Life Sciences

Diverse symbionts of reef corals have endured since 'age of dinosaurs'
Reef corals comprise thousands or millions of genetically identical algal polyps, which remain attached to each other to produce massive colonies. This close-up shows Orbicella, an important reef-building coral in the Caribbean. The species and its symbiosis with micro-algae has been studied extensively. Credit: Penn State
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
Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation funding renewed
Daniel Cosgrove, Professor and Holder of the Eberly Chair in Biology and director of the Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation, holds a 3D-printed model of a plant cell wall. Credit: Nate Follmer, Penn State
Wildfire management designed to protect Spotted Owls may be outdated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
Altered Body Odor Indicates Malaria Even if Microscope Doesn't
Mosquito obtaining a blood meal from a human host.

An international team of researchers is working on new ways to identify malaria patients, especially infected individuals who show no malaria symptoms.

Mobile App Helps African Farmers Fight Crop Pest
An armyworm larvae burrows through an ear of corn.

Penn State and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization launch new mobile app to fight fast-spreading pest.

Human Enzyme Stops Viruses from Replicating
Structural model of the antiviral enzyme viperin.

The newest antiviral drugs could take advantage of a compound that isn't made by humans, but inside them.

Uncovering the Hidden Complexity Underlying Autism
Complex illustration of similar genes in flies and humans.

While some diseases are caused by mutations in single genes, autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders are the result of many genes inte

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
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.
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