Agriculture and Life Sciences

Apr 27, 2010

Trudy Mackay Elected to National Academy of Sciences

Dr. Trudy F.C. Mackay of Raleigh, William Neal Reynolds and Distinguished University Professor of Genetics and Entomology at North Carolina State University, has been elected into the National Academy of Sciences, one of the world’s most important scientific societies. Mackay becomes the ninth current NC State faculty member to be elected into the august scientific society.… 

Apr 15, 2010

NC State Study Examines Geography of Human Disease

If your home region has a hot, wet climate and a lot of different kinds of birds and mammals living in it, there’s a really good chance the region will also contain numerous kinds of pathogens that cause human diseases. A new study examining the geography of human disease, led by Dr. Rob Dunn at… 

Apr 12, 2010

NC State Scientists Uncover Genes Critical to Moths’ Complicated Sexual Communication and Their Evolution

To look at the tobacco budworm moth and its close cousin, you wouldn’t be able to tell the fuzzy-looking, fingertip-size moths apart. But put males of each species as far as six car-lengths away from females,  and even in the darkness of midnight they easily find their way to mates from their own species while… 

Apr 8, 2010

Two NC State University Students Win Goldwater Scholarships

North Carolina State University undergraduates Nathan Bihlmeyer and Patrick Bowen, both of Wake Forest, N.C., have won prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships for the 2010-11 academic year. Bihlmeyer and Bowen are among 278 recipients of the honor. They were selected from a field of 1,111 mathematics, science and engineering students who were nominated by the… 

Apr 1, 2010

NC State, International Effort Reveals Peach Genome

An international effort coordinated at North Carolina State University that has revealed the genetic makeup of the peach could have far-reaching implications for the future of peaches as well as related plants such as roses, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, apples, plums and even poplar and chestnut trees. Dr. Bryon Sosinski, associate professor of horticultural science, was… 

Mar 15, 2010

Wealth Buys Health – Even In China

Studies in the United States have long shown that rich people tend to be healthier than poor people, and that this “health gap” between the haves and have-nots gets worse as people get older. But is that because the U.S. is a capitalist society? Apparently not. A new study from North Carolina State University shows… 

Feb 22, 2010

Small Amounts of Endocrine Disruptors May Have Multi-Generational Effects

Fetal exposure to small amounts of natural and man-made “hormone mimics,” or endocrine disruptors, like soy products and plastics appears to have strong, multi-generational effects. Those are the results presented by North Carolina State University faculty members at a symposium held during the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in San… 

Feb 18, 2010

NC State Faculty Will Discuss Effects of Endocrine Disrupters at AAAS Annual Meeting

At the world’s largest and most important scientific conference, two North Carolina State University faculty members will discuss the effects of natural and synthetic “hormone mimics” on human and animal health, fertility and puberty. 

Feb 1, 2010

Chocolate Milk to Weak Tea: NC State Professor Can Discuss New EPA Regulation on Construction Runoff

Dr. Rich McLaughlin, professor of soil science and an expert in water quality protection at North Carolina State University, 919/515-7306 or rich_mclaughlin@ncsu.edu, is available to speak with reporters about a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation on construction site runoff. The new regulation – which goes into effect Feb. 1 for some states and will… 

Dec 17, 2009

NC State’s Todd Klaenhammer Named AAAS Fellow

Dr. Todd R. Klaenhammer of Raleigh, a North Carolina State University Distinguished University Professor and William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing & Nutrition Sciences, the Department of Microbiology and the Department of Genetics, has been elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). 

Dec 10, 2009

NC State, Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences Get $1 Million Grant

North Carolina State University and The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences have received a $1 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease to study why some patients have serious liver reactions to otherwise safe drugs. The money is part of the Challenge Grant Program supported by federal stimulus dollars.… 

Nov 19, 2009

Thanks, But No Thanks: Avoiding Food Poisoning At Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is an opportunity to share a meal with loved ones, but it is also a time when small mistakes in the kitchen can lead to foodborne illness. Dr. Ben Chapman, food safety specialist and assistant professor of food science at North Carolina State University, can offer suggestions to ensure your Thanksgiving meal is a… 

Oct 26, 2009

Study Shows How Nanotubes Affect Lining of Lungs

Tiny carbon nanotubes are being considered for use in everything from sports equipment to medical applications, but a great deal remains unknown about whether these materials cause respiratory or other health problems. Now a collaborative study from North Carolina State University, The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences… 

Oct 21, 2009

Alcohol Tolerance Switch Found in Fruit Flies

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found a genetic “switch” in fruit flies that plays an important role in making flies more tolerant to alcohol. This metabolic switch also has implications for the deadly liver disease cirrhosis in humans. A counterpart human gene contributes to a shift from metabolizing alcohol to the formation of… 

Oct 7, 2009

Fill ’er Up – With Algae

Imagine filling up your car with fuel that comes from inexpensive algae that grow quickly, don’t use up freshwater supplies and can be cultivated in areas where they won’t compete with traditional food crops, such as corn or soybeans. Researchers at North Carolina State University are working to make that a reality, with a $2…