Tracey Peake

Jul 21, 2008

NC State Researchers Discover Novel Method for Activating Enzymatic Reactions

Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered a new method for “switching on” enzymatic reactions with precise energy delivery: by using microwave radiation. 

Jul 7, 2008

Lay Your Eggs Here: NC State Scientists Discover Chemical Cues That Stimulate Egg Laying by Pregnant Mosquitoes

North Carolina State University scientists have figured out one reason why pregnant yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti), one of the most important disease transmitters worldwide, choose to lay their eggs in certain outdoor water containers while eschewing others. 

May 29, 2008

NC State’s Pantula Elected President of American Statistical Association

North Carolina State University statistician Dr. Sastry Pantula has been elected as the 105th president of the American Statistical Association (ASA). Pantula, who is the head of the NC State Department of Statistics and director of the Institute of Statistics, will serve as ASA president beginning Jan. 1, 2010. The ASA is a scientific and educational… 

May 23, 2008

Failed HIV Drug Gets Second Chance with Addition of Gold Nanoparticles

Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered that adding tiny bits of gold to a failed HIV drug rekindle the drug’s ability to stop the virus from invading the body’s immune system. The addition of gold nanoparticles to a modified version of a drug designed in the 1990s to combat HIV – but discarded… 

May 23, 2008

NC State Statistician to Look at Effect of Air Pollution on Asthma, Heart Disease in Humans

Scientists have long known that air pollution can have adverse effects on human health. Now, thanks to research from a North Carolina State University statistician, we may soon have more accurate information about how, exactly, particulate matter in polluted air affects rates of asthma and heart disease in people. Dr. Montserrat Fuentes, NC State associate professor… 

May 20, 2008

Researcher to Study Salmonella in ‘Drug-Free’ Pigs

A North Carolina State University researcher has received a three-year, $592,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study the occurrence of Salmonella in pigs that haven’t been given anti-microbial drugs either for treatment or growth promotion. Dr. Siddhartha Thakur, assistant professor of swine health and reproduction, will take samples from pig populations,… 

May 14, 2008

NC State Astrophysicist Discovers Youngest Known Supernova in Milky Way

A North Carolina State University researcher has discovered the youngest known supernova in our galaxy. Estimated at a mere 140 years old, this celestial whippersnapper is at least 200 years younger than the next oldest known supernova, and its discovery may pave the way to a greater understanding of exploding stars. Dr. Stephen Reynolds, an… 

Apr 24, 2008

Protein Sequences from T. rex Collagen Show Evolutionary Relationships of Dinosaurs

Which came first, the chicken or the alligator? When it comes to the Tyrannosaurus rex family tree, it turns out that both modern-day chickens and alligators can call the T. rex “cousin.” A group of researchers, including North Carolina State University paleontologist Dr. Mary Schweitzer, have used protein sequences from 68 million-year-old bone-derived collagen to… 

Apr 22, 2008

NC State Experts Can Address Air Quality Issues, EPA Ozone Recommendations

Researchers at North Carolina State University can explain why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently recommended tougher air quality standards for ozone. The EPA commissioned a report from the National Research Council (NRC) to determine the effect of ozone on human health. The NRC report, released today, supports the EPA’s recommendation, and concludes that… 

Apr 16, 2008

NC State Researcher’s HIV Findings May Lead to New Treatment Strategies

In a surprising finding, researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered that HIV can cause portions of the body’s innate immune system, when stimulated, to actually increase the virus’ replication. The finding could lead to a change in therapeutic strategies for HIV patients. Dr. Gregg Dean, professor of immunopathology at NC State, led the research… 

Apr 9, 2008

Active Hurricane Season Predicted for 2008

According to researchers at North Carolina State University, the 2008 hurricane season looks to be an active one; however, the number of storms that will have the potential to make landfall is close to that for an average year. According to Dr. Lian Xie, professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences at NC State, and graduate… 

Apr 3, 2008

Science Olympiad Invites Best and Brightest to Compete at NC State

North Carolina State University will host more than 2,000 rocket-firing, egg-launching, and robot-building students from 150 middle and high schools across the state for the finals of the North Carolina Science Olympiad (NCSO) on Friday and Saturday, April 4-5. 

Apr 3, 2008

Researchers Identify Genes Key to Hormone Production in Plants

Researchers at North Carolina State University have pinpointed a small group of genes responsible for “telling” plants when, where and how to produce a hormone that is key to their development. Their findings shed light on the ways in which hormone production in plants affects both a plant’s growth and its ability to adapt to… 

Mar 20, 2008

NC State Receives $2.1 Million Grant to Promote Diversity in Biomedical and Behavioral Research

North Carolina State University has received a four-year, $2.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to encourage students from traditionally underrepresented groups to complete Ph.D. degree programs in the fields of biomedical and behavioral sciences. 

Mar 4, 2008

400 Seventh-Grade Girls to Expand Scientific Horizons at NC State

On Wednesday, March 5, more than 400 seventh-grade girls and 100 teachers from 43 N.C. counties will come to North Carolina State University to learn about and do science at the 16th annual Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) conference. EYH is a one-day event featuring demonstrations and hands-on science experiments designed to get young girls interested…