Tracey Peake

Mar 28, 2014

Finding the Mix: Solar Cell Efficiency a Delicate Balance

Research from North Carolina State University reveals that solar cell efficiency is based upon a delicate balance between the size and purity of the interior layers, or domains. These findings may lead to better designs and improved performance in organic solar cells. Polymer-based solar cells are intended to have two domains, consisting of an electron… 

Mar 27, 2014

College of Veterinary Medicine Open House Scheduled for March 29

North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will host an open house on Saturday, March 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The annual event features more than 45 exhibits, special demonstrations, and opportunities to get up close with various animals large and small. This year, attendees will be able to tour the Smithsonian… 

Mar 25, 2014

Lobo’s Hope

It's not every day that a veterinarian runs into an animal like Lobo, a binturong. The tree-dwelling carnivore is native to Southeast Asia, but NC State veterinary medicine students learn to treat him and other wild animals by joining the carnivore team. 

Mar 14, 2014

Veterinary Medicine Open House Scheduled for March 29

What: North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) will host an open house to give the public an insider’s view of transformative animal medicine at one of the nation’s top veterinary colleges. The open house features more than 45 exhibits, special demonstrations, and opportunities to get up close with various animals large and… 

Mar 13, 2014

Researchers Describe Oxygen’s Different Shapes

Oxygen-16, one of the key elements of life on earth, is produced by a series of reactions inside of red giant stars. Now a team of physicists, including one from North Carolina State University, has revealed how the element’s nuclear shape changes depending on its state, even though other attributes such as spin and parity… 

Mar 12, 2014

Countering the Caregiver Placebo Effect

How do you know that your pet is benefiting from its pain medication? A new clinical trial design  could help overcome pet owners’ unconscious observation bias and determine whether the drugs they test are effective. When animals are recruited for clinical trials, particularly for pain medications, researchers must rely on owner observation to determine whether… 

Mar 5, 2014

Pigment or Bacteria? Researchers Re-examine the Idea of ‘Color’ in Fossil Feathers

Paleontologists studying fossilized feathers have proposed that the shapes of certain microscopic structures inside the feathers can tell us the color of ancient birds. But new research from North Carolina State University demonstrates that it is not yet possible to tell if these structures – thought to be melanosomes – are what they seem, or… 

Feb 19, 2014

New Satellite Images Reveal More About Interior Structure of Supernova

A new and powerful satellite has given researchers a way to see into the dark interiors of supernovae. Their observations of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A shed more light on the mechanics of these explosions. “The new Cas A images give us new information about not only the elements that are created in a supernova,… 

Feb 18, 2014

Injured Sea Turtle? Just Print a Splint!

Injured sea turtles are a fairly common sight along the North Carolina coast. Fortunately, these animals are pretty sturdy and have the capacity to heal themselves even without a lot of intervention.  But veterinarians and rehabilitation specialists know that a turtle’s recovery from injury may not be sufficient to allow them to survive in the… 

Feb 10, 2014

A Radical Approach to Defense

When are free radicals good for you? When your next door neighbor produces a toxic chemical soup. Behold the lowly marine worm, Amphitrite ornata. It’s red, looks like spaghetti and spends all of its time sifting through seafloor mud for meals. With absolutely zero defensive capabilities, Amphitrite would make an easy target for predators, yet… 

Feb 6, 2014

Researchers Pinpoint Protein Associated With Canine Hereditary Ataxia

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found a link between a mutation in a gene called RAB 24 and an inherited neurodegenerative disease in Old English sheepdogs and Gordon setters. The findings may help further understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and identify new treatments for both canine and human sufferers. Hereditary ataxias are an important… 

Jan 28, 2014

When Whales Can’t Be Rescued

Each year between one and five large whales beach themselves along the North Carolina coast. Most of these whales are already dead, and the others beach because they are usually too sick or injured to survive. Rescue in these cases is not an option. But death for a beached whale is a horrible process that… 

Jan 2, 2014

Researchers Find Simple, Cheap Way to Increase Solar Cell Efficiency

Researchers from North Carolina State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found an easy way to modify the molecular structure of a polymer commonly used in solar cells. Their modification can increase solar cell efficiency by more than 30 percent. Polymer-based solar cells have two domains, consisting of an electron acceptor and an… 

Dec 12, 2013

Medicinal Microbes

Chemistry undergrads are learning to make helpful medicines from harmful bacteria. Their hands-on research could produce healing results. 

Nov 26, 2013

Iron Preserves, Hides Ancient Tissues in Fossilized Remains

New research from North Carolina State University shows that iron may play a role in preserving ancient tissues within dinosaur fossils, but also may hide them from detection. The finding could open the door to the recovery of more ancient tissues from within fossils. Mary Schweitzer, an NC State paleontologist with a joint appointment at the…