Tracey Peake

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… 

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,…