A Penn State researcher has been chosen to receive a grant through the Grand Challenges Explorations program, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. David Hughes, assistant professor of entomology and biology, will pursue an innovative global health and development research project, titled "Taking Out the Bodyguards: A Novel Solution to Ag Disease." Hughes' project aims to reduce the incidence of plant diseases -- and consequently crop losses -- by reducing the population of ants that act as protectors for various crop pests. Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) funds individuals worldwide to explore ideas that can break the mold in how we solve persistent global health and development challenges. (more)
A parasite that fights the zombie-ant fungus has yielded some of its secrets to an international research team led by Penn State's David Hughes. The research reveals, for the first time, how an entire ant colony is able to survive infestations by the zombie-ant fungus, which invades an ant's brain and causes it to march to its death at a mass grave near the ant colony, where the fungus spores erupt out of the ant's head. "In a case where biology is stranger than fiction, the parasite of the zombie-ant fungus is itself a fungus -- a hyperparasitic fungus that specializes in attacking the parasite that turns the ants into zombies," Hughes said. (more)
Some people lump all insects together and consider them just plain creepy. Visitors at Penn State's 2011 Great Insect Fair can learn to recognize and value good bugs for the necessary roles they play in keeping bad bugs at bay. Sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences' Department of Entomology, the fair takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 17 in the Snider Agricultural Arena, at the corner of Park Avenue and Fox Hollow Road (across from Beaver Stadium) on the University Park campus. "Insects perform many beneficial activities in our gardens and in the environment as a whole," said Steven Jacobs, senior extension associate in entomology and fair coordinator. (more)
Out of concern for our natural resources, many people recycle waste materials. But they may not realize that insects are the ultimate recyclers. Visitors to Penn State's Great Insect Fair, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 2, can discover how bugs help us recycle in the environment. Sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences' Department of Entomology, the fair will take place in the Snider Agricultural Arena, at the corner of Park Avenue and Fox Hollow Road (across from Beaver Stadium) on the University Park campus. (more)
Africa is home to about 1 billion people, and a recent report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) indicates as many as 30 percent of them suffer from chronic hunger or malnutrition. A new initiative announced by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is aimed at working with African institutions to ease this human suffering while enhancing food and economic security through agricultural research and education. (more)
What's the difference between a moth and a butterfly? Why do they fly by night? Find out the answers to these and other questions about moths and other six-legged critters at Penn State's 16th annual Great Insect Fair, being held on Oct. 3, in the Snider Agricultural Arena at the corner of Park Avenue and Fox Hollow Road (across from Beaver Stadium) on the University Park campus. (more)
Honeybees in colonies affected by colony collapse disorder (CCD) have higher levels of pathogens and are co-infected with a greater number of pathogens than their non-CCD counterparts, but no individual pathogen can be singled out as the cause of CCD, according to a new study by researchers from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, other universities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. (more)
The nation's largest grower of wild blueberries -- a crop that relies on honeybees for pollination -- has thrown its support behind Penn State research aimed at finding solutions to the health crisis facing the nation's honeybee colonies. Ed Flanagan, president of Wyman's of Maine, visited Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences Thursday (March 26) to present a check for $50,000 to support research on Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD, a mysterious ailment that has led to the disappearance of up to one-third of U.S. commercial honeybee hives since late 2006. (more)
Find out what's happening with the honey bees and all your favorite six-legged critters at the 15th annual Great Insect Fair, sponsored by the entomology department in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. The fair takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 4 in the Snider Agricultural Arena, at the corner of Park Avenue and Fox Hollow Road (across from Beaver Stadium) on the University Park campus. (more)
Discovering how honeybees and other social insects behave and interact with one another will be the focus of a new faculty member's research in the Department of Entomology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Christina Grozinger, currently an assistant professor in insect genomics at North Carolina State University, will be joining the department in December, bringing with her a wealth of expertise in the field of insect genomics. Genomics is an emerging science that allows researchers to study thousands of genes (their sequence, expression, function) simultaneously. Grozinger's research focuses on genomic analysis of chemical communication in honeybees and other social insect species. Chemical communication in honeybees is important for many aspects of colony organization and necessary for having healthy and productive colonies. (more)
