Latest News

April 1, 2025

On the latest episode of “Growing Impact,” a team of Penn State researchers discusses how their seed grant project aims to address nitrous oxide emissions from the agricultural sector.

March 27, 2025

Four Penn State faculty members have been elected to the most recent cohort of fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

March 26, 2025

Penn State is one of nine Big Ten schools providing an academic lifeline to scholars in war-torn Ukraine. The University is sponsoring seven Ukrainian academics as part of the 2025 IU-Ukraine Nonresidential Scholars Program.

March 24, 2025

Military-connected children often change schools multiple times, each time facing different academic requirements and support systems, which can significantly impact academic progress and social adjustment. Specific support initiatives can help alleviate the challenges that arise from such disruption. Still, barriers such as inconsistent implementation and lack of awareness are present, according to researchers in the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State.

March 19, 2025

The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State (Clearinghouse), in collaboration with the Survey Research Center (SRC) at Penn State, has announced an expanded partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). With support from WWP, the Clearinghouse and SRC will conduct the fourth wave of their Warrior Survey to further efforts to identify and highlight emerging trends among WWP warriors over time and understand the impact of different factors on quality of life.

March 18, 2025

Increased antibiotic use can lead, seemingly paradoxically, to more problematic infections, as the bacteria evolve to resist the treatment. The answer to this antimicrobial resistance, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called “one of the world’s most urgent public health problems,” might be a medication used for kidney disease, according to a team led by researchers at Penn State.

March 17, 2025

The Penn State One Health Microbiome Center, a part of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, and Cynthia White, adjunct research associate in the Arts and Design Research Incubator, College of Arts and Architecture, invite all campus and community members to participate in three events featuring internationally recognized BioArtist Mellissa Monsoon. These events, which will take place on April 4 and 5, include two unique workshops and a seminar that will explore the intersections of art, science and the human body. 

March 17, 2025

Insect predators found in the U.S. could help keep spotted lanternfly populations in check while potentially reducing reliance on chemical control methods, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Penn State.

March 14, 2025

Erika Ganda, an assistant professor in Penn State’s Department of Animal Science, will shed light on the essential role microbes play in maintaining healthy ecosystems and ensuring food safety in the next Virtual Speaker Series from the Penn State Alumni Association on March 25.

March 13, 2025

Brook trout may have a genetic trick up their scales when it comes to adapting, with limitations, to heatwaves that threaten their existence. A novel study led by researchers at Penn State suggests that brook trout — an iconic coldwater fish species native to streams and lakes in the eastern United States and Canada — are capable of mounting a protective genetic response to thermal stress that can be passed on from one generation to the next. 

March 10, 2025

A new method of examining gene expression patterns called landscape transcriptomics may help pinpoint what causes bumble bees stress and could eventually give insight into why bee populations are declining overall, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State.

March 3, 2025

A synthetic microbiome therapy, tested in mice, holds promise as a new treatment for C. difficile, a notoriously difficult-to-treat bacterial infection, according to a team of researchers at Penn State. The targeted treatment was as effective as human fecal transplants in mice against C. difficile infection with fewer safety concerns, protecting against severe symptoms and decreasing recurrent infections.

March 3, 2025

Environmental contaminants don’t just pose direct risks to human health — they may also have hidden effects through the microbiome that researchers are working to uncover. The latest episode of Growing Impact discusses how environmental contaminants affect human health, a research focus for Penn State professors Andrew Patterson and Costas Maranas.

February 27, 2025

Auja Bywater, a doctoral student in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been awarded second prize in the Global Challenges University Alliance 2030 research competition.

February 27, 2025

Soilless growing systems inside greenhouses, known as controlled environment agriculture, promise to advance the year-round production of high-quality specialty crops, according to an interdisciplinary research team at Penn State. But to be competitive and sustainable, this advanced farming method will require the development and implementation of precision agriculture techniques. To meet that demand, the team developed an automated crop-monitoring system capable of providing continuous and frequent data about plant growth and needs, allowing for informed crop management.

February 25, 2025

The effects of pesticide exposure on pollinator health may be more complicated than originally thought, according to a team of researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

February 20, 2025

Simple strategies can help reduce inflammation and its subsequent side effects in pregnant cows, according to researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

February 19, 2025

The Penn State Climate Consortium has awarded five workshops as a part of its Climate Solutions Accelerator Program to foster impactful research and bring effective climate solutions to communities in Pennsylvania and around the world.

February 19, 2025

The corn earworm causes the loss of more than 76,000 bushels of corn in the United States annually, and there is mounting evidence that increasingly extreme weather events and temperatures will exacerbate the damage done to agricultural output by insect pests. Responding to that threat, a team of researchers at Penn State conducted a study that demonstrated that genetic lines of corn have inherent compounds that serve as insecticides, protecting them from the larvae that feed on them.

February 18, 2025

In southeastern Pennsylvania, where 60% of U.S. mushrooms are grown, phorid flies are posing a threat to the industry, destroying up to 40% of the crop and invading homes. To combat the pest, Penn State researchers and Penn State Extension specialists are working alongside state officials and industry leaders to establish science-based integrated pest management solutions.

February 18, 2025

In southeastern Pennsylvania, where 60% of U.S. mushrooms are grown, phorid flies are posing a threat to the industry, destroying up to 40% of the crop and invading homes. To combat the pest, researchers at Penn State and Penn State Extension specialists are working alongside state officials and industry leaders to establish science-based integrated pest management solutions.

February 14, 2025

Penn State faculty members Laura Leites and Alex Storm are working to create valuable undergraduate research opportunities that enhance knowledge, facilitate students’ transition between campuses, and strengthen connections with state and federal agencies — all while advancing the study of climate adaptation in forest tree species.

February 10, 2025

At this community event, attendees and panelists will discuss the power of trees to save lives and provide for the future. The panel, featuring two arboretum directors and renowned ecologist and National Geographic Explorer at Large Nalini Nadkarni, will lead guests in envisioning the expansion of tree canopies for resilience in Penn's Woods. 

February 10, 2025

Penn State’s Sustainable Labs Program will host two virtual information sessions on Feb. 18 and 21 to provide an overview of the initiative, answer questions and guide prospective participants through the application process.

February 6, 2025

Managed honey bees have the potential to affect native bee populations when they are introduced to a new area, but a study led by researchers at Penn State suggests that, under certain conditions, the native bees can bounce back if the apiaries are moved away.

January 31, 2025

Many modern dairy farm operations have developed an additional revenue stream by breeding dairy cows with Black Angus beef bulls using artificial insemination to produce crossbred calves, which typically have improved meat quality and higher market value compared to purebred dairy calves. But these valuable hybrid calves often are beset with pneumonia, which was thought to limit their growth performance after they recover.

January 27, 2025

The Institute of Energy and the Environment presented awards to six Penn State faculty members for their collaborative, interdisciplinary research efforts and mentorship.

January 24, 2025

Three Penn State researchers have been awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the White House announced on Jan. 14. The award is the highest honor the U.S. government bestows on early-career scientists and engineers. The awards are conferred annually following recommendations from federal funding agencies.

January 24, 2025

Although aquaculture, fish farming, is believed to have been practiced for thousands of years in Asia, the approach is relatively new in Africa, which is facing a “fish deficit” that contributes to a lack of protein in the diets of the populace, according to the international nonprofit WorldFish. To help accelerate fish farming in northern Zambia, a team led by researchers at Penn State investigated local integrated agriculture-aquaculture practices — meaning their management of agricultural resources to supply essential inputs for feeding fish — adopted by farmers.