Mick Kulikowski

Feb 24, 2011

NC State Receives $3 Million Grant to Root Out Factors Behind Childhood Obesity

North Carolina State University has received a five-year, $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study the root causes behind childhood obesity in low-income families. The goal is to track urban and rural families to better understand the factors – economic, social, cultural and environmental – that contribute to what has… 

Feb 17, 2011

DeSimone Receives Top Science Mentor Award

Dr. Joseph M. DeSimone, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researcher and innovator, has received the 2010 Mentor Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The award honors association members who have mentored significant numbers of underrepresented students – such as women, minorities and persons with… 

Feb 16, 2011

Superbugs From Swine Farms?

The spread of bacteria that are immune to many types of antibiotics – so-called “superbugs” – is cause for great concern for public health. But where are these superbugs coming from and how are they spreading? One source may be hog farms. A recent study by NC State entomologist Coby Schal and colleagues from Kansas State… 

Feb 14, 2011

Roses + Celery Gene = Longer Rose Vase Life

You buy some roses as a Valentine’s Day gift for a loved one. You bring them home and present them to your loved one. Smiles abound. Until disappointment sets in two days later, when the rose petals begin getting dark and mushy. Welcome to the world of botrytis, or petal blight. To prevent this from… 

Feb 11, 2011

NC State Ninth On Princeton Review Best Value Public College List

In yet another testament to its success at providing a quality education at a low price, North Carolina State University is ranked ninth in the “Top 10 Best Value Public Colleges for 2011” by The Princeton Review. An education services company, The Princeton Review chose its “Best Value Colleges” for 2011 based on criteria covering… 

Feb 10, 2011

For Longer-Life, Disease-Free Roses, NC State Researchers Insert Celery Gene

A rose by any other name would smell … like celery? North Carolina State University research intended to extend the “vase life” of roses inserts a gene from celery inside rose plants to help fight off botrytis, or petal blight, one of the rose’s major post-harvest diseases. 

Feb 3, 2011

Water Flea Circus: Five Questions With Dr. Jerry LeBlanc

This week’s edition of the journal Science contains a paper describing the genome of the water flea (Daphnia pulex). BioMed Central has also released a number of companion papers related to the genomics of the water flea, including one by Dr. Jerry LeBlanc, professor and head of NC State’s environmental and molecular toxicology department. LeBlanc uses… 

Jan 28, 2011

Superbugs from Swine? Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Found in Flies, Roaches on Hog Farms

Antibiotics are frequently used on commercial hog farms not only to fight disease, but also to help pigs gain weight faster. New research from North Carolina State University and Kansas State University shows that the common pests that live on these farms acquire antibiotic-resistant bacteria and have the potential to spread these bacteria throughout the… 

Jan 19, 2011

NC State Research Tests Winter Cover Crops, Soil Health on Organic Farms

North Carolina State University soil scientists have received $700,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to examine how winter cover crops on organic farms can make the soil healthier to help organic farming meet increased demand from consumers. The funding from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will help NC State scientists evaluate… 

Jan 14, 2011

Five NC State Faculty Named AAAS Fellows

Five North Carolina State University faculty members have been elected as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. H.T. Banks, Distinguished University Professor of Mathematics, elected for distinguished contributions to the field of applied mathematics, particularly in quantitative modeling in the biomedical sciences and other areas of science and engineering.… 

Jan 10, 2011

NC State Study Targets Disease Resistance in Corn

In a paper published online this week in Nature Genetics, North Carolina State University and U.S. Department of Agriculture crop scientists and plant pathologists sift through millions of genetic sequence variations in the set of all genes in maize (corn) to identify 51 gene regions associated with resistance to Southern corn leaf blight disease –… 

Jan 10, 2011

NC State Cancels Monday Evening Classes

North Carolina State University will continue normal operations (Status 5) until 5 p.m. on Monday. As of 5 p.m. on Monday, NC State will begin operating under adverse weather Status 3:  “Classes canceled; the university is open but operating under adverse weather advisory.” Classes starting at 5 p.m. or later this evening are canceled, and the university will operate under… 

Jan 5, 2011

Not Your Momma’s Top 10 List

The Abstract strives to be informative and entertaining. With that in mind, we think you’ll learn – and laugh – while reading NC State biologist Rob Dunn’s recent Scientific American blog post on “the top 10 life forms living on Lady Gaga (and you).” It’s about forehead mites, Lady Gaga, meat bikinis and lots of critters… 

Dec 16, 2010

NC State’s Chancellor to Announce Significant Donation

North Carolina State University officials will announce a significant gift to the university and its College of Management during an event at 10:45 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 17, in Nelson Hall Auditorium (room 3400). Media coverage is invited. Parking is available in the Dan Allen Drive parking deck, across Dan Allen Drive from Nelson Hall.… 

Dec 15, 2010

NC State to Operate Under Adverse Weather Advisory Until 10 A.M.

Based on predicted weather conditions for Thursday, Dec. 16, North Carolina State University will operate under Status 4 (adverse weather advisory) until 10 a.m. Under this status, all personnel except critical staff are to follow provisions outlined for adverse weather conditions until 10 a.m.  The university’s adverse weather policy can be found here. Exams scheduled for 8…