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Mar 19, 2012

Study: Including Ads in Mobile Apps Poses Privacy, Security Risks

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found that including ads in mobile applications (apps) poses privacy and security risks. In a recent study of 100,000 apps in the official Google Play market, researchers noticed that more than half contained so-called ad libraries. And 297 of the apps included aggressive ad libraries that were enabled… 

Feb 27, 2012

First Full Look at Prehistoric New Zealand Penguin

After 35 years, a giant fossil penguin has finally been completely reconstructed, giving researchers new insights into prehistoric penguin diversity. The bones were collected in 1977 by Dr. Ewan Fordyce, a paleontologist from the University of Otago, New Zealand. In 2009 and 2011, Dr. Dan Ksepka, North Carolina State University research assistant professor of marine,… 

Feb 16, 2012

New Mouse Reference Library Should Speed Gene Discoveries

Genetic information provided by a large group of specially designed mice could pave the way to faster human health discoveries and transform the ways people battle and prevent disease. In 15 papers published Feb. 16 in the Genetics Society of America journals Genetics and G3:Genes/Genomes/Genetics, researchers from North Carolina State University, the University of North… 

Feb 8, 2012

Transformational Fruit Fly Genome Catalog Completed

Scientists searching for the genomics version of the holy grail – more insight into predicting how an animal’s genes affect physical or behavioral traits – now have a reference manual that should speed gene discoveries in everything from pest control to personalized medicine. In a paper published today in Nature, North Carolina State University genetics… 

Feb 5, 2012

Chemists Develop Faster, More Efficient Protein Labeling

Researchers have created specially engineered mammalian cells to provide a new “chemical handle” which will enable researchers to label proteins of interest more efficiently, without disrupting the normal function of the proteins themselves or the cells in which they are found. Protein labeling is used by researchers in a variety of fields to help them… 

Jan 26, 2012

Pioneering Cat Receives Total Knee Replacement

A tough cancer survivor named Cyrano received a brand new knee Thursday at NC State, making him the first ever feline recipient of an osseointegrated knee implant. Cyrano is a 10-year-old tabby cat who was treated for bone cancer last year and is now in total remission. However, the disease and treatment weakened the bone in… 

Jan 12, 2012

New Tech Removes Air Pollutants, May Reduce Energy Use In Animal Ag Facilities

Researchers from North Carolina State University and West Virginia University have developed a new technology that can reduce air pollutant emissions from some chicken and swine barns, and also reduce their energy use by recovering and possibly generating heat. 

Jan 5, 2012

To Speed People Up, Human Leg Muscle Slows Down

Other than Olympic race walkers, people generally find it more comfortable to run than walk when they start moving at around 2 meters per second – about 4.5 miles per hour. North Carolina State University biomedical engineers Dr. Gregory Sawicki and Dr. Dominic Farris have discovered why: At 2 meters per second, running makes better… 

Dec 16, 2011

From Superbugs To Supernovas: Research Highlights From 2011

From research in antibiotic use and superbugs, which could help us address a global medical challenge, to a supernova finding that solved a millennia-old stellar mystery, 2011 was an exciting year for research at North Carolina State University. As we prepare for 2012, we’re taking a look back at some of the interesting research stories… 

Nov 30, 2011

Researchers Find Some Smartphone Models More Vulnerable To Attack

New research from North Carolina State University shows that some smartphones specifically designed to support the Android mobile platform have incorporated additional features that can be used by hackers to bypass Android’s security features,  making them more vulnerable to attack. Android has the largest share of the smartphone market in the U.S. 

Nov 30, 2011

Going Google

Dear NC State Colleagues, Yesterday was a RED letter day for NC State. This great university migrated to Google Mail and now, for the first time in our history, we are all using the same e-mail service. Yesterday, an outstanding team of IT specialists, led by Vice Chancellor Marc Hoit and representing the Office of Information Technology… 

Nov 10, 2011

Using Light, Researchers Convert 2-D Patterns Into 3-D Objects

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a simple way to convert two-dimensional patterns into three-dimensional (3-D) objects using only light. 

Oct 24, 2011

Supernova Solved

In 185 A.D., Chinese astronomers recorded a bright “guest star” in the night sky. By the 1960s, astronomers figured out that the guest star was in fact a supernova, and identified the remains of the stellar explosion. And in 2011, a team of astrophysicists led by NC State researchers solved the mystery of what caused this… 

Oct 10, 2011

NC State Gets $4 Million Grant to Ramp up Southeast Biofuel Production

North Carolina State University will use a $4 million grant to study the most efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly ways of producing biofuels from trees and from forest harvesting residue. NC State is part of the Southeast Partnership for Integrated Biomass Supply Systems, a collaboration of several universities and industry partners who will work on all aspects… 

Sep 28, 2011

Not Quite ’Roid Rage: Complicated Gene Networks Involved in Fly Aggression

Fruit fly aggression is correlated with smaller brain parts, involves complex interactions between networks of important genes, and often cannot be controlled with mood-altering drugs like lithium. Those are the results of a painstaking study conducted by researchers at North Carolina State University and colleagues in Belgium who are trying to discover what happens in…