Latest News

May 16, 2024

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza was detected in dairy cattle for the first time in the United States in March, with nine states reporting outbreaks by May. While the method of transmission among cattle is currently unknown, new research published in Nature Communications demonstrates that a related strain of H5N1, subtype clade 2.3.4.4b, which caused an outbreak in farmed mink in 2022, could transmit through the air to a limited number of ferrets. This is the first time that a member of the group of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses has been shown to exhibit this ability. According to the Penn State researchers who led the study, the findings suggest these viruses are evolving to infect mammals and with potentially increased risk to humans.

May 14, 2024

"Research Art Collection," is on display in the Office of Senior Vice President for Research on the third floor in Old Main at University Park. The exhibit showcases the art of research and the research of art and is open to the public. 

May 9, 2024

A team led by Penn State researchers reviewed studies from the past 30 years to examine whether climate change is causing people to migrate out of the Arctic — or if, and why, they’re deciding to stay. They found that while individuals are not yet relocating due to climate change, at least one whole community has.

May 9, 2024

Two pollinator experts in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences discuss No Mow May and whether there's a better alternative to help support pollinators and biodiversity.

May 6, 2024

A research team in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has received a grant of nearly $1 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation to fund a novel project investigating the molecular and physiological processes that support corn kernel development.

May 3, 2024

The invasive insect emerald ash borer is killing ash trees at an unprecedented rate in the United States, and now five North American species of ash are considered critically endangered, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. But a small percentage are surviving, and research by Forest Service scientists suggests that those trees may hold the key for saving the species. In an effort to unlock the answer, researchers in the Louis W. Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics at Penn State are working with The Nature Conservancy and the USDA Forest Service to conduct genomic analysis of range-wide collections of green ash, white ash and black ash.

May 3, 2024

How well bees tolerate temperature extremes could determine their ability to persist in a changing climate. But heat tolerance varies between and within populations, so a research team led by Penn State entomologists examined bee physical traits — such as sex differences in body mass — to understand how these traits interact with environmental conditions, pathogens and other factors.

April 29, 2024

For most people, biting into a lemon would leave them puckered up and desperate to lose that sour flavor, but a new study by Penn State researchers revealed that roughly one in eight adults like intensely sour sensations. The cross-cultural study, recently published in the journal Food Quality and Preference, demonstrated there is a subset of “sour likers” who enjoy exceptionally sour foods.

April 29, 2024

Catching fireflies is an iconic summer experience for many people living in North America, but the flickering beetles are on the decline. A new study by a team that includes Penn State researchers has identified factors that may be contributing to declining populations.

April 22, 2024

New research from an international team, including a Penn State researcher, demonstrates — for the first time — the use of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in kissing bugs and opens the door to research on applied strategies for Chagas disease control.

April 22, 2024

States that are associated with signature varietals of wine can realize an economic benefit — some examples are regions in California linked with zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, Oregon with pinot noir and the Finger Lakes region of New York with riesling. Now, a new study by Penn State researchers suggests that a wine grape called grüner veltliner could potentially do the same for  Pennsylvania.

April 22, 2024

Stormwater runoff has become one of the leading causes of water pollution in urban environments, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, due to years of cities implementing “gray” infrastructure. Stuart Echols, associate professor of landscape architecture in the Stuckeman School, is working to rectify this with the support of the recently awarded 2024 Stuckeman Fund for Collaborative Design Research Grant for $50,000 over the course of two years.

April 18, 2024

Six Penn State faculty members in areas ranging from neuropharmacology to computer architecture have been elected to the 2023 cohort of fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. This year, AAAS recognized a total of 502 scientists, engineers and innovators with this lifetime honor, bestowed by their peers, for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements.

April 18, 2024

Penn State Climate Consortium announced 11 workshops designed to create and implement climate change solutions through its Climate Solutions Accelerator program.

April 17, 2024

A new study highlights the effects climate change may have on children and social support systems in Africa, a question that has received relatively little attention from researchers and the policy community.

