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Research Press Release Archive

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A multi-page list of all research press releases since 1997

Features that make lizards sexy are resilient to stress: 17 April 2019 — Physical traits and behaviors that make a lizard sexy—features used to attract potential mates and fend off competitors—may be important enough that they do not change in the face of stress, according to Penn State researchers.
First ever open public alerts from LIGO: Two probable black-hole mergers spotted in first weeks after gravitational-wave detector is updated: 16 April 2019 — Two new probable gravitational waves have been detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the Virgo observatory in Italy in the first weeks after the detectors were updated.
A new signal for a neutron star collision discovered: 16 April 2019 — A bright burst of X-rays has been discovered by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory—including Penn State researchers—in a galaxy 6.6 billion light years from Earth, an event that likely signals the merger of two neutron stars.
Researchers to study genetic roots of Parkinson's disease with NSF grant: 12 April 2019 — A pair of Penn State professors will combine different sources of information to more efficiently identify genes involved in disease progression. Ultimately, this work may help to further precision medicine.
New computer model automatically, aesthetically crops photos: 12 April 2019 — Computers can now automatically crop photos to capture the most interesting part in an aesthetically pleasing manner, thanks to researchers at Penn State.
New SCATTIRSTORM microscope could improve bioenergy production: 11 April 2019 — The construction of a new multimodal optical microscope, SCATTIRSTORM, that could enable more efficient bioenergy production, is the focus of a three-year, $1.5 million, U.S. Department of Energy grant awarded to three Penn State researchers.
Unjamming the genome after DNA damage: A gene regulatory multi-tool has yet another function: 05 April 2019 — A protein complex that is involved in nearly every step in the regulatory control of gene expression in cells has now been shown also to play a key role in clearing potential traffic jams in the production of RNA.
The Serengeti-Mara squeeze: One of the world’s most iconic ecosystems under pressure: 01 April 2019 — Increased human activity around one of Africa’s most iconic ecosystems is “squeezing the wildlife in its core,” damaging habitat and disrupting the migration routes of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle, according to an international study that included a researcher at Penn State.
Extremely accurate measurements of atom states for quantum computing: 25 March 2019 — A new method allows the quantum state of atomic “qubits”—the basic unit of information in quantum computers—to be measured with twenty times less error than was previously possible, without losing any atoms.
Researchers find features that shape mechanical force during protein synthesis: 01 March 2019 — A team of researchers has taken another step toward understanding the mechanical force of protein synthesis, and created a mathematical model that can help guide future work on the process.
Iridescent color from clear droplets: 27 February 2019 — Under the right conditions, ordinary clear water droplets on a transparent surface can produce brilliant colors, without the addition of inks or dyes.
Human settlements and rainfall affect giraffe home ranges: 25 February 2019 — Giraffes that live close to densely populated towns have larger home ranges than giraffes that live far from towns.
Penn State’s Habitable Zone Planet Finder Enables Discovery of Planets Around Cool Stars: 20 February 2019 — A new astronomical spectrograph built by a Penn State-led team of scientists provides the highest precision measurements to date of infrared signals from nearby stars, allowing astronomers to detect planets capable of having liquid water on their surfaces that orbit cool stars outside our Solar System.
Altered data sets can still provide statistical integrity and preserve privacy: 16 February 2019 — Synthetic networks may increase the availability of some data while still protecting individual or institutional privacy, according to a Penn State statistician.
New method uses fluorescence to identify disease-causing forms of proteins: 13 February 2019 — A new method uses fluorescence to detect potentially disease-causing forms of proteins as they unravel due to stress or mutations.
Toward automated animal identification in wildlife research: 11 February 2019 — A new program developed by researchers from Penn State and Microsoft Azure automatically detects regions of interest within images, alleviating a serious bottleneck in processing photos for wildlife research.
Simple drug combination creates new neurons from neighboring cells: 07 February 2019 — A simple drug combination that converts cells neighboring damaged neurons into functional new neurons could potentially be used to treat stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and brain injuries.
Open-access satellite data allows tracking of seasonal population movements: 06 February 2019 — A massive release of passive-surveillance satellite data of nighttime lights could help researchers in fields ranging from agriculture to epidemiology.
Male birth control for the malaria parasite: 31 January 2019 — Disrupting two genes involved in the preservation of RNA molecules inhibits the ability of the male form of the malaria parasite to mature and be transmitted from human blood into mosquitoes.
Membraneless protocells could provide clues to formation of early life: 31 January 2019 — Membraneless protocells allow RNAs to participate in fundamental chemical reactions, providing clues to early steps in origin of life on earth.