Featured Stories
Penn State biochemist Denise Okafor awarded 2026 Sloan Research Fellowship
Denise Okafor, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and of chemistry and Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biophysics at Penn State, has been honored with 2026 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship. Awarded annually since 1955, the fellowship honors extraordinary researchers whose creativity, innovation and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of scientific leaders.
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Skeleton ‘gatekeeper’ lining brain cells could guard against Alzheimer’s
Brain cells are constantly swallowing material from the fluid that surrounds them — signaling molecules, nutrients, even pieces of their own surfaces — in a process known as endocytosis that is essential for learning, memory and basic neural upkeep. New research by Penn State scientists has revealed this vital process may be governed by a previously unknown molecular gatekeeper: a lattice‑like structure just beneath the surface of neurons called the membrane‑associated periodic skeleton.
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Domestication has changed the chemicals squash flowers use to attract bees
In a new study published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, a team led by researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences found that domesticated flowers have different scent chemical profiles than wild plants in several species of squash. Additionally, the specialized pollinators of these plants—squash bees—detect different compounds, called floral volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in wild plants that they co-evolved with than in domesticated plants.
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News
Mar 10, 2026
Q&A: What factors influence likelihood and severity of Ebola outbreaks?
Since its first documentation in 1976 there have been over three dozen outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in Central and West Africa, the largest of which resulted in the death of over 11,000 people between 2013 and 2016. A severe and often fatal disease, Ebola causes fever, weakness and bleeding, and spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of someone who is infected. Researchers at Penn State recently published two papers that looked at factors that contribute to how these outbreaks begin and how severe they become.
Mar 10, 2026
Q&A: Gassing up bioengineered materials for wound healing
Biomaterials are specifically engineered to support tissue, nerve and muscle regeneration across the body, yet physicians and researchers have limited control over the size and connectivity of the internal pores that transfer oxygen and vital nutrients to where they are most needed. To solve this problem and better support tissue regeneration, a team at Penn State has designed a new class of tunable biomaterials.
Mar 05, 2026
Sending a 'We Are!' to these Penn Staters — March 5
As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 18 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University. This week, on behalf of the entire Penn State community, we’d like to say thank you to...
News
Mar 10, 2026
Q&A: What factors influence likelihood and severity of Ebola outbreaks?
Since its first documentation in 1976 there have been over three dozen outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in Central and West Africa, the largest of which resulted in the death of over 11,000 people between 2013 and 2016. A severe and often fatal disease, Ebola causes fever, weakness and bleeding, and spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of someone who is infected. Researchers at Penn State recently published two papers that looked at factors that contribute to how these outbreaks begin and how severe they become.
Mar 10, 2026
Q&A: Gassing up bioengineered materials for wound healing
Biomaterials are specifically engineered to support tissue, nerve and muscle regeneration across the body, yet physicians and researchers have limited control over the size and connectivity of the internal pores that transfer oxygen and vital nutrients to where they are most needed. To solve this problem and better support tissue regeneration, a team at Penn State has designed a new class of tunable biomaterials.
Mar 05, 2026
Sending a 'We Are!' to these Penn Staters — March 5
As part of our regular “We Are!” feature, we recognize 18 Penn Staters who have gone above and beyond what’s asked of them in their work at the University. This week, on behalf of the entire Penn State community, we’d like to say thank you to...
Mar 05, 2026
IST names Cai, Huang and Lee to lead college’s first academic departments
Huck co-hire Sharon Huang has been named head of the Department of Informatics and Intelligent Systems, one of the inaugural departments recently established in Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology.
Events
Monday Mar
16
Advanced Cell Culture Workshop
Sartorius Cell Culture Facility
Monday Mar
16
Evolutionary and Functional Genomics of Parasitic Plants (Cancelled)
Plant Biology Seminar Series
Plant Biology
Wednesday Mar
18
Ideas Lab: Aging, Alzheimer's Disease and AI
Neuroscience Institute , Neuroscience
Events
Monday Mar
16
Advanced Cell Culture Workshop
Sartorius Cell Culture Facility
Monday Mar
16
Evolutionary and Functional Genomics of Parasitic Plants (Cancelled)
Plant Biology Seminar Series
Plant Biology
Wednesday Mar
18
Ideas Lab: Aging, Alzheimer's Disease and AI
Neuroscience Institute , Neuroscience
Wednesday Mar
18
Schmidt Science Fellows 2027 Informational Session
Bioinformatics and Genomics , Ecology , Molecular Cellular and Integrative Biosciences , Neuroscience , Plant Biology