Researchers get USDA-NIFA grant to study corn-soil fungi interactions, symbiosis

September 23, 2022

A team of Penn State plant scientists has received a grant of nearly $1.25 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study the interactions between corn and soil fungi, with the aim of boosting crop resilience and production.

College of Ag Sciences faculty member receives NACTA Murray Brown Award

September 22, 2022

Daniel Foster, associate professor of agricultural and extension education in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, is the 2022 North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Murray Brown Award recipient.

Tailgating this football season? Avoid a food safety fumble

September 22, 2022

Planning to tailgate or “homegate” this football season? As fans fire up grills in anticipation of the game, Penn State Extension food safety experts offer tips and strategies to help block foodborne illness before it intercepts your fun.

14 Penn State alumni to receive Alumni Fellow Award

September 21, 2022

Fourteen Penn State alumni will receive the Alumni Fellow Award, the most prestigious award given by the Penn State Alumni Association, during a ceremony Sept. 28 at the State Theatre in downtown State College. This year’s award ceremony will be livestreamed for remote viewing.

New grant continues Arctic research addressing climate change and communities

September 21, 2022

The National Science Foundation’s Navigating the New Arctic program recently awarded researchers from Penn State and the University of New Hampshire a $3 million grant to examine earthquake impacts on community well-being and perception and preparedness toward potential earthquakes.

Mixed cover crops capture carbon in soil, could help mitigate climate change

September 21, 2022

When it comes to adding carbon to the soil, all cover crops don’t perform equally, according to a team of researchers whose new study revealed the disparity for the first time.

Heard on Campus: Sarah Bordenstein, The Wolbachia Project

September 20, 2022

Sarah Bordenstein, associate research professor in the Eberly College of Science, and director of "Discover the Microbes Within! The Wolbachia Project," on Sept. 13 talked about this pioneering project on biodiversity, biotechnology and bioinformatics that brings real-world scientific research and discoveries to middle, high school and college students worldwide.

Penn State awarded grant to help dairy farmers develop climate-smart commodities

September 19, 2022

Funding of up to $25 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will support a new Penn State-led collaboration with dairy industry associations and producers to develop and implement climate-smart practices on Pennsylvania dairy farms. The project is aimed at generating climate commodities that add value to dairy products along the supply chain and leveraging agriculture’s potential to provide solutions to climate change.

Penn State shares $25M DOE grant to study climate change impacts and adaptation

September 19, 2022

Penn State was named a collaborating institution in a $66 million dollar U.S. Department of Energy Urban Integrated Field (Urban IFL) program designed to study the impacts of climate change on American cities. 

Grant funds research that could help certification of organic honey bee products

September 16, 2022

A $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will enable a team of researchers — led by Penn State entomologists — to assess foraging patterns of honey bees on organic farms, with an eye toward creating opportunities for beekeepers to produce certified-organic apiary products.

Penn State’s Stories from the Field conversation series returns for fall

September 15, 2022

Penn State’s “Stories from the Field” conversation series is returning this fall with three new sessions. Each was designed to bring together academics and practitioners to discuss the challenges and opportunities of applied research and community engagement.

No-till management may reduce nitrous oxide gas releases, fight climate change

September 14, 2022

Scientists have long known that no-till farming reduces erosion and lessens water and nutrient runoff from crop fields, but now a new study by a team of Penn State researchers suggests that limiting soil disturbance may also diminish releases of nitrous oxide.

College of Ag Sciences students taste Greek cuisine and culture on trip

September 14, 2022

Students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences explored Greece’s rich culture — and its food — while studying abroad in Thessaloniki, Greece, this summer.

Dairy nutritionist gets USDA grant to study effect of cows’ diet on milk fat

September 14, 2022

A Penn State animal scientist has received a four-year, $650,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to study the regulation of fatty acid metabolism in dairy cows with the goal of boosting revenues and efficiency on farms by increasing milk fat and optimizing use of dietary fat in cow rations.

What are potential animal reservoirs for monkeypox?

September 13, 2022

Penn State researchers will study the monkeypox virus to understand the potential for it to spill over from humans to animals, as its pathogenesis — or disease development — in animal and human cells in vitro. In addition, they will study potential targets for therapeutics to treat the monkeypox disease.

Soybean virus may give plant-munching bugs a boost in survival

September 13, 2022

Most viral infections negatively affect an organism’s health, but one plant virus in particular — soybean vein necrosis orthotospovirus, often referred to as SVNV — may actually benefit a type of insect that commonly feeds on soybean plants and can transmit the virus to the plant, causing disease, according to Penn State research.

