Featured Stories
Penn State biochemist Denise Okafor awarded 2026 Sloan Research Fellowship
Denise Okafor, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and of chemistry and Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Early Career Chair in Biophysics at Penn State, has been honored with 2026 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship. Awarded annually since 1955, the fellowship honors extraordinary researchers whose creativity, innovation and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of scientific leaders.
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Skeleton ‘gatekeeper’ lining brain cells could guard against Alzheimer’s
Brain cells are constantly swallowing material from the fluid that surrounds them — signaling molecules, nutrients, even pieces of their own surfaces — in a process known as endocytosis that is essential for learning, memory and basic neural upkeep. New research by Penn State scientists has revealed this vital process may be governed by a previously unknown molecular gatekeeper: a lattice‑like structure just beneath the surface of neurons called the membrane‑associated periodic skeleton.
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Domestication has changed the chemicals squash flowers use to attract bees
In a new study published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, a team led by researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences found that domesticated flowers have different scent chemical profiles than wild plants in several species of squash. Additionally, the specialized pollinators of these plants—squash bees—detect different compounds, called floral volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in wild plants that they co-evolved with than in domesticated plants.
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News
Apr 20, 2026
Connected habitats help wildlife fight disease, strengthen protective microbes
A team led by Penn State biologists found that amphibians in connected natural forests and aquatic habitats were more likely to host beneficial skin microbes that inhibit a deadly fungal pathogen. But when these habitats become spatially separated due to planted crops, infrastructure development or other human land use, those microbial defenses weaken and pathogen infection levels can increase with potentially deadly results.
Apr 20, 2026
Sun awarded Robert T. Simpson Graduate Student Award for Innovative Research.
The Graduate Program Core Committee announced that Jiawan Sun has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Robert T. Simpson Graduate Student Award for Innovative Research.
Apr 17, 2026
Student teams win cash awards for their AI solutions in the Nittany AI Challenge
A panel of industry experts and Penn State faculty selected five student teams as winners of the 2026 Nittany AI Challenge. The teams will use their prize money to continue developing projects that use artificial intelligence (AI) for the good of society.
News
Apr 20, 2026
Connected habitats help wildlife fight disease, strengthen protective microbes
A team led by Penn State biologists found that amphibians in connected natural forests and aquatic habitats were more likely to host beneficial skin microbes that inhibit a deadly fungal pathogen. But when these habitats become spatially separated due to planted crops, infrastructure development or other human land use, those microbial defenses weaken and pathogen infection levels can increase with potentially deadly results.
Apr 20, 2026
Sun awarded Robert T. Simpson Graduate Student Award for Innovative Research.
The Graduate Program Core Committee announced that Jiawan Sun has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Robert T. Simpson Graduate Student Award for Innovative Research.
Apr 17, 2026
Student teams win cash awards for their AI solutions in the Nittany AI Challenge
A panel of industry experts and Penn State faculty selected five student teams as winners of the 2026 Nittany AI Challenge. The teams will use their prize money to continue developing projects that use artificial intelligence (AI) for the good of society.
Apr 17, 2026
Penn State faculty member named American Physiological Society president-elect
Penn State Department of Kinesiology faculty member Lacy Alexander, professor of kinesiology and research professor in charge, has been named the 2025-26 president-elect of the American Physiological Society.
Events
Thursday Apr
23
Exploring the mechanisms of addiction vulnerability (and resilience) using multigenerational animal models of substance use
Neuroscience Seminar Series
Neuroscience Institute , Neuroscience
Friday Apr
24
Food Security and Access for Healthy Futures Symposium
Friday Apr
24
Seminar: From Disturbance to Resilience: Harnessing Soil Microbiomes for One Health and Sustainable Land Recovery.
Microbiome Center
Events
Thursday Apr
23
Exploring the mechanisms of addiction vulnerability (and resilience) using multigenerational animal models of substance use
Neuroscience Seminar Series
Neuroscience Institute , Neuroscience
Friday Apr
24
Food Security and Access for Healthy Futures Symposium
Friday Apr
24
Seminar: From Disturbance to Resilience: Harnessing Soil Microbiomes for One Health and Sustainable Land Recovery.
Microbiome Center
Friday Apr
24
AI for Nature: From Science to Action
Huck Distinguished Lecture Series
Distinguished Lectures in Life Science , Insect Biodiversity Center