News | The Huck Institutes (en-US)

A new sensor changes its fluorescence when it binds to lanthanides (Ln), rare earth metals used in smartphones and other technologies, potentially providing a more efficient and cost-effective way to detect these elusive metals. IMAGE: COTRUVO LAB, PENN STATE

Apr 23, 2019

New sensor detects rare metals used in smartphones

A more efficient and cost-effective way to detect lanthanides, the rare earth metals used in smartphones and other technologies, could be possible with a new protein-based sensor that changes its fluorescence when it binds to these metals. A team of researchers from Penn State developed the sensor from a protein they recently described and subsequently used it to explore the biology of bacteria that use lanthanides. A study describing the sensor appears online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

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Apr 19, 2019

NIH Trainees Juan Cerda and Catherine Douds Receive NSF-GRFP Honorable Mentions

Juan Cerda and Catherine Douds, both members of NIH-sponsored training programs overseen by the Huck Institutes, were recognized for their promising research ideas.

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Deb Kelly’s research team in the department of biomedical engineering and the Center for Structural Oncology at Penn State is developing a new Cryo-EM-On-a-Chip approach. This new technology permits researchers to see the genetic faults within the depths of cancer cells, including those from the brain. Illustration credit: Daryl Branford and Deb Kelly/Penn State

Apr 18, 2019

Advances In Cryo-EM Materials May Aid Cancer And Biomedical Research

Cryogenic-Electron Microscopy (cryo-EM) has been a game changer in the field of medical research, but the substrate used to freeze and view samples under a microscope hasn’t advanced much in decades. Now, thanks to a collaboration between Penn State researchers and the applied science company Protochips, Inc., this is no longer the case.

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Apr 17, 2019

Bootcamp for Science Entrepreneurs To Run May 13-17

"The Business of Science" is a week-long opportunity for grad students and postdocs considering nontraditional careers. Applicants must register by April 29, 2019.

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Apr 17, 2019

Feiyue Lu Wins Simpson Award for Innovative Research

MCIBS student Feiyue Lu's research into RNA in Drosophila flies was recognized for its complexity, scope, and difficulty.

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Apr 15, 2019

Five Huck Researchers Among Winners at Grad Student Awards

A quintet of Huck doctoral candidates were recognized for excellence in their studies and collaborations within and outside of Penn State.

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Apr 11, 2019

New SCATTIRSTORM microscope could improve bioenergy production

The construction of a new multimodal optical microscope, SCATTIRSTORM, that could enable more efficient bioenergy production, is the focus of a three-year, $1.5 million, U.S. Department of Energy grant awarded to three Penn State researchers.

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“The Ccr4-Not complex is involved in nearly every step of this process from start to finish," said Reese. "Our new research shows that this complex has an additional function that helps maintain normal cellular function when something goes wrong during transcription.” During the transcription of RNA from DNA, RNAPII — itself a large complex made up of multiple protein subunits — travels along the strand of DNA reading the ATCG sequence and producing a complementary strand of RNA. If the RNAPII encounters DNA damage, which can be caused by UV radiation and other sources, it can become stuck and prevent

Apr 05, 2019

Unjamming the genome after DNA damage

A protein complex that is involved in nearly every step in the regulatory control of gene expression in cells has now been shown also to play a key role in clearing potential traffic jams in the production of RNA.

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Apr 03, 2019

Insect-deterring sorghum compounds may be eco-friendly pesticide

Compounds produced by sorghum plants to defend against insect feeding could be isolated, synthesized and used as a targeted, nontoxic insect deterrent, according to researchers who studied plant-insect interactions that included field, greenhouse and laboratory components.

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A young female Little Red Flying Fox at Baldwin Swamp Environment Park in Queensland, Australia. A new grant will allow an international team of researchers to study bat-borne viruses that have recently made the jump to humans. IMAGE: MEL CHRISTI

Apr 03, 2019

Project to prevent bat-borne diseases receives $10 million funding

In an effort to prevent the spread of some of the world's most lethal diseases, an international research team spanning five continents and including scientists from Penn State will study bats in Australia, Bangladesh, Madagascar and Ghana.

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