Newly Discovered Carbon on Mars: Origin May Be Biologically Produced Methane
NASA’s Curiosity rover landed on Mars on August 6, 2012, and since then has roamed Gale Crater taking samples and sending the results back home…
Penn State University
First Evidence of Coronal Rain on a Cold Star?
Observations of a distant stellar flare could contain the first evidence of coronal rain on a cool, small M-dwarf star. High-resolution spectroscopic observations of a…
Distortion: Scientists Discover New Strategy for Antibodies To Disable Viruses
It is widely understood that antibodies neutralize viruses by latching onto their surfaces and blocking them from infecting host cells. But new research reveals that…
Scientists Uncover the Evolutionary Genetic Pathway That Colors Bumble Bee Stripes
Roar supercomputer provides computational power for data-intense gene expression studies. While most people in the U.S. may think of bumble bees as the standard yellow…
Black Holes of All Shapes and Sizes in Largest Catalog of Gravitational Wave Events Ever Assembled
The largest catalog of gravitational wave events ever assembled has been released by an international collaboration that includes Penn State researchers. Gravitational waves are ripples…
Using Defects To Turn Inert Materials Into Useful, Active Ones
Demonstrating that a material thought to be always chemically inert, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), can be turned chemically active holds potential for a new class…
A Mars-Sized Planet Discovered Orbiting Extremely Close to Host Star – Its Year Is Less Than 10 Hours
The planetary nature of a Mars-sized object orbiting extremely closely to an M-dwarf star has been validated using the Penn State Habitable-zone Planet Finder (HPF)….
Lunar Radar Data From China’s Chang’e 3 Mission Uncovers New Clues About Moon’s Ancient Past
The dusty surface of the moon — immortalized in images of Apollo astronauts’ lunar footprints — formed as the result of asteroid impacts and the…
COVID Omicron Variant: How Did It Emerge and Is It More Contagious Than Delta? A Virus Evolution Expert Explains
A new variant named omicron (B.1.1.529) was reported by researchers in South Africa on November 24, 2021, and designated a “variant of concern” by the…
Cellular Computing: “Logic Gate” Paves Way for Nanoscale Computers To Treat Cancer and Other Diseases
The creation of nanoscale computers for use in precision health care has long been a dream of many scientists and health care providers. Now, for…
Sustainably Mining Rare Earth Elements From Fertilizer Byproduct
Despite their name, rare earth elements are not actually that rare. The 17 metallic elements are ubiquitous in nature and are becoming even more common…
Over 80% of Deer in Study Test Positive for COVID – They May Be a Reservoir for the Virus To Continually Circulate
More than 80% percent of the white-tailed deer sampled in different parts of Iowa between December 2020 and January 2021 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The…
First-of-Its-Kind Wearable Glucose Monitoring Device – No Needles Required
Penn State researchers develop first-of-its-kind wearable, noninvasive glucose monitoring device prototype. Noninvasive glucose monitoring devices are not currently commercially available in the United States, so…
Affordable Saliva-Based COVID-19 Test May Provide At-Home Results in 30 Minutes
Penn State electrical engineering professor Aida Ebrahimi receives NIH Trailblazer Award to develop a daily testing device. Current COVID-19 tests require laboratory processing, resulting in…
Persistent “Long COVID” Symptoms Suffered by More Than Half of People Diagnosed With COVID-19
Half of COVID survivors experience lingering symptoms six months after recovery. More than half of the 236 million people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19…
Concrete World: Engineers To Improve Reinforced Steel To Contain High-Level Nuclear Waste
Metals embedded in concrete can erode, rusting, and weakening until the concrete splits and the structure it supports falls. Such corrosion is believed to be…
New Sensor Can Detect Valuable Rare Earth Element in Waste Sources
Low concentrations of terbium could be identified from acid mine drainage and other waste sources. A new luminescent sensor can detect terbium, a valuable rare…
Coral Microbiome (Bacteria, Fungi and Viruses) Is Key to Surviving Climate Change
Researchers tease apart contributions of symbiotic bacteria and algae to corals’ heat tolerance and identify genes involved in stress response. The microbiomes of corals —…