Agriculture and Life Sciences

Apr 22, 2013

Study Shows Reproductive Effects of Pesticide Exposure Span Generations

North Carolina State University researchers studying aquatic organisms called Daphnia have found that exposure to a chemical pesticide has impacts that span multiple generations – causing the so-called “water fleas” to produce more male offspring, and causing reproductive problems in female offspring. 

Apr 18, 2013

New Algorithm Helps Evaluate, Rank Scientific Literature

Keeping up with current scientific literature is a daunting task, considering that hundreds to thousands of papers are published each day. Now researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a computer program to help them evaluate and rank scientific articles in their field. 

Apr 15, 2013

Plant Protein Shape Puzzle Solved by Molecular 3-D Model

Researchers from North Carolina State University believe they have solved a puzzle that has vexed science since plants first appeared on Earth. In a groundbreaking paper published online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers provide the first three-dimensional model of an enzyme that links a simple sugar, glucose, into… 

Mar 29, 2013

Study Finds Heat Key Factor In Population Growth Of Some Urban Insect Pests

New research from North Carolina State University finds that higher temperatures found in urban environments are a key contributor to higher populations of insect pests called scale insects – indicating that an increase in temperatures associated with global climate change could lead to a significant increase in scale insect populations. 

Mar 15, 2013

Study Offers New Insights on Invasive Fly Threatening U.S. Fruit Crops

Humans aren’t the only species with a sweet tooth. Research from North Carolina State University shows that the invasive spotted-wing vinegar fly (Drosophila suzukii) also prefers sweet, soft fruit – giving us new insight into a species that has spread across the United States over the past four years and threatens to cause hundreds of… 

Mar 4, 2013

Researchers ID Queens, Mysterious Disease Syndrome as Key Factors in Bee Colony Deaths

A new long-term study of honey bee health has found that a little-understood disease study authors are calling “idiopathic brood disease syndrome” (IBDS), which kills off bee larvae, is the largest risk factor for predicting the death of a bee colony. 

Feb 11, 2013

Researchers Find Asian Needle Ants Displacing Other Aggressive Invaders

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found that one of the most aggressive invasive ant species in the United States – the Argentine ant – appears to have met its match in the Asian needle ant. Specifically, the researchers have found that the Asian needle ant is successfully displacing Argentine ants in an urban… 

Dec 19, 2012

‘Gold Standard’ Cotton Genome Sequenced

An international consortium with representatives from most of the world’s major cotton-producing countries, led by Regents Professor Andrew Paterson of the University of Georgia and including Candace Haigler, a North Carolina State University professor of crop science and plant biology, has described the first ‘gold-standard’ genome sequence for cotton. Published today in Nature, this is… 

Dec 6, 2012

Researchers Craft Tool to Minimize Threat of Endocrine Disruptors in New Chemicals

Researchers from North Carolina State University, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and a host of other institutions have developed a safety testing system to help chemists design inherently safer chemicals and processes. 

Nov 13, 2012

Expert Can Answer Food-Safety Questions For Thanksgiving

Food safety isn’t simple and at Thanksgiving, mistakes in the kitchen can lead to foodborne illness. Dr. Ben Chapman, food-safety specialist and assistant professor of family and consumer sciences at North Carolina State University, can offer suggestions to ensure your Thanksgiving meal is a safe one. 

Oct 24, 2012

Study: Flame Retardant ‘Firemaster 550’ Is an Endocrine Disruptor

The flame-retardant mixture known as “Firemaster 550” is an endocrine disruptor that causes extreme weight gain, early onset of puberty and cardiovascular health effects in lab animals, according to a new study spearheaded by researchers from North Carolina State University and Duke University. 

Oct 16, 2012

Pollenizer Research Should Help Seedless Watermelon Farmers

Research from North Carolina State University on flower production and disease resistance in watermelon varieties should help bolster seedless watermelon harvests for farmers. 

Oct 9, 2012

$10 Million Gift Names NC State’s Poultry Science Department for Prestage Family

Chancellor Randy Woodson announced today a transformational $10 million gift that will name and endow a department in North Carolina State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The Department of Poultry Science will be renamed the Prestage Family Department of Poultry Science in honor of Bill and Marsha Prestage and their family, longtime supporters… 

Sep 10, 2012

Importance of Gene-Gene Interactions Shown in Study

Gaining more insight into predicting how genes affect physical or behavioral traits by charting the genotype-phenotype map holds promise to speed discoveries in personalized medicine. But figuring out exactly how genes interact has left parts of the map invisible. In a paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, North Carolina State University… 

Sep 7, 2012

Study Finds How BPA Affects Gene Expression, Anxiety; Soy Mitigates Effects

New research led by researchers at North Carolina State University shows that exposure to the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) early in life results in high levels of anxiety by causing significant gene expression changes in a specific region of the brain called the amygdala. The researchers also found that a soy-rich diet can mitigate these…