Tracey Peake

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… 

Jun 17, 2013

Cretaceous Cold Case No. 4: Graveyard Shift

This is the fourth post in a series called “Cretaceous Cold Cases” in which the science of taphonomy, or prehistoric forensics, is explained by fascinating cases from the files of Terry “Bucky” Gates, a research scientist with a joint appointment at NC State and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. The graveyard shift in Madagascar… 

Jun 4, 2013

You Say Tomato, I Say Soda. Or Is it Pop?

Here’s a nifty new way of looking at some old regional differences in dialect. NC State graduate student Joshua Katz was looking for an idea for his end-of-year statistics project, when he came across interesting linguistics data from Dr. Bert Vaux of Cambridge University. Vaux had collected data on regional dialects in the U.S. via a… 

May 28, 2013

Disease Virulence Evolves in Response to Population Density, Immunity

A unique form of pink eye found in some songbird species has given researchers insight into how disease virulence – or severity of harm to the host – evolves in conjunction with a susceptible population’s density and/or disease resistance. These findings may help scientists understand and predict the impacts of highly contagious human diseases, like… 

May 20, 2013

Preventing Dog Bites

This week is National Dog Bite Prevention Week (May 19-25). Barbara Sherman, a veterinary behaviorist at NC State University, has some tips to help parents and children avoid getting bitten. More than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the U.S. with some 800,000 receiving medical treatment. Children, ages 5 to9, are the… 

May 16, 2013

Cretaceous Cold Cases No. 3: Duck(bill) Amuck

This is the third post in a series called “Cretaceous Cold Cases” in which the science of taphonomy, or prehistoric forensics, is explained by fascinating cases from the files of Terry “Bucky” Gates, a research scientist with a joint appointment at NC State and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. One brisk fall day in… 

May 8, 2013

Cannibal Tadpoles Key to Understanding Digestive Evolution

A carnivorous, cannibalistic tadpole may play a role in understanding the evolution and development of digestive organs, according to research from North Carolina State University. These findings may also shed light on universal rules of organ development that could lead to better diagnosis and prevention of intestinal birth defects. NC State developmental biologist Nanette Nascone-Yoder, graduate… 

May 2, 2013

Cretaceous Cold Case No. 2, Part 2: It’s a Trap?

This is part two of the second case in a series called “Cretaceous Cold Cases” in which the science of taphonomy, or prehistoric forensics, is explained through fascinating cases from the files of Terry “Bucky” Gates, a research scientist with a joint appointment at NC State and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Part 1… 

May 2, 2013

Two NC State Faculty Receive Holladay Medals

The North Carolina State University Board of Trustees awarded the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence to two faculty members in recognition of their outstanding careers at NC State. The Holladay Medal is the highest honor bestowed on a faculty member by the trustees and the university. This year’s honorees are Dr. Virginia Marie Aldigé, Distinguished… 

May 1, 2013

Cretaceous Cold Case No. 2, Part 1: It’s a Trap?

This is part one of the second post in a series called “Cretaceous Cold Cases” in which the science of taphonomy, or prehistoric forensics, is explained  using fascinating cases from the files of Terry “Bucky” Gates, a research scientist with a joint appointment at NC State and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Part 2…