1. Home
  2. News

News

Explore the discoveries and breakthroughs advancing the life sciences

Find By:

New research in membaneless compartments that model protocells reveals that naturally occurring chemical modifications to RNA molecules help them fold better into functional structures. Image of the structures of tRNA molecules from protocells determined by high-throughput sequencing using tRNA structure-seq are overlaid on and image of the membraneless compartments made through liquid-liquid phase separation. Credit: Bevilacqua and Keating Labs / Penn State. Creative Commons

September 26, 2023

Could RNA folding play a role in the origin of life?
National Geographic photographer Carsten Peter (far right) takes a photograph as diver and National Geographic explorer Kenny Broad descends to the biofilms in Lago Verde. Penn State Professor Jennifer Macalady (left) and expedition caver Martina Gianfelice (center) wait on the steep lake shore. Macalady's research takes her to some of the most hostile places for life on Earth, in search of the microbial biofilms that can survive there. Credit: Dani Buchheister / Penn State. Creative Commons

September 26, 2023

Q&A: Searching for life where it shouldn’t exist

September 23, 2023

The best way to get rid of leaves this fall

September 23, 2023

Pumpkins for Pigs Organization Finds Second Use for Decorative Pumpkins on the Farm
Funded by a $1 million grant from the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA), a Penn State-led research team will assess levels of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms in Puerto Rico's dairy industry and train farmers and students to mitigate the health threat they pose in the U.S. territory.

September 22, 2023

Researchers aim to reduce antimicrobial resistance in Puerto Rico dairy industry
Greg Shearer and David Koslicki

September 21, 2023

Huck-supported graduate degree programs transition to new leadership

September 21, 2023

Extreme heat, coupled with chronic health issues, is killing elderly New Yorkers
Researchers identified new strategies for reducing the failure rate of current malaria treatment methods. This image features the Anopheles gambiae mosquito, which is one of the most important vectors of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Credit: Muhammad Mahdi Karim, Wikimedia. All Rights Reserved.

September 21, 2023

New strategies may reduce treatment failure in malaria by up to 81%
Nano-sized bubbles allow macrophages to stand out from their fellow cells in ultrasound imagery. Credit: Jennifer M. McCann/Materials Research Institute. All Rights Reserved.

September 20, 2023

Tiny bubbles could reveal immune cell secrets and improve treatments

September 20, 2023

Spotted Lanternflies Innocent???
Lance Lian, associate professor of biology and of biomedical engineering at Penn State, led a team in developing a more efficient approach to engineering cells for better imaging. Credit: Kate Myers / Penn State. Creative Commons

September 18, 2023

Novel approach to engineered cells may enable molecular medical imaging
Proposals for climate-related projects are now being accepted for the Institute of Energy and the Environment’s 2024 Seed Grant Program. Credit: Brenna Buck. All Rights Reserved.

September 18, 2023

2024 IEE Seed Grant Program accepting proposals on climate-related projects

September 15, 2023

Why do some people think cilantro tastes like soap?
Seven institutes at Penn State have joined together to support the University's Inter-Institutional Partnerships for Diversifying Research and collectively fund 16 research partnerships between researchers at Penn State and researchers at minority-serving institutions across a wide range of fields. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

September 15, 2023

Seed grants fund research collaborations with minority-serving institutions

September 14, 2023

Spotted lanternflies are showing up on Jersey Shore beaches
Graduate student Sarah Glass, advised by lead researcher Estelle Couradeau, assistant professor of soils and environmental microbiology, at the Chingaza Paramos field site in Colombia. The National Science Foundation award will support Glass' doctoral degree dissertation work. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

September 14, 2023

Penn State-led team to study climate-threatened Colombian Paramos’ soil microbes

September 13, 2023

PSU expert shares advice on how to navigate extreme heat closures with students
Researchers will collect samples from wildlife, including white-tailed deer, to test for SARS-CoV-2 with a goal of monitoring for potential spillback to humans. Credit: Greg Oberski, Wikipedia Commons. All Rights Reserved.

September 13, 2023

Testing 58 wildlife species for SARS-CoV-2 among goals of $4.5M USDA grant

September 13, 2023

AgSci ActionLab family series continues with focus on Colorado potato beetle
In addition to teaching and conducting research, Geiser also leads “Toadstool Treks” each fall with the Arboretum at Penn State. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

September 12, 2023

Penn State professor elected to Mycological Society of America leadership
Emma Rice, Penn State ecology program doctoral degree candidate, developed a new method that uses molecular analysis to estimate the composition of plant species in the root biomass of mixtures. The method will be used in a research project to develop more effective cover crop mixtures. Credit: Chris Orndorff/Penn State. All Rights Reserved.

September 12, 2023

USDA grant to fund research on ‘farm tuning’ cover crop mixtures

September 12, 2023

Another rare spotless giraffe found-the first ever seen in the wild

September 11, 2023

Does the Viral Paper Bag Wasp Deterrent Trick Really Work?

September 10, 2023

Long-term spotted lanternfly study shows limited impact on hardwoods