Latest News

February 2, 2026

Governments and organizations that provide mental health support to farmers dealing with depression, anxiety and isolation have traditionally focused on overcoming the stigma associated with getting help — but that isn’t the barrier farmers face, according to a new study by a research team led by rural sociologists at Penn State. The bigger issues, they found, are rural health care shortages, long wait times for appointments and travel time, as well as high health care costs.

January 30, 2026

Bayer has expanded it's partnership with Penn State by launching the Bayer Pharmaceuticals 2026 Bayer University Mentoring Program (B4U) for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers pursing careers in related fields. This expanded B4U initiative offers mentorship, professional skills training and nationwide networking to prepare emerging scientists for careers across academia, industry and innovation.

January 30, 2026

Researchers at Penn State recently found, in mice, that a protein critical to intestinal barrier function — helping the gut absorb nutrients while blocking harmful pathogens — is rhythmically controlled by nighttime liver metabolism of the molecule tryptophan.  

January 26, 2026

A team of Penn State food scientists was awarded a two-year, $428,200 grant by the National Institutes of Health to explore whether cow’s milk protein — casein — can help disperse drugs that don’t dissolve well in liquids for oral medications.

January 22, 2026

Domestication has changed the chemicals squash flowers use to attract bees, according to a new study from researchers at Penn State.

January 22, 2026

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has awarded bridge funding to four faculty members to support research collaborations addressing soil fertility, public health, climate resilience and agricultural trade.

January 21, 2026

Several Penn State students used their experience in research and storytelling to advocate for federally funded research and take top prizes in the Science Coalition’s 2025 Alyse Gray Parker Memorial Student Video Challenge.

January 16, 2026

Penn State disease ecologist Molly Bletz was awarded a 2025 New Investigator Grant by the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation to study the infectome, a proposed new framework for understanding disease.

January 16, 2026

Jessica Grembi, an assistant professor of pharmacology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has received a $500,000 grant from the Gates Foundation to investigate the role of the microbiome in environmental enteropathy — a condition characterized by inflammation of the small intestine that affects nutrient absorption.

January 15, 2026

Estelle Couradeau, a microbiologist at Penn State, is undertaking a collaborative study of whether microbial communities in arid ecosystems can maintain resilience in the midst of changing monsoon regimes. The project is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and Allen Family Philanthropies, which was formerly known as the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.

December 18, 2025

The Center for Plant Excellence, a new initiative supporting Pennsylvania’s plant industries, announced recipients of its 2025-26 grants, awarding $125,000 across seven projects.

December 18, 2025

Penn State food safety expert Martin Bucknavage comments on kitchen fails and serves up food safety tips for the holidays.

December 17, 2025

A plant’s success may depend on how well the three sets of genetic instructions it carries in its cells cooperate, according to a new study led by plant scientists at Penn State. They found that when those genes are better matched in hybrid plants, the plant is more resilient to changing environments.

December 16, 2025

Earlier this month, empathy experts, youth representatives, youth-serving organizations and policy makers took part in a three-day summit on how empathy research can be translated into both government policy and into classrooms worldwide, as well as in non-formal, experiential learning environments.

December 16, 2025

Earlier this month, empathy experts, youth representatives, youth-serving organizations and policy makers took part in a three-day summit on how empathy research can be translated into both government policy and into classrooms worldwide, as well as in non-formal, experiential learning environments.

December 16, 2025

Two graduate students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences traveled abroad and gained experience in food safety research over the summer thanks to funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation.  

December 12, 2025

Jessica Grembi, an assistant professor of pharmacology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has received a $500,000 grant from the Gates Foundation to investigate the role of the microbiome in environmental enteropathy — a condition characterized by inflammation of the small intestine that affects nutrient absorption.

December 12, 2025

The Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences' Mid-Scale Seed Grant Program has awarded eight teams of Penn State researchers for projects that will contribute to one or more of the institute's research hubs or affiliated centers.

December 8, 2025

Francisco Dini-Andreote and Andrew Patterson in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences are among the most highly cited researchers in 2025, according to the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science Group.

December 8, 2025

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) — a type of pneumonia — is the leading cause of death for dairy calves after they become accustomed to food other than their mothers’ milk, resulting in economic losses at over $1 billion annually for the U.S. cattle industry. To detect BRD in dairy calves before they show obvious symptoms and reduce those costly losses, a team of researchers, funded by a new three-year, $1 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation, intend to create a system that uses modern sensing technologies and advanced artificial intelligence.

December 1, 2025

Students from across Penn State will present their fall semester Sustainable Communities Collaborative projects during the Campus and Community Sustainability Expo, co-hosted by State College Borough and Penn State Sustainability on Dec. 11. The poster-style event brings together students, faculty, community partners and local residents to highlight project outcomes and foster new connections.

November 24, 2025

Auja Bywater, doctoral candidate in food science and international agriculture and development, was awarded a graduate research fellowship by the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium for her work in creating safe, sustainable food systems.

November 21, 2025

At a time when millions of Americans have turkey on their minds, a team led by an animal scientist at Penn State has successfully tested a new way for poultry producers to keep their turkeys in sight.

November 20, 2025

Symptoms of anxiety and depression increased among post-9/11 veterans over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, with persistent disparities tied to race, ethnicity and gender, according to researchers at Penn State.

November 18, 2025

Eating up to 2.5 ounces per day of lean beef as part of a Mediterranean diet may be heart healthy, according to a new study by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at Penn State.

November 13, 2025

Two U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for treating prostate cancer may also be effective against acute myeloid leukemia, according to a new study by researchers at Penn State. 

November 12, 2025

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences recognized exceptional achievements in research during its fourth annual Research Awards Ceremony held Oct. 28 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus.