Tracey Peake

May 30, 2012

Bartonella: The Epidemic You’ve Never Heard Of, Part 1

This is the first installment of a three-part series on Bartonella, bacteria that is being linked to a wide variety of ailments – many of them chronic, and some of them life-threatening. In part one, I’ll talk about what Bartonella is, and its growing recognition as a potentially very serious infectious disease. Part two will… 

May 23, 2012

So You Found a Giant Turtle…

Edwin Cadena is a doctoral student at NC State, a member of the team of paleontologists who discovered the recently named Carbonemys carbonii, a giant freshwater turtle that lived in what is now Colombia 60 million years ago. I asked if he would answer a few questions about the find’s larger implications, and he graciously agreed. … 

May 17, 2012

Ancient Giant Turtle Fossil Revealed

Picture a turtle the size of a Smart car, with a shell large enough to double as a kiddie pool. Paleontologists from North Carolina State University have found just such a specimen – the fossilized remains of a 60-million-year-old South American giant that lived in what is now Colombia. The turtle in question is Carbonemys… 

May 10, 2012

Researchers Use Light to Switch On Gene Expression

Imagine being able to control genetic expression by flipping a light switch. Researchers at North Carolina State University are using light-activated molecules to turn gene expression on and off. Their method enables greater precision when studying gene function, and could lead to targeted therapies for diseases like cancer. Triplex-forming oligonucleotides (TFOs) are commonly used molecules… 

May 9, 2012

NC State to Hold Commencement Ceremony May 12

North Carolina State University will confer more than 5,200 degrees on graduating students during its spring commencement exercise, beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 12, in the PNC Arena in Raleigh. Media coverage is invited. Philip Rivers, quarterback for the San Diego Chargers and NC State alumnus, will deliver the commencement address. Chancellor Randy Woodson will confer… 

May 7, 2012

Cytauxzoonosis on the “Up-Tick”

You may not have heard of Cytauxzoonosis (pronounced Sight-Oh-zO-un-Osis) before, but if you’re a cat owner, you should definitely pay attention now. Cytauxzoonosis is a tick-borne, malaria-like illness that, if left untreated, has an almost 100 percent mortality rate in cats. It is caused by the parasite Cytauxzoon felis, found in ticks carried by host… 

Apr 27, 2012

NC State Hosts Science Olympiad April 28

North Carolina State University will host more than 2,500 of the state’s best and brightest middle- and high-school students at the North Carolina Science Olympiad on Saturday, April 28. In competitive events, students will launch bottle rockets, fly rubber band-powered helicopters, race mousetrap and gravity vehicles, use catapults and investigate crime scenes. Media are invited… 

Apr 24, 2012

Compound from Wild Tomatoes is Natural, Effective Herbicide

A naturally occurring compound derived from wild tomato plants is also a fast-acting, nontoxic herbicide, according to researchers at North Carolina State University. NC State entomologist Dr. Mike Roe had previously worked with the compound – known as 2-undecanone – as a natural replacement for the chemical DEET in insect repellents. Both he and his NC State… 

Apr 23, 2012

Bartonella Infection Associated with Rheumatoid Illnesses in Humans

A bacterium historically associated with cat scratch fever and transmitted predominately by fleas may also play a role in human rheumatoid illnesses such as arthritis, according to new research from North Carolina State University. Bartonella is a bacterium that is maintained in nature by fleas, ticks and other biting insects. It can be transmitted to… 

Apr 19, 2012

Dammed if you do, dammed if you don’t

The following is a guest post by Dr. Clinton Jenkins, an NC State biologist whose research focuses on conservation science. Jenkins is co-author of a new study in PLoS ONE about the possible impact of hydroelectric dams on the Andean Amazon. Dr. Matt Finer, a researcher affiliated with Save America’s Forests and the Center for International… 

Apr 15, 2012

New X-ray Technique Reveals Structure of Printable Electronics

An innovative X-ray technique has given North Carolina State University researchers and their collaborators new insight into how organic polymers can be used in printable electronics such as transistors and solar cells. Their discoveries may lead to cheaper, more efficient printable electronic devices. Printable electronics are created by spraying or printing inks containing conductive organic… 

Apr 13, 2012

Rivers to Deliver Spring Commencement Address at NC State

Philip Rivers, a record-setting passer at NC State and current starting quarterback for the NFL’s San Diego Chargers, will deliver NC State’s commencement address on Saturday, May 12, at PNC Arena in Raleigh. The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. During the ceremony, Chancellor Randy Woodson will confer honorary degrees on behalf of NC State to Robert B.… 

Apr 10, 2012

Researchers Foresee Relatively Quiet Hurricane Season

Researchers at North Carolina State University aren’t looking for any surprises with the 2012 hurricane season – they believe that storm activity in the Atlantic basin will be in line with historic averages. According to Dr. Lian Xie, professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences, and collaborators Dr. Montserrat Fuentes, professor of statistics, and graduate… 

Mar 30, 2012

College of Veterinary Medicine Open House Scheduled for March 31

North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will host an open house on Saturday, March 31 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The annual event offers 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 40 exhibits, opportunities to get… 

Mar 27, 2012

Electroactive Polymer Key to Durable, Affordable Full-Screen Braille Displays

A team of North Carolina State University researchers are one step closer to creating a workable, affordable full-screen Braille computer display that would allow the blind to scan Web pages in much the same way that sighted people do. The team, composed of textile, electrical and computer engineers, had previously introduced a design that could…