Don't avoid the outdoors, avoid tick bites
Pennsylvania ranks first in the nation in reported cases of Lyme disease. The blacklegged tick, commonly known as the deer tick, carries the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Credit: Patrick Mansell
Wildfire management designed to protect Spotted Owls may be outdated
New research reveals that, contrary to current perceptions and forest management strategies, wildfires may be beneficial to populations of Spotted Owls, including those of the subspecies of California Spotted Owls pictured here. Image Credit: John S. Senser, U.S. Forest Service
Finding the proteins that unpack DNA
DNA is typically wrapped tightly around proteins called histones (colored) to form a nucleosome, a structure that condenses DNA strands to fit in a cell’s nucleus. A new method allows scientists to identify specialized proteins called nucleosome-displacing factors that unwrap these nucleosomes, making the usually dense DNA more accessible for gene expression and other functions. Image: Karolin Luger
New era of space research launched by IceCube Observatory and global team of astronomers
A flaring supermassive black hole 3.7 billion light-years from Earth in the constellation Orion is the suspected source of a super-high-energy subatomic particle -- a neutrino -- that has launched a new era of space research. Credit: Nate Follmer, Penn State
The hidden complexity underlying a common cause of autism: Uncovering genetic interactions responsible for neurodevelopmental disorders
Illustration of chromosome 16 showing the 14 fly counterparts of the 25 human genes located in a deletion on the chromosome that is associated with autism risk. Researchers used RNA interference (RNAi) to the reduce the expression of these genes individually and in tandem to test how the interactions of these genes modulate neurodevelopmental symptoms associated with the deletion. Interactions between genes that either enhance or suppress the affect of reduced expression are shown by red or blue lines.
'Nuru' becomes African farmers' newest ally against fall armyworm
Fall armyworm larvae have caused an estimated $2.5 billion to $6.2 billion in damage annually to maize in sub-Saharan Africa since the pest arrived there in 2016. Image: John C. French Sr., Bugwood.org
Compound made inside human body stops viruses from replicating
A structural model of viperin, a naturally occurring enzyme in humans that is known to have antiviral effects on viruses such as West Nile, hepatitis C, rabies, and HIV. A new study led by researchers from Penn State and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine reveals the mode of action of viperin, which facilitates an important reaction that results in the production of ddhCTP, a molecule that prevents viruses from copying their genetic material.
Capturing light in a waveguide array: Confined, insensitive light could improve lasers, solar cells
Climate change forced zombie ant fungi to adapt
A Brazilian carpenter ant biting a leaf. Image: David Hughes
Eberly College of Science undergraduate earns Astronaut Scholarship
Taylor Baum
Subscribe to Research