Tracey Peake

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… 

Nov 22, 2013

Dinosaur Discovery

NC State paleontologist Lindsay Zanno and her team have unearthed a colossal carnivore: Siats Meekerorum, the third-largest meat-eating dinosaur ever discovered in North America. 

Nov 22, 2013

Colossal New Predatory Dino Terrorized Early Tyrannosaurs

A new species of carnivorous dinosaur – one of the three largest ever discovered in North America – lived alongside and competed with small-bodied tyrannosaurs 98 million years ago. This newly discovered species, Siats meekerorum, (pronounced see-atch) was the apex predator of its time, and kept tyrannosaurs from assuming top predator roles for millions of… 

Nov 1, 2013

Snap, Crackle, Pop!

Ever wonder what an ocean reef sounds like? If you answered, “like a giant bowl of Rice Krispies,” you get a gold star! According to NC State Ph.D. candidate Ashlee Lillis, the noisy snaps, crackles and pops of the reef make it the undersea equivalent of a busy city, full of its inhabitants’ distinct sounds. Lillis… 

Oct 30, 2013

Listen Up: Oysters May Use Sound to Select a Home

Oysters begin their lives as tiny drifters, but when they mature they settle on reefs. New research from North Carolina State University shows that the sounds of the reef may attract the young oysters, helping them locate their permanent home. Larval oysters are planktonic, meaning that they cannot swim against or across currents. However, they… 

Sep 16, 2013

Finding Cellular Causes of Lung-Hardening Disease

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, or IPF, is an incurable lung disease that, over time, turns healthy lung tissue into inflexible scar tissue – hardening the lungs and eventually causing respiratory distress and death. Currently, there is no cure. Phil Sannes, a professor of cell biology, studies IPF on the cellular level. In his most recent research,… 

Sep 6, 2013

Mosquito-Borne Illness Doesn’t Horse Around

The tiny mosquito can have a huge impact on your horse’s health. Mosquitoes can transmit Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), a virus that is usually fatal. The disease is most prevalent in the southeastern U.S. during late summer and early fall. EEE causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, and there is no cure. About… 

Aug 26, 2013

Stopping Cancer in its Tracks?

We’ve come a long way in cancer treatments – we have powerful, effective drugs for many types of cancer and we’re moving toward ever more specific, less invasive therapies. But the problem with cancer is that it’s always in motion, metastasizing and spreading throughout the body to overwhelm it. What if you could stop cancer… 

Aug 9, 2013

Researchers to Study Link Between Early Stress, GI Tract Disease

Chronic gastrointestinal disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) have been linked to high stress levels early in life. A North Carolina State University researcher is leading a study that looks at how these early stress events may change the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, leading to increased susceptibility to these diseases later in life. Adam Moeser,… 

Jul 29, 2013

No Rest for the Tornado

Do tornadoes take the weekends off? Researchers from NC State University examined the question of the connection between tornado frequency and aerosol pollution, and found that any link between the two is tenuous at best. Aerosols are tiny airborne particles, many of which are associated with air pollution. Previously, some scientists had hypothesized that these aerosols,… 

Jul 23, 2013

Hare-Raising Therapy Helps Bunny Stay Mobile

At NC State, underwater treadmills aren’t just for humans undergoing physical therapy. They’re also proving useful for treating hares – as in rabbits – suffering from degenerative illnesses. Meet Edie, a five-year-old Belgian hare (which is a breed of domestic rabbit, not an actual hare) who came to NC State’s exotic animal service and was diagnosed with… 

Jul 22, 2013

Coastal Upwelling Linked to Upsurge in Algal Toxicity

Toxic algal blooms affect more than just the shellfish supply – they can sicken or kill marine life and people. That’s why marine scientists are interested in figuring out what triggers them. Astrid Schnetzer studies Pseudo-nitzschia, the alga that causes amnesic shellfish poisoning, and is particularly troublesome along portions of the California coast. When Pseudo-nitzschia… 

Jul 10, 2013

Researchers Perform DNA Computation in Living Cells

Chemists from North Carolina State University have performed a DNA-based logic-gate operation within a human cell. The research may pave the way to more complicated computations in live cells, as well as new methods of disease detection and treatment. Logic gates are the means by which computers “compute,” as sets of them are combined in… 

Jul 1, 2013

New College of Sciences Launches Today at NC State

North Carolina State University has officially launched its new College of Sciences. The new college, which combines the programs of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences with several of the biological sciences programs from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will offer interdisciplinary educational and research opportunities for students and faculty. The College… 

Jun 19, 2013

Bringing Cancer to ‘Heal’ by Studying Dog Genome

Man’s best friend doesn’t just share our living spaces – he also shares some of the most common cancers that afflict humans. A new grant from the American Kennel Club’s Canine Health Foundation and Golden Retriever Foundation will allow researchers to focus on genomic “trouble spots” in golden retrievers that are associated with increased hereditary…