$3M grant seeks bioprinted solution for reconstructive surgery’s blood problem
| psu.edu
When patients undergo reconstructive surgery for devastating injuries, one of the biggest obstacles surgeons face is restoring blood supply to the repaired tissue. Without a functioning vascular system, new grafts cannot survive. With a new $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, researchers at Penn State are taking on this challenge by combining advanced 3D bioprinting with a novel surgical method, known as micropuncture.
You can be exposed to PFAS through food, water, even swimming in lakes – new maps show how risk from ‘forever chemicals’ varies
| theconversation.com
PFAS exposure can vary significantly from one community to the next. A close-up view of three Great Lakes states offers some insights for everyone. This article was co-written by Ruohao Zhang, assistant professor of agricultural economics, sociology and education.
Newly named Child Health Research Center to advance health of children, families
| psu.edu
Recognizing the interconnectedness of children’s physical, mental and emotional health, the Center for Childhood Obesity Research has been reimagined and renamed the Child Health Research Center to reflect a broader range of child health research initiatives committed to improving child health and well-being across all areas of child development in Pennsylvania and beyond.
Don’t sweat it: New device detects sweat biomarker at minimal perspiration rate
| psu.edu
A team at Penn State has developed a novel wearable sensor capable of continuously monitoring low rates of perspiration for the presence of a lactate — a molecule the body uses to break down sugars for energy. This biomarker can indicate oxygen starvation in the body’s tissues, which is a key performance indicator for athletes as well as a potential sign of serious conditions such as sepsis or organ failure.
Antibody-making cells reveal new function in response to flu infection
| psu.edu
Researchers from the Penn State College of Medicine uncovered a previously unknown role of the immune cell that are known for making antibodies. In response to flu infection, specialized B cells produce the key signaling messenger that is essential to developing robust, long-lasting immunity.
Sept. 10 seminar: Policy mix can promote transition to 'circular' water systems
| psu.edu
Dale Whittington, professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a visiting scholar at Oxford University, will kick off the Initiative for Energy and Environmental Economics and Policy's fall seminar series with a talk exploring factors in the development of municipal water and sanitation services at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 10, in 157 Hosler Building, at Penn State University Park.
Connection among gut fungi, genetics and disease risk in humans identified
| psu.edu
A new genome-wide study by researchers at Penn State uncovers evidence of the first three-way relationships between human genetic variation, variation in the fungal component of the human microbiome — known as the mycobiome — and risk of developing chronic disease.
2026 Commercialization GAP Fund now accepting letters of intent
| psu.edu
Faculty researchers are invited to submit letters of intent for the 2026 cycle of the Penn State Commercialization GAP Fund, which provides targeted funding and support to help move promising research closer to commercialization. To be eligible, the principal investigator must be a full-time researcher at Penn State. The deadline for submitting is Sept. 29.
IST receives $1.5 million grant to educate future AI+cybersecurity leaders
| psu.edu
The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded $1.5 million to the Penn State College of Information Science and Technology for the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service Program, a federal government initiative to recruit and train the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. This year’s award also serves as a three-year pilot to educate students in both artificial intelligence and cybersecurity skills.
Interdisciplinary Innovation Fellowship awards six trainee-led projects
| psu.edu
The One Health Microbiome Center (OHMC) of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State has selected six candidates to receive the 2025 Interdisciplinary Innovation Fellowship, a competitive funding opportunity designed to empower trainee-led projects that blend disciplines in novel and impactful ways. This year, the six recipients were awarded up to $5,000 to support collaborative work that pushes the boundaries of traditional academic silos through acquisition of new skills, tools or approaches.
$5M NSF grant to enhance elementary STEM education in Mid-Atlantic
| psu.edu
The grant, made to Penn State College of Education’s Center for Science and the Schools, will help "elevate elementary teachers as the frontier of STEM education."
Applied Research Laboratory announces new internship program
| psu.edu
The Penn State Applied Research Laboratory (ARL), a University Affiliated Research Center, recently announced the Josiah Christophel Internship Program. The program provides students at ARL with the opportunity to broaden their experience base and work on advanced hands-on projects in information technology.