April 16, 2024

An agricultural engineer in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is embarking on research to explore using plant-based materials for 3D printing, thanks to support from the U.S. National Science Foundation.

April 16, 2024

High-tunnel growing systems, sometimes called hoophouses, have gained popularity for their ability to enhance growth conditions and extend the growing season of horticultural crops. Now, a team led by Penn State researchers has demonstrated that growers can select various plastic film coverings on the structures — depending on their desired light-filtering properties — to protect plants and enhance their health.

April 12, 2024

Antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly serious threat for public health, and the use of antimicrobials in livestock feed has been a major contributing factor in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance to many drugs, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Led by Erika Ganda, assistant professor of food animal microbiomes, a Penn State research team conducted a study of natural feed additives that are promising alternatives to substitute for antimicrobial growth promoters.

April 12, 2024

A nationwide team of agricultural scientists, including researchers at Penn State, has launched a decision aid that provides an unbiased, science-based interpretation of soil test phosphorus and potassium values for crop fertilization, with an eye toward potentially saving farmers millions of dollars annually while reducing excess nutrient losses to the environment.

April 11, 2024

A team led by Penn State researchers published the first documentation of arthropods that visited yellow-eyed grasses in Guyana, a South American country where species of the plant are most diverse.

April 5, 2024

The size of an individual snack piece not only influences how fast a person eats it, but also how much of it they eat, according to a new study led by researchers at Penn State. With nearly a quarter of daily calorie intake in the United States coming from snacks, these findings may have implications for helping people better understand how eating behavior impacts calorie and sodium intake. 

March 28, 2024

Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is a livestock disease that results in large economic losses to animal agriculture worldwide. The disease can also transmit to humans and cause severe illness and death. Researchers from Penn State, Addis Ababa University and the University of Cambridge have now demonstrated that a vaccine for TB currently used in humans significantly reduces infectiousness of vaccinated livestock, improving prospects for elimination and control. The study published today (March 28) in the journal Science.   

March 28, 2024

U.S. companies actively engaged in creating innovative products or processes are more likely to expand into international markets, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. The findings, which apply to both rural and urban companies, could inform efforts aimed at boosting U.S. exports.

March 19, 2024

As climate change worsens global drought conditions, hindering crop production, the search for ways to capture and store atmospheric carbon causing the phenomenon has intensified. Penn State researchers have developed a new high-tech tool that could spur changes in how crops withstand drought, acquire nitrogen and store carbon deeper in soil.

March 13, 2024

Forests and streams are separate but linked ecosystems, existing side by side, with energy and nutrients crossing their porous borders and flowing back and forth between them. For example, leaves fall from trees, enter streams, decay and feed aquatic insects. Those insects emerge from the waters and are eaten by birds and bats. An international team led by Penn State researchers has now found that these ecosystems appear to keep the energy exchanges in balance — a finding that the scientists called surprising. 

March 12, 2024

A newly developed intranasal vaccine candidate, called SpyCage, helps to clear COVID-19 infections more quickly than controls in pre-clinical testing, according to a recent study led by researchers at Penn State.

March 11, 2024

Penn State researchers examined community member's COVID-19 perceptions in Bristol Bay, Alaska, home to the world’s largest commercial salmon fishery, and found perceptions of risk varied across race/ethnicity groups by residency and income.

March 8, 2024

A new study led by researchers at Penn State has clarified how a widespread bacteria called Wolbachia and a virus that it carries can cause sterility in male insects by hijacking their sperm. These findings could improve techniques to control populations of agricultural pests and insects that carry diseases like Zika and dengue to humans.

March 4, 2024

The latest episode of the "Growing Impact" podcast examines the challenges and potential negative health outcomes of PFAS in drinking water, highlighting efforts to evaluate decontamination technologies for safer community water sources.

February 28, 2024

Synthesized from cholesterol in the liver, bile acids long have been known to play a role in human metabolism. A team led by Penn State researchers has uncovered the mechanism by which bacteria in the gut generate a wide variety of new bile acid species, the functions of which are not yet clear.