What are the best ways to protect against chainsaw injuries?
Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

September 19, 2025

NSF STAIR launches inaugural undergrad internship in research administration
Study first author, Marjorie Jauregui, a pilot plant research technologist at Penn State, found that radish microgreens, no matter at what temperature they were dried, retained a significant portion of nutrients. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

September 19, 2025

Hot air drying largely preserves nutritional composition of radish microgreens
If beekeepers use organic management practices over time, they even can produce 50% more honey than when following conventional management practices, according to the researchers. Credit: Simon Kadula/Unsplash. All Rights Reserved.

September 18, 2025

Organic beekeeping can be even more profitable than conventional methods
The Huck Institute of the Life Sciences at Penn State University Park. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

September 15, 2025

Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences names 2025-26 seed grant recipients