news releases

Oct 29, 2010

NC State Shelton Forum to Focus on Strategic Leadership and Global Change

Retired Gen. Dan McNeill, commander of  the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008, will give a keynote speech at North Carolina State University’s General Hugh Shelton Leadership Forum on Friday, Nov. 5, at the McKimmon Center. 

Oct 29, 2010

Charges Of Political Corruption Have Little Impact On Voter Opinion

Republican claims of political corruption in North Carolina’s Democratic Party have made little impact on public opinion among potential voters in the state, according to new polling data analyzed by North Carolina State University researchers. The findings show that highlighting actual corruption is not necessarily an effective electoral strategy. 

Oct 28, 2010

NC State Develops More Precise Genetic ‘Off Switches’

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found a way to “cage” genetic off switches in such a way that they can be activated when exposed to UV light. Their technology gives scientists a more precise way to control and study gene function in localized areas of developing organisms. The off switches,  called morpholino oligonucleotides,… 

Oct 27, 2010

Too Much SP2 Protein Turns Stem Cells Into “Evil Twin” Tumor-forming Cancer Cells

Researchers at North Carolina State University have found that the overproduction of a key protein in stem cells causes those stem cells to form cancerous tumors. Their work may lead to new treatments for a variety of cancers. Dr. Jon Horowitz, associate professor of molecular biomedical sciences, and a team of NC State researchers looked at… 

Oct 20, 2010

NC State to Lead Local Gates Foundation Effort to Help Low-Income Youth Finish School, Get Training, Find Jobs

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and MDC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding opportunity and reducing poverty, today announced that Raleigh has been selected as one of four cities to participate in the Partners for Postsecondary Success (PPS) initiative as part of a Gates-funded national effort to improve postsecondary completion rates among low-income young… 

Oct 19, 2010

NC State Names Three Finalists For Provost

North Carolina State University’s national search for a new provost is down to three finalists.  The candidates will visit campus for a final round of interviews and an open forum during the month of November. Following are candidate bios and the dates they will visit campus: Robert T. McGrath, Nov. 8-10 Since 2008, McGrath has… 

Oct 14, 2010

Lost, Found and Lost Again

Stop the presses: Bigfoot was spotted in Cary! It’s probably not the Bigfoot you know, that 8-foot-tall beast also known as Sasquatch. Instead, it’s the Bigfoot of ants, a species of ant so rarely seen that it makes blue moons seem common. This ant Bigfoot was unknown until more than 60 years ago, when it… 

Oct 11, 2010

NC State Researcher Receives Grant to Uncover Genetic Causes of Intestinal Deformity

A North Carolina State University researcher has received a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Heath  to study the genes responsible for intestinal formation. This work may lead to improved diagnosis and prevention of intestinal malrotation – or twisting – in human infants. Dr. Nanette Nascone-Yoder, assistant professor of developmental biology in… 

Oct 8, 2010

NC State Grant to Fund Training for Global Vaccine Manufacturers

North Carolina State University will use a new grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to train vaccine manufacturers from across the globe to use best production practices to help prevent pandemic viral outbreaks. 

Oct 8, 2010

NC State Economist Receives UNC Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Public Service

Michael L. Walden, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of economics at North Carolina State University, received the Award for Excellence in Public Service today from the Board of Governors of the multi-campus University of North Carolina. The award, announced during the Board’s regular October meeting, was established in 2007 to encourage, identify, recognize, and reward distinguished… 

Oct 7, 2010

Technique Allows Researchers to Examine How Materials Bond at the Atomic Level

An approach pioneered by researchers at North Carolina State University gives scientists new insight into the way silicon bonds with other materials at the atomic level. This technique could lead to improved understanding of and control over bond formation at the atomic level, and opportunities for the creation of new devices and more efficient microchips.… 

Oct 7, 2010

In Plants, Small Changes Make Big Impact

You can’t see them or feel them, but right now countless biochemical interactions in your body affect your life in countless ways. These interactions are important because if they go poorly, really bad things can happen. In a simple and admittedly extreme example, poorly regulated protein interactions – interactions between molecules that are the main… 

Oct 6, 2010

Study: Fish Near Coal-Fired Power Plants Have Lower Levels Of Mercury

A new study from North Carolina State University finds that fish located near coal-fired power plants have lower levels of mercury than fish that live much further away. The surprising finding appears to be linked to high levels of another chemical, selenium, found near such facilities, which unfortunately poses problems of its own. 

Oct 5, 2010

Structure Of Plastic Solar Cells Impedes Their Efficiency, Researchers Find

A team of researchers from North Carolina State University and the U.K. has found that the low rate of energy conversion in all-polymer solar-cell technology is caused by the structure of the solar cells themselves. They hope that their findings will lead to the creation of more efficient solar cells. Polymeric solar cells are made… 

Oct 4, 2010

Multifunctional Smart Sensors and High-Power Devices on a Computer Chip

Researchers from North Carolina State University have patented technology that is expected to revolutionize the global energy and communications infrastructure – and create U.S. jobs in the process.