Latest News

October 8, 2026

Adding plant biomass to manure may improve the profitability of the farming process that mitigates greenhouse gas emissions while producing renewable energy, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers.

October 7, 2026

Penn State and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture broke ground Oct. 5 on a nearly 46,000-square-foot, two-story addition to the University’s Animal Diagnostic Laboratory at University Park, a project that will expand the laboratory’s capacity to provide critical diagnostic services, respond to emerging animal health threats, and support Pennsylvania’s livestock and poultry industries.

October 7, 2026

A team led by Nancy and John Steimer Professor of Agricultural Sciences Associate Professor of Entomology Margarita M. López-Uribe and Ruben D. Martín-Rojas, a doctoral student in the Department of Entomology, compiled a checklist documenting the bee species in Colombia — the first of its kind for any country in the Western Hemisphere.

October 6, 2026

Historically, wildfire research has focused on the western United States. However, changing climate conditions, increasing drought severity and dense development patterns are rapidly altering wildfire risk across the Eastern United States. Penn State hosted the Eastern Wildfire Forum in September to address the growing challenge of wildfire in the commonwealth and across the Eastern United States.

October 5, 2026

Kara Fikrig, assistant professor of entomology at Penn State, will deliver the talk “Understanding the Distribution of Invasive Mosquitoes Across the Landscape — And the Human Role in Shaping It” at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 9 in 112 Walker Building at University Park and via Zoom. Fikrig will discuss how human activity and environmental change are shaping the spread of invasive mosquitoes in the Peruvian Amazon and efforts to reduce related health risks.

October 2, 2026

Pennsylvania legislators, agricultural advocates and industry leaders got a firsthand look at how Penn State research is helping shape the future of agriculture during a recent tour of research and innovation at University Park.

September 30, 2026

The new faculty bring expertise in climate-related extreme weather, membrane development, water quality management and battery improvements.

September 30, 2026

Two Penn State scientists are part of a national research team recognized with the 2026 agInnovation Excellence in Multistate Research Award for work aimed at improving reproductive performance in cattle and sheep — a challenge that costs U.S. livestock producers billions of dollars each year.

September 29, 2026

Penn State’s microbiome sciences dual-title doctoral program has reached a milestone with the graduation of its first student. The program is the first doctoral degree program worldwide focused specifically on microbiome sciences, which involve studying communities of microorganisms and their interactions in and with a particular environment.

September 28, 2026

Luyi Han, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education at Penn State, will give the talk “Local food prices, SNAP purchasing power, and food insecurity,” at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 14, in 157 Hosler Building on Penn State’s University Park campus.

September 28, 2026

Luyi Han, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education at Penn State, will give the talk “Local food prices, SNAP purchasing power, and food insecurity,” at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 7, in 157 Hosler Building on Penn State’s University Park campus.

September 25, 2026

Researchers at Penn State have found that feeding broiler chickens an antibiotic, probiotic or essential oils did not significantly affect overall diversity of antimicrobial resistance genes. Instead, the chickens’ age had a much stronger effect on the resistome — the collection of antimicrobial resistance genes — as the birds grew.

September 24, 2026

With an estimated 36% of people in the United States having some degree of lactose intolerance, an expanded market niche may be available for lactose-free or reduced-lactose ice cream — especially as those with lactose intolerance may be willing to pay more for such products, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State and the University of Wisconsin.

September 23, 2026

Millions of pounds of nutrient-rich ice cream go to waste each year, but there may be an economical way to recover and recycle the fat content for other applications, like pharmaceuticals or cosmetics, according to researchers at Penn State.

September 22, 2026

Shotaro Nakamura, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education at Penn State, will give the talk “Monetary and non-monetary barriers to accessing environmental public benefit programs: experimental evidence from California,” at noon on Friday, Sept. 25, in 157 Hosler Building on Penn State’s University Park campus.

September 17, 2026

Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT), part of Penn State University Libraries, has named 21 recipients of the 2026 Faculty Engagement Awards with this year’s theme, “Teaching with AI Glasses: Augmented Reality for Real-Time Learning.”

September 17, 2026

The One Health Microbiome Center recognized five Penn State researchers and trainees with its 2026 awards for contributions to microbiome science, leadership, community engagement, creativity, research and mentorship.

September 17, 2026

Kashish Verma, a student in the agricultural and environmental plant science doctoral program in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been named a Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research Fellow for 2026-29.

September 15, 2026

Penn State graduate students in a research-based degree program are invited to participate in Penn State's annual Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT), hosted by the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School. 3MT helps graduate students improve their research communication and presentation skills, permitting just three minutes and one static presentation slide to effectively communicate their research and its impact to an audience outside their field.

September 15, 2026

Joe Louis has been named head of the Department of Plant Science in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, effective Oct. 7.

September 15, 2026

Two are better than one when it comes to sampling methods for tracking the location and timing of toxic chemical contamination in waterways, according to researchers at Penn State. The team tested two typical sampling approaches and found that both are needed to accurately assess both the variety and concentration of contaminants of emerging concern — pharmaceuticals, personal care products, livestock manure-borne hormones, veterinary antibiotics and pesticides — in a watershed.

September 14, 2026

Researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences performed a series of studies examining the prevalence of the Echinococcus tapeworm in wild canids and domestic dogs, along with the best ways to detect it.

September 10, 2026

Penn State researchers recently found that a camera paired with artificial intelligence could monitor individual turkeys and make reasonably accurate bodyweight predictions up to three weeks into the future.

September 9, 2026

Varieties of cacao plants — which give rise to chocolate — differently mitigate and manage a toxic heavy metal that occurs naturally in the plants' soil. Researchers have now identified genetic differences in how two varieties manage metal uptake and facilitate the metal’s movement throughout the plant, which could help inform breeding practices.

September 4, 2026

The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences celebrated 30 years since its 1996 founding as the Life Sciences Consortium with a reception at the Bryce Jordan Center’s 1855 Club.

September 2, 2026

Ava Ciabattoni, a fourth-year student majoring in pharmacology and toxicology in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has been selected for the Rachel Carson Council’s 2026-27 National Environmental Leadership Fellowship.