genetics

May 4, 2011

Bronze Doors Open for Gould

Entomology professor Fred Gould becomes NC State's ninth current faculty member elected to the National Academy of Sciences. 

Mar 11, 2011

We Have Found the Enemy and It Is Us

If you suffer from preeclampsia during pregnancy, it could be because your body is fighting against itself. New research from Dr. Jorge Piedrahita, NC State professor of genomics, has found that the placentas of women diagnosed with preeclampsia have more of a gene associated with regulating the body’s immune response than  the placentas of women who… 

Mar 9, 2011

Atchley Honored for Service to N.C.

Genetics professor William R. Atchley has been awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine for extraordinary service to the State of North Carolina. 

Feb 14, 2011

Roses + Celery Gene = Longer Rose Vase Life

You buy some roses as a Valentine’s Day gift for a loved one. You bring them home and present them to your loved one. Smiles abound. Until disappointment sets in two days later, when the rose petals begin getting dark and mushy. Welcome to the world of botrytis, or petal blight. To prevent this from… 

Nov 5, 2010

No Main Squeeze

Call it the immaculate constriction: a boa that reproduces without mating. NC State scientists have uncovered a reptile supermom who has done something previously thought impossible—not once, but twice. 

Oct 28, 2010

How Long Should DNA Strands Be?

This is not a purely abstract question (pun intended). Complementary strands of DNA are drawn to one another like magnets and iron filings – a trait that has created the emerging field of DNA self-assembly. But research, and industrial application, in this area has been hampered by a lack of reliability in how the DNA… 

Aug 30, 2010

This Old DNA Of Mine (Is Weak For Surveys)

I have a friend who HATES taking surveys. I’ve always found that irrational, but a new study shows that her dislike of surveys may have a genetic basis. A forthcoming paper shows that some people are genetically predisposed to not take surveys (and that some people are genetically predisposed TO take surveys). The researchers used… 

Aug 5, 2010

Cataloging Critters

What is an insect museum and why is it important? Find out by checking out our question-and-answer segment with Dr. Andy Deans, NC State assistant professor of entomology and director of the university’s Insect Museum, which lives and grows in Gardner Hall. Responses have been lightly edited for style or clarity. Q. What purpose does the… 

Jun 17, 2010

Dare I Sequence A Peach?

Note: This is a guest piece written by David Caldwell, a science writer with NC State University’s College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. I only posted it. And added the awful pun of a headline. The genetic makeup of the peach could yield tantalizing clues for scientists working with many related plants. While you might expect… 

May 5, 2010

Hooked on Science

On April 27, Dr. Trudy Mackay became our ninth current faculty member to gain election to the National Academy of Sciences, an honor that speaks to the significance of her 22 years of work at NC State. Today, she discusses her passion for science and her ability to equip students with the knowledge they need to succeed both in and outside the laboratory. 

Apr 30, 2010

Biofuels, Hold The Sugar

Imagine if we could make biofuels anywhere, without having to worry about biofuel crops competing with food crops. Well, the feds are now funding research that would make that possible. Modern biofuels are largely made from sugar. Basically, plants (like corn) take energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds (like sugar)… 

Apr 21, 2010

The Buzz On Bees

The plight of honeybees has been the focus of a lot of media attention, as bee populations around the country have plummeted due to colony collapse disorder and other factors. But Dr. David Tarpy, whose research focuses on improving bee health and productivity, is doing something about it. Tarpy, an entomology professor at NC State and… 

Apr 19, 2010

Take Two … and Lose a Liver

Wouldn’t it be great if you knew that Tylenol – or some other drug – was bad for your health before you took it? To study ways of predicting drug toxicity to humans, Dr. David Threadgill, professor and head of genetics, examined mouse genes. Threadgill and colleagues published a paper in Genome Research that found… 

Jan 14, 2010

Klaenhammer Named AAAS Fellow

Dr. Todd R. Klaenhammer, distinguished university professor, has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS), the world’s largest scientific society and publisher of the journal Science.