Cellular maintenance crew may miss as much as half of certain misfolded proteins
| psu.edu
A new study led by Penn State scientists revealed that proteins containing a certain type of structure are more likely to misfold, yet nearly half still manage to evade the cellular maintenance crew that would typically remove the malfunctioning protein. The misfolded proteins that persist could accumulate in cells, disrupting the balance of protein production and recycling and potentially contributing to aging and disease, according to the researchers.
Penn State, Battalion launch research collaboration focused on national security
| psu.edu
Penn State and Battalion Advanced Technology Ltd. have entered into two research agreements worth up to $6 million to develop advanced semiconductor platforms and high-temperature materials that aim to enable next-generation energy, transportation, aerospace and industrial systems while also providing critical capabilities for national security.
Students take advantage of experiential learning opportunities
| psu.edu
This summer was a time for travel, research, internships and expanding classroom lessons for many students in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.
NIH awards Penn State CTSI $28.2M to improve rural health
| psu.edu
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at Penn State College of Medicine recently received a seven-year, $28.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. The funding will help the institute pioneer scalable models to solve health challenges in rural areas and turn medical discoveries into real-world treatments, according to Jennifer Kraschnewski, who directs CTSI.
Schuylkill student connects agriculture and conservation through Co-Op
| psu.edu
For Penn State Schuylkill Co-Op student Isabella Whitsel, an interest in agriculture and environmental stewardship came together this summer through a hands-on internship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Raystown Lake. Whitsel, a second-year agricultural science student, worked as a Student Conservation Natural Resource intern at the Raystown Lake Project.
Sept. 9 talk to discuss modeling historic flood impacts on housing markets
| psu.edu
Jingzhou Wang, a graduate student in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology and Education at Penn State, will give the talk “Flood Risk and Housing Markets without Flood Insurance: Evidence from 1930s Pittsburgh,” at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 9, in 157 Hosler Building on Penn State's University Park campus.
Center for Socially Responsible AI invites 2027 seed funding proposals
| psu.edu
Penn State’s Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence invites short proposals for its annual seed funding program. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 2, with projects expected to start in spring 2027 and last up to two years.
Ocean heatwaves linked with poorer health among children in coastal communities
| psu.edu
Marine heatwaves — periods of abnormally warm ocean temperatures — may have negative health effects on children who live in coastal communities in low- or middle-income countries, according to a study led by researchers at Penn State and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Q&A: Can U.S. parks promote safety, recreation and environmental protection?
| psu.edu
National parks in the United States have a potentially contradictory dual mission: protect natural areas while also facilitating recreational use of those areas. In this Q&A, Bing Pan, professor of recreation, park, and tourism management, addressed how to balance these factors and more.
Data center projects in Pennsylvania face stronger local scrutiny after Shapiro’s executive order
| by Mike Helbing
Governors across the country are relying on their executive powers to address the increasing public backlash against data center proposals.
Interface’s Minné joins Penn State Smeal Sustainability Advisory Board
| psu.edu
Travis Lesser, director of the Penn State Smeal College of Business Center for the Business of Sustainability, has announced the addition of Liz Minné to the Smeal Sustainability Advisory Board.
Sept. 4 talk to focus on training neural networks to improve volcano monitoring
| psu.edu
Rebecca Bussard, postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Geosciences at Penn State, will give the talk “Mitigating Atmospheric Noise in InSAR Time-series Over Volcanic Targets Using a Convolutional Neural Network,” at 2 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, in 117 Earth and Engineering Sciences Building on the University Park campus and via Zoom.