News | The Huck Institutes (en-US)

Jun 09, 2025

Two Penn State doctoral students selected for industry internship in Germany

The One Health Microbiome Center (OHMC) in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State is sending two doctoral students to Hilden, Germany, for a seven-week industry internship at the headquarters of QIAGEN, a global leader in biotechnology for life sciences diagnostics, equipment and research.

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Milk protein and cellulose derived from plants can be electrospun into thin fibers for use in mats that could be used for biodegradable and edible food packaging, according to a new study by researchers at Penn State. Pictured here are variations in the composition of fibers made from different ratios of milk protein and cellulose. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Jun 06, 2025

Edible, biodegradable fibers made from milk protein, cellulose

Milk protein and cellulose derived from plants may be the next big thing in sustainability, thanks to a first-of-its-kind advancement made by researchers at Penn State.

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With a research portfolio encompassing biosensors, synthetic blood, advanced imaging and more, Dipanjan Pan aims to continuously innovate across disciplines. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Jun 04, 2025

Huck Chair in Nanomedicine plans to take research from bench to bedside

As biomedical challenges grow more complex, Penn State’s Dipanjan Pan is pioneering a multifaceted approach to nanomedicine that spans basic research, clinical translation and entrepreneurial deployment.

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Nikki Crowley, left, principal investigator and director of the Penn State Neuroscience Institute at University Park, Huck Early Career Chair in Neurobiology and Neural Engineering and assistant professor of biology and of biomedical engineering, and collaborator, Nanyin Zhang, right, Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Brain Imaging and professor of biomedical engineering, along with other team members, will use a new five-year, $2.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate the long-term effects of excess alcohol drinking during adolescence. Credit: Keith Hickey/Huck Institutes. All Rights Reserved.

Jun 04, 2025

$2.9M grant funds study on long-term effects adolescent binge drinking

An interdisciplinary team of researchers at Penn State will use a new five-year, $2,900,000 grant to investigate the long-term effects of excess alcohol drinking during adolescence.

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Study co-first author Alayna Mead, postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, stands among Torrey pine trees in southern California. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

Jun 03, 2025

Isolated Torrey pine populations yield insights into genetic diversity

Researchers find a few genes that allowed trees from insular populations to adapt to local conditions may inhibit their adjustment long term to a new location.

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Jun 02, 2025

Huck opens search for Associate Director for Graduate Education

The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences is seeking an innovative Penn State faculty member with a strong background in interdisciplinary life sciences research and a passion for teaching and mentoring graduate students to join our Huck leadership team as an Associate Director for Graduate Education.

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May 30, 2025

Andrew Read leads conversation on executive actions and their impact on research

Nearly 1,000 members of the University community joined the live event, which featured a comprehensive update and an interactive discussion on the federal landscape

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Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences recently welcomed a delegation from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to the University Park campus. One of the tours included the PlantVillage Lab, where researchers are using artificial intelligence to help smallholder farmers across Africa, Asia and the Americas adapt to climate change. It is led by David Hughes, Huck Chair in Global Food Security and professor of entomology and biology at Penn State. From left are Celeste Macilwaine, Ed Bogart, David Hughes, Derek Morr, Rimnoma Serge Ouedraogo, Bipana Paudel Timilsen and Huanhuan Wang. Credit: Contributed photo. All Rights Reserved.

May 30, 2025

Penn State’s Youth Food Lab attends UN Science, Technology, Innovation forum

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences was represented on the global stage as faculty and students participated in the United Nations’ 10th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals, held at U.N. headquarters in New York City earlier this month.

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Credit: Dan Lesher. All Rights Reserved.

May 29, 2025

Biology professor, Huck associate operations director to retire

After a decade of service to the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and a distinguished academic career spanning four decades, James Marden, professor of biology and associate director of operations, will retire from Penn State at the end of June.

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The activation of Protein Kinase A (PKA) is a critical part in how the body responds to stress and starvation. Using a variety of imaging and biochemical techniques, a team of researchers from Penn State has revealed how the metabolic cycle that activates PKA resets itself between stressful events. Credit: Varun Venkatakrishnan/Anand Lab / Penn State. Creative Commons

May 28, 2025

Resetting the fight-or-flight response

New study reveals mechanism responsible for resetting key molecular cycle involved in response to stress and starvation.

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