Pulse #39

Novel INSECT NET monitoring project addresses biodiversity crisis

A team of Penn State researchers has received a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to spearhead a new initiative to create novel monitoring systems for insect populations, many of which are experiencing dramatic changes across the globe due to changes in land use, pollution and climate change.

First full DNA sequencing of human Y chromosome achieved

The first full sequence of the last human chromosome — the Y chromosome — to be assembled is complete, thanks to an international collaboration that includes Penn State researchers. The new sequence, which fills in gaps across more than 50% of the Y chromosome’s length, uncovers genomic features with implications for fertility, such as factors in sperm production, as well as cancer risk and severity.

Ganda awarded $1.3M to study threats to livestock and people

Erika Ganda, assistant professor of food animal microbiomes and executive committee member of Penn State’s One Health Microbiome Center, was recently awarded two grants totaling $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to lead teams of scientists in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State Extension in studies of pathogenic threats to livestock and people.

One Health Microbiome Center names Innovation Fellows

The One Health Microbiome Center (OHMC) in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences at Penn State has named five recipients for its 2023-24 Interdisciplinary Innovation Fellowships (IIF) program, which aims to promote collaborative training opportunities for center members and research development.