September 8, 2020
As part of the University’s testing and contact tracing plan shared during a July 30 community town hall, Penn State has launched the Testing and Surveillance Center (TASC), to be used for random asymptomatic surveillance testing at the University Park campus.
September 3, 2020
The technology “Virus-like Particles as Protein Delivery Vehicles” offers a new tool for delivering therapeutics such as CRISPR enzymes directly into patients’ cells, providing an alternative to AAV vectors and other DNA delivery approaches that can lead to unintended genome changes.
August 26, 2020
A collaborative project between Penn State and Purdue University will develop a novel vaccine solution for COVID-19. Dr. Suresh Kuchipudi, clinical professor of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences and Associate Director of Penn State Animal Diagnostic laboratory will collaborate with Dr. Suresh Mitral, distinguished professor of microbiology, Purdue University on this project. The team has been awarded $3.8 Million by the National Institutes of Health of which over $2Million will come to Penn State.
August 25, 2020
Dairy cows that received a short course of anti-inflammatory medication after calving had lower metabolic stress and produced more milk than untreated cows, according to researchers, who say the regimen they tested could be adopted more easily by producers than previously studied treatment strategies.
August 11, 2020
Jason W. Brooks, associate clinical professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences at Penn State, has been named director of the Forensic Science program in the Eberly College of Science’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, effective Sept. 14.
August 10, 2020
Two students in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Janelle Answer and Justin Kurtz, have received the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
July 15, 2020
Congratulations to Dr. Suresh Kuchipudi who has received a highly competitive three year grant from USDA-NIFA to study “The Susceptibility and Potential Adaption to SARS-Cov-2 in Livestock” Dr. Kuchipudi is a Clinical Professor and Head of the Microbiology Section at the Animal Diagnostic Lab.
July 14, 2020
Dr.'s Adrian Barragan and Ernest Hovingh’s recent experiment on 246 postpartum dairy cows in PA showed results that supports previous findings showing that the use of anti-inflammatory drugs after calving may increase milk production and affect the metabolic status of dairy cows.
July 10, 2020
Dr. Todd A. Jackson, who holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine and is recognized as a Diplomat of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, has been named Director of the Animal Resource Program at Penn State, beginning Sept. 28 and reporting to the Senior Vice President for Research. Dr. Jackson will also hold a position as research professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. Welcome to Penn State Dr. Jackson!
July 10, 2020
Alum Dr. Yuanting Chen’s recent pub was a ft. article in This Week in Blood. Chen presents a novel paradigm of the role of erythropoietin (Epo) in stress hematopoiesis.
July 10, 2020
Dr. Josh Kellogg is offering a new course- VBSC 497 Principles of Metabolomics (3 credits) for Sp. 2021 semester. Undergrads and Graduate students will be introduced to the world of metabolomics. The course will cover metabolomics experiments, from sample prep, analytical chemistry, data acquisition and analysis, to statistical treatment of datasets. This will be somewhat hands-on, so students will get experience manipulating data and getting a ‘feel’ for what an experiment is like. Contact the Dept for more details!
July 9, 2020
A collaboration of Penn State researchers, including Dr. Adam Glick, developed a unique nanoparticle to deliver a localized cancer treatment. Once the nanoparticles built up in the cancerous area, they used a specific wavelength of light to separate the miRNA from the nanoparticles. The miRNA then pairs with a mRNA in the cancer cell, causing the mRNA to stop making proteins. Eventually, the cancer cell dies.
July 8, 2020
Graduate student Shaneice Nettleford was first author on a recent publication based on the Prabhu Lab’s student that indicated a crucial role for dietary selenium and selenoproteins in the protection against inflammation following enteric infection via immune mechanisms involving epithelial barrier integrity and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). Not only does preventative and/or adjuvant therapy with selenium efficiently resolves GI inflammation, such a dietary intervention method also aids in enhancing resolution of inflammation associated with an enteric bacterial infection.
July 1, 2020
Dr. Robert Nichols, postdoc alum from Patterson Lab, received a USDA grant to study "organophosphate (OP) chlorpyrifos" a commonly used pesticide for fruits and vegetables despite its potential to cause neurotoxicity in children and neonates.
July 1, 2020
Congratulations to Asst. Research Professor Dr. Sougat Misra for receiving the 2020/2021 Horace T. Woodward Faculty Development Fund from the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences! Dr. Misra invented a novel strategy to target cancer cells using specific combinations of nature-inspired small molecules that bring about catastrophic redox anomaly in cancer cells. He will use this funding to further pursue his research in an aggressive model of human leukemia.
