News

New approach can help identify young children most at risk for obesity

Newly developed risk scores synthesize genetic information into an easy-to-interpret metric that could help clinicians identify young children most at risk of developing obesity.

COVID-19 case trajectories may be predicted by surveying communities

The public’s willingness to comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations correlates with COVID-19 case projections in zip codes where those surveyed about their intended behaviors live, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

Okafor receives 2021 National Science Foundation CAREER Award

C. Denise Okafor, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, has been honored with a Faculty Early Career Development award from the U.S. National Science Foundation. The award is the NSF’s most prestigious honor in support of early-career faculty members who have the potential to serve as academic role models.

David Hughes makes Newsweek’s inaugural list of 'America’s Greatest Disruptors'

David Hughes—professor of biology and entomology, Huck chair in global food security, and founder of PlantVillage—has been named to a list of leading "disruptors" as a "planet protector" by the magazine Newsweek.

Leadership teams from Gamma Biosciences and BioMagnetic Solutions visit Penn State, November 2021

Biotech company selects Innovation Park for expansion

Penn State will welcome a new biotech company, BioMagnetic Solutions, to Innovation Park. BioMagnetic Solutions is a portfolio company of Gamma Biosciences, a global life sciences company serving the advanced therapy market.

Mathematics professor receives Humboldt Research Award

Leonid Berlyand, professor of mathematics at Penn State, a member the Penn State Materials Research Institute, and co-director of the Center for Mathematics of Living and Mimetic Matter at the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, has been awarded a Humboldt Research Award by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany.

Should I be worried about the new omicron coronavirus variant?

The omicron variant (B.1.1.529) of SARS-CoV-2, which has now been detected in the U.S., has been listed as a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organization, which has stated that the overall global risk related to the variant is "very high."

Distortion: Researchers discover new strategy for antibodies to disable viruses

It is widely understood that antibodies neutralize viruses by latching onto their surfaces and blocking them from infecting host cells. But new research reveals that this barrier method isn’t the only way that antibodies disable viruses. An international team of researchers led by Penn State has discovered that antibodies also distort viruses, thereby preventing them from properly attaching to and entering cells.

Upcoming workshop series on using data science for ecological applications

Contact Drs. Sarah Goslee and Bogdan Caradima if you have questions, or would like to sign up!

New technique better assesses exposure of a population to a virus

Accurately assessing the exposure of a population to a particular virus is difficult because the tools for doing so do not account for the fact that many viruses comprise multiple circulating strains, or the fact that people can be vaccinated or naturally immune, among other factors. Using influenza as a model, a team of researchers led by Penn State has developed a new technique that overcomes many of these roadblocks.