Microbiome Center announces inaugural Interdisciplinary Innovation Fellows

September 13, 2022

The first-ever round of Interdisciplinary Innovation Fellowships will support the work of Microbiome Center members and allow them to acquire knowledge and techniques to then share with other University colleagues.

Land-use webinar to focus on ‘missing middle’ housing

September 12, 2022

An upcoming Penn State Extension webinar will focus on “missing middle” housing, a term that describes a range of multifamily or clustered building types, such as duplexes, rowhomes and courtyard apartments, that are compatible in scale with single-family homes. According to organizers, “missing middle” housing is intended to meet the demand for walkable neighborhoods, respond to changing demographics and provide housing at different price points.

COVID-19 drugs persist in wastewater, may pose risk to aquatic organisms

September 8, 2022

Certain drugs used to treat COVID-19 patients — including remdesivir, dexamethasone and antibiotics for associated bacterial infections — persist through wastewater treatment and may occur in waterways at levels high enough to negatively affect aquatic organisms, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State. The findings highlight the broad utility of wastewater surveillance as a tool for monitoring the effects of human health on water quality and ecosystem health.

Penn State Master Gardeners and alumni spruce up Flight 93 National Memorial

September 8, 2022

Around 100 Penn State Extension Master Gardeners, alumni from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and College of Education, and 10 National Park Service staff members assembled in August at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County to beautify the grounds by weeding, pruning and removing plant debris.

Penn State’s sustainability efforts in Beaver Stadium suites lauded

September 8, 2022

Penn State’s successful efforts to reduce waste going into a landfill after football games at Beaver Stadium are spotlighted in a case study in the Green Sports Alliance’s just-published “Food Waste Diversion and Compostable Packaging Playbook.” 

Penn State Fayette weather station will benefit campus and community

September 7, 2022

Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus has installed a weather station on campus as part of the Pennsylvania Environmental Monitoring Network, which includes 20 similar systems across the commonwealth. The project, which began development in 2017, is funded by the Penn State Office of the Vice President for Research, the Institutes of Energy and the Environment, and the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

Adding fungal enzymes to dairy cow rations boosts milk output and quality

September 7, 2022

Supplementing the feed of dairy cattle with enzymes from two funguses simultaneously has a positive effect on the animals’ lactational performance, according to Penn State researchers, who studied the concept in an experiment with cows.

Local food boon spurred by pandemic may be short-lived, new research reports

September 6, 2022

The COVID‐19 pandemic affected American households in countless ways, but according to researchers, some of the most tangible shifts are taking place in the food system.

Metabolomics Core Facility continues to expand while pushing scientific bounds

September 2, 2022

The primary goal of Penn State’s Metabolomics Core Facility, established a decade ago and housed in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, is to identify and quantify the small molecules (or metabolites) in plant and animal biofluids, cells and tissues.

Museums welcome students back to campus with passport program, special hours

September 2, 2022

You pass them every day: as you hop on a Link to ride to campus from the parking lot at Beaver Stadium, as you scooter across campus past giant lion’s paws on Curtin Road, beyond the glass wall in the hallway of Deike Building, or behind you as you start across Curtin Road to the Berkey Creamery. Did you know that there are dozens of museums and collections across the University Park campus? Millions of specimens, including fish, birds and insects, historic objects and cultural artifacts including paintings, sculptures, scientific and musical instruments, and more, are waiting at almost every turn.

Entomology grad named American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow

September 2, 2022

Emily Sandall, who completed her doctoral studies in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences in 2020, has been selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science to be part of its 50th class of Science and Technology Policy fellows.

'Growing Impact' podcast discusses solar irrigation pump effects on FEW nexus

September 2, 2022

A team of researchers is investigating a government policy that increases solar-powered irrigation pumps in India and how the use of solar irrigation pumps may impact India’s highly exploited groundwater reserves and the country’s food and energy production.

Boy’s discovery reveals highly complex plant-insect interaction

September 1, 2022

A backyard discovery by 8-year-old Hugo Deans, son of Penn State Professor of Entomology Andrew Deans, eventually led to the revelation that oak galls — plant growth triggered by insects — are part of an elaborate relationship among ants, wasps and oak trees, turning a century of knowledge about plant-insect interactions on its head.

New dual-title graduate degree in microbiome sciences now available

August 31, 2022

Students interested in the study of microbiomes now can apply for the new microbiome sciences dual-title doctoral degree program, administered by Penn State’s Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Media Contacts

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Media Contacts

  • Senior Public Relations Specialist/News Editor
  • Associate Director of Communications
  • Public Relations Specialist/Science Writer
  • Science and News Writer
  • Penn State Extension Writer (Marketing Communications Specialist)