June 17, 2020
Dr. Troy Sutton discusses in a new article what it is like to handle the SARS-CoV-2 virus, suiting up, feeling safer in the lab, and how his lab was built for this type of work!
June 11, 2020
Congratulations to Dr. Margherita Cantorna, Distinguished Professor of Molecular Immunology as she has been named a 2020/2021 Big Ten Academic Alliance’s Academic Leadership Program (ALP) Fellow! The intensive experience develops the leadership and managerial skills of faculty who have demonstrated exceptional ability and academic promise.
June 8, 2020
Muskrat populations have declined sharply across North America over the last 50 years or so, and wildlife scientists have struggled to understand why. A new study by a Pennsylvania research team is investigating whether pathogens, parasites, environmental contaminants and disease may be contributing to this decline.
May 26, 2020
Bill Bahnfleth, co-principal investigator (PI) and professor of architectural engineering, is joining co-PI Suresh Kuchipudi, clinical professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences, to study the ability of optical radiation to disinfect surfaces and reduce transmission of viruses.
May 22, 2020
Santosh Panthi, a Pathobiology Grad Student in Dr. Schmitt's Lab, has been awarded the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Graduate Internship presented by the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. The internship is designed to foster technology development by providing a graduate student the opportunity to take their research project towards commercialization. Santosh is working on virus-like particles based protein delivery technology that the lab has been working on. Congratulations and good luck Santosh!
May 19, 2020
“Dr.'s Suresh Kuchipudi and Bhushan Jayarao team up with others from the Animal Diagnostics Lab in the latest Frontiers paper to demonstrate how NLRC5 serves as a pro-viral factor for the Avian influenza viruses (AIVs), a disease that causes major economic losses to the global poultry industry.”
May 8, 2020
With thousands of people out of work due to the COVID-19 crisis — and food banks working tirelessly to feed an ever-growing number of hungry families — Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is doing its part to fill empty shelves and refrigerators.
May 8, 2020
The new Animal, Veterinary, and Biomedical Sciences Building will replace the 52-year-old Henning Building and co-locate the departments of Animal Science and Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. The 105,000 square foot new construction will feature an array of unique spaces and facilities for students, faculty, and staff. - Ways to Give: Contact the College’s Development team , who is ready to connect your passions with a gift designed to meet your priorities and create a lasting legacy in this dynamic new space. Make a gift of any amount online today.
May 6, 2020
Researchers in Penn State’s College of Engineering, College of Agricultural Sciences and College of Medicine say direct LTP treatment and plasma-activated media are effective treatments against bacteria found in liquid cultures and have devised a way to create plasma directly in liquids.
May 5, 2020
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences is staying connected to alumni during the COVID-19 pandemic by moving its monthly Alumni Society board meetings and other alumni activities online.
May 4, 2020
Thanks to the amazing work and generosity of Dr. Nuket Acar, VBSC Seniors will be receiving in the mail hand-made masks that they can wear during their graduation ceremony and beyond. Our seniors (and all undergraduate students) safety and their connectivity to us as a department is vital. Thank you Dr. Acar for your creative thinking and making our seniors feel appreciated! Big shout out to Karen Brown in the Admin Office for pulling all the pieces of this project together as well!
May 4, 2020
Dr. Adrian Barragan, specializes in cow management & dairy cattle reproduction/medicine. He is exceptional with on-the-farm training's, and can do so in both English and Español.
April 29, 2020
Senior Courtney Page won 3rd place in the recent Undergraduate Exhibition in Health & Life Science form "Investigation into the regulation of [1, 25(OH)2D3] by CPY24A1 and the impact on T cell proliferation". An Immunology and Infectious Disease major and only Ag Science student to win out of nearly 200 students, representing 11 Penn State Campuses. Courtney is under the supervision of Dr. Margherita Cantorna. and plans to continue her studies at Wake Forest University this Fall in the Molecular and Cellular Bio-sciences PhD program. Congratulations to Courtney and all the winners!
April 15, 2020
Suresh Kuchipudi, associate director of the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory and professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences, and colleagues are using their seed grant to characterize the ability of optical radiation to disinfect and reduce transmission of corona viruses.
April 13, 2020
Farmers and pet owners who may be concerned that they can contract COVID-19 from domestic animals — such as livestock, dogs and cats — have little to worry about, according to a virologist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
