https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Pennsylvania State University Maintaining connections between natural habitats may support beneficial microbes that help wildlife defend against disease. In a new study of tropical amphibians, a team led by Penn State biologists found that amphibians in connected natural forests and aquatic habitats were more likely to host beneficial skin microbes that inhibit a deadly fungal pathogen. But when these habitats become spatially separated due to planted crops, infrastructure development or other human land use, those microbial defenses weaken and pathogen infection levels can increase with potentially deadly results. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-habitats-frogs-microbes-curb-deadly.html Ecology Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:00:05 EDT news695915581 Yoga may help support individuals recovering from substance use disorders, according to researchers at Penn State Brandywine. The team includes Kendall Taylor, a fourth-year psychology student at Penn State Brandywine, who recently presented the work at the Eastern Psychological Association's annual conference in Boston and at the campus's Student Engagement Expo. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-yoga-traditional-recovery.html Sun, 19 Apr 2026 19:30:02 EDT news695634788 Every 25 minutes in the United States, a baby is diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a condition that occurs in newborns who have been exposed to opioids in the womb and develop withdrawal after birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Historically, research has focused on the impact of NAS—also known as neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome—on the health and development of young children, which has found that prenatal opioid exposure is associated with increased risk for adverse developmental, cognitive and behavioral outcomes in early childhood. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-prenatal-opioid-exposure-babies-doesnt.html Education Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:00:04 EDT news695313246 Soft electrodes designed to perfectly match a person's brain surface may help advance neural interfaces for neurodegenerative disease monitoring and treatment, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. Neural interfaces are powered by tiny sensors capable of tracking biophysical signals, known as bioelectrodes. These sensors are usually made from stiff materials in a one-size-fits-all design that struggles to match the brain's complex structure. The researchers have created a novel approach to 3D printing bioelectrodes that can stretch and morph to fit the minor differences that make every brain unique. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-3d-brain-sensors-personalized-neural.html Sat, 18 Apr 2026 17:00:01 EDT news695572909 A coaching tool built into artificial intelligence (AI)-powered systems may raise user awareness of bias in AI algorithms and help individuals better prompt generative AI tools to produce more inclusive content, according to researchers at Penn State and Oregon State University. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-prompt-tool-user-awareness-bias.html Computer Sciences Thu, 16 Apr 2026 08:00:02 EDT news695543535 An unusually mild winter followed by a wet spring made last year one of the worst in a decade for Pennsylvania soybean growers. It wasn't the soybeans that were the problem; it was the slugs. The pests survived the warm winter to lay a second round of eggs, and twice as many slugs hatched in the spring of 2024 as the year before. The slugs ate so many seedlings that some growers had to replant three times. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-unpredictable-resilient-crops-world.html Agriculture Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:40:03 EDT news695293131 Superconductors—materials that can conduct electricity without energy loss—are crucial for next-generation high-efficiency, ultrafast electronics. However, most superconductors share a critical limitation: they lose their superconducting properties in strong magnetic fields. In contrast, a class of superconductors containing heavy elements can sustain an unusual type of superconductivity in magnetic fields beyond the conventional limit. Now, new research has demonstrated that this limitation can be overcome by sandwiching atomically thin films of a lightweight element called gallium between two other materials to engineer quantum interactions at the interfaces between the layers. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-unusual-superconductivity-lightweight-element.html Superconductivity Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:00:03 EDT news695304894 Pennsylvania is the fourth-largest wine producer in the United States, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The industry supports nearly 11,000 jobs and directly contributes $1.77 billion to the state economy annually. In an effort to produce more and better grapes at a lower cost and with less environmental impact, vineyard growers have increasingly planted grass between rows of vines. These groundcovers root shallowly, but can benefit vineyard soils and reduce the need for herbicide applications. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-simple-vineyard-impacts-soil-microbiome.html Ecology Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:30:02 EDT news694972622 Undergraduate students at Penn State Brandywine developed an environmentally friendly and easy method to synthesize compounds from plant-derived molecules for potential use in therapeutics. Their work, conducted under the supervision of Penn State Brandywine Assistant Professor of Chemistry Anna Sigmon, was published in a special issue of the journal ACS Omega titled "Undergraduate Research as the Stimulus for Scientific Progress in the U.S." https://phys.org/news/2026-04-greener-route-citrus-derived-therapeutics.html Biochemistry Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:00:05 EDT news694876344 Data centers consume millions of homes' worth of electricity each year, with much of that electricity simply powering the cooling systems that keep the facilities operational. Researchers at Penn State are addressing this inefficiency by using artificial intelligence (AI) to dynamically adjust data centers' power usage to peak when the weather is favorable and electricity is affordable. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-04-software-cooling-energy-centers.html Software Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:20:01 EDT news694777914 Cell cultures—single layers of cells grown in a small dish—have enabled researchers to study biological growth, develop or test drugs and even discover what causes some diseases. Cell spheroids, 3D versions of cell cultures built using a process known as cell aggregation, are the next step in advancing this work, capable of more closely modeling real tissue. A new technology, invented by researchers from Penn State and detailed in a paper published in Advanced Science, could breathe fresh air into bottom-up tissue fabrication and potentially large-scale tissue engineering by addressing these issues. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-cell-snowball-large-scale-tissue.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:30:01 EDT news694710961 Not having enough food may have had a greater negative effect on mental health in the United States than unemployment or loss of income during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study led by Penn State researchers. The study, published in PLOS One, examined how loss of income or employment and food sufficiency impacted the mental health of Americans during the pandemic. The researchers found that not having enough food—or food insufficiency—was more strongly linked to poorer mental health than losing income, and both food insufficiency and lower income mattered more than unemployment alone. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-hunger-mental-health-harder-job.html Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:20:01 EDT news694695901 While the COVID-19 pandemic challenged all veterans transitioning to civilian life, female post-9/11 veterans experienced a sharper decline in overall well-being compared to their male counterparts, according to new research from the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-female-veterans-steeper-declines-covid.html Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:20:01 EDT news694437181 Superconductivity—the ability of a material to conduct electricity without any energy loss to heat—enables highly efficient, ultra-fast electronics essential for advanced technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, particle accelerators and, potentially, quantum computers. New research has now revealed that iron telluride (FeTe), a compound composed of the chemical elements iron and tellurium and long thought to be an ordinary magnetic metal, is in fact a superconductor. The researchers found that hidden excess iron atoms induce the material's magnetism, and removing these atoms allows electricity to flow with zero resistance. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-superconductivity-material-thought-magnetic.html Condensed Matter Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:40:01 EDT news694263182 As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to influence all facets of our personal and professional lives, questions abound, like, "Can people have actual feelings for robots?" or "Can a chatbot comfort someone in distress?" Penn State faculty members and Rock Ethics Institute senior research associates Daryl Cameron and Alan Wagner are working hard to better understand these questions. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-true-empathy-humans-ai.html Social Sciences Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:10:02 EDT news694252255 Established in 1868 with the ratification of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, birthright citizenship grants citizenship to all persons born on U.S. soil regardless of the parents' citizenship status. If birthright citizenship is ended, the number of children born without a defined legal status in the United States may reach up to 6.4 million by 2050, according to a new study by Penn State researchers published in the journal Demography. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-birthright-citizenship-impact-asians-latinos.html Social Sciences Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:00:04 EDT news694157831 A research team, including Huanyu "Larry" Cheng, James L. Henderson Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State, is using pressure sensors—tiny devices, roughly the size of a paperclip, that can measure the force applied over an area—to design a highly sensitive electronic "skin" to use alongside robots and prosthetic limbs. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-03-qa-robots-sensors.html Robotics Mon, 30 Mar 2026 17:00:04 EDT news694108622 Millions of people in the United States have chronic wounds, including those living with diabetes, patients recovering from burns, post-surgical patients and other people with injuries. For clinicians, early detection of infection, inflammation or other recovery setbacks can be challenging to detect, primarily because patients may be self-reporting or awaiting lab results. This can result in a worsening infection, long-term damage and, in some cases, amputation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-smart-bandage-tracks-wound-status.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 10:00:18 EDT news693752690 When people think about ways to improve cardiovascular health, diet and exercise are often at the top of the list. But long-term health, especially in adolescents, might start with something more fundamental: sleep. A new study, led by a team from Penn State College of Medicine, has found that when teenagers go to sleep and when they wake up may be the driving force behind what teenagers eat and how much they move. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-teens.html Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:40:04 EDT news693763081 Soil salinity is a critical concern in agriculture when excessive soluble salts restrict a plant's water uptake, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hindering crop growth and reducing yields on roughly 30% of U.S. irrigated land. Caused by irrigation, poor drainage or saltwater intrusion, soil salinity impacts soil structure, reduces fertility and causes economic losses. To help growers identify and mitigate salt stress, in a proof-of-concept study, a team led by Penn State researchers built a low-cost sensor system that detects signals released by plants in trouble. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-sensor-farmers-salt-stress.html Biotechnology Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:40:01 EDT news693651542 Accurately measuring small shifts in biological markers, like proteins and neurotransmitters, or harmful chemicals in the water supply, can identify critical problems before they have a chance to impact patients or the environment. While some existing sensors can monitor the microscopic matter behind these issues, they often have limitations. A primary example is a device known as a field-effect transistor—a tiny component that controls the flow of electrical current in a system—that struggles to remain stable when exposed to liquid. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-graphene-sensors-stay-stable-liquids.html Nanomaterials Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:10:01 EDT news692981281 Shoulder replacement is the third most common joint-replacement surgery in the U.S. and is likely to become more common as the population ages, according to Penn State researchers. Though most patients go home on the same day as their surgery, those with greater health risks or serious injuries are admitted to the hospital for shoulder replacement. Patients who experience complications like infection or sepsis sometimes need to be readmitted to the hospital for treatment at a later date. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-reveals-indicators-hospital-readmission-shoulder.html Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:00:04 EDT news692984041 Scientists have debated for decades whether economies can continue to grow without increasing greenhouse gas emissions. A new study by a Penn State researcher has found that this may be possible, but only under strict conditions and mostly for the world's wealthiest nations. The work includes the analysis of more than three decades of data from nations using the international Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Climate Actions and Policies Measurement Framework (CAPMF) database, which does not include the United States, to examine how climate policies affect the link between economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-climate-policies-emissions-economic-growth.html Environment Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:20:01 EDT news692983081 A thick layer of haze around the ultra-low-density planet Kepler-51d likely obscures not only the strange planet's composition, but also its origin, according to a new study. A team led by Penn State researchers used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to take a deeper look at the "super-puff" planet that defies planetary formation models. However, the thickest layer of haze found on a planet yet makes discerning the chemical elements in the planet's atmosphere—and any clues to the planet's formation—challenging. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-lowest-density-super-puff-planet.html Planetary Sciences Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:40:01 EDT news692884502 Biomaterials are specifically engineered to support tissue, nerve and muscle regeneration across the body, yet physicians and researchers have limited control over the size and connectivity of the internal pores that transfer oxygen and vital nutrients to where they are most needed. To solve this problem and better support tissue regeneration, a team at Penn State has designed a new class of tunable biomaterials. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-qa-gassing-bioengineered-materials-wound.html Sat, 14 Mar 2026 14:00:04 EDT news692373640 A long-running debate in vaccine design revolves around whether a vaccine should be optimized to prevent the virus from replicating inside an infected host or prevent the virus from transmitting to others. New research led by Penn State scientists suggests there may not have to be a tradeoff. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-flu-proteins-sharply-airborne.html Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:00:08 EDT news692610241 Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder, affecting 12%–13% of adolescents in the United States, according to some studies. The pattern of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity can interfere with daily life, raising problems at home, work or school. At the same time, individuals diagnosed with ADHD are at a higher risk of developing substance-use disorder. But treating the combination of these two conditions can be complicated. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-teens-young-adults-adhd-substance.html Thu, 12 Mar 2026 15:00:02 EDT news692545981 Since its first documentation in 1976, there have been more than three dozen outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in Central and West Africa, the largest of which resulted in the deaths of more than 11,000 people between 2013 and 2016. A severe and often fatal disease, Ebola causes fever, weakness and bleeding, and spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of someone who is infected. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-qa-factors-likelihood-severity-ebola.html Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:40:01 EDT news692453281 Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the field and practice of medicine, including legal liability and the perception of who is at fault when a patient experiences harm. "AI holds promise to improve the quality and safety of health care and to reduce errors and patient harm, but the risk of legal liability is a potential barrier for investment and development of this technology as well as the quality of care," said Michael Bruno, professor of radiology and of medicine at Penn State College of Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-ai-clinical-workflow-lowers-medical.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:00:01 EDT news692364781 A recently detected flash of energy appears to have emanated from the wreckage of colliding galaxies, according to an international team of astronomers led by Penn State scientists. The burst, known as GRB 230906A, was likely caused by the collision of two neutron stars hundreds of millions of years ago and is now shedding light on how the universe creates some of its heaviest elements. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-strange-cosmic-colliding-galaxies-heavy.html Astronomy Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:00:09 EDT news692353098