research news

Jun 18, 2014

Trap-Jaw Ants Spreading in Southeastern United States

Trap-jaw ant species are active hunters with venomous stings and jaws powerful enough to fling themselves through the air. According to new research, they are also spreading into new territory in the southeastern United States. The research was done by scientists at North Carolina State University, the Mississippi Entomological Museum, the University of California, Davis… 

Jun 13, 2014

Crossing the Goal Line: New Tech Tracks Football in 3-D Space

Referees may soon have a new way of determining whether a football team has scored a touchdown or gotten a first down. Researchers from North Carolina State University and Carnegie Mellon University, in collaboration with Disney Research, have developed a system that can track a football in three-dimensional space using low-frequency magnetic fields. 

May 29, 2014

Neural Transplant Reduces Absence Epilepsy Seizures in Mice

New research from North Carolina State University pinpoints the areas of the cerebral cortex that are affected in mice with absence epilepsy and shows that transplanting embryonic neural cells into these areas can alleviate symptoms of the disease by reducing seizure activity. The work may help identify the areas of the human brain affected in… 

May 28, 2014

‘Nanodaisies’ Deliver Drug Cocktail to Cancer Cells

Biomedical engineering researchers have developed daisy-shaped, nanoscale structures that are made predominantly of anti-cancer drugs and are capable of introducing a “cocktail” of multiple drugs into cancer cells. The researchers are all part the joint biomedical engineering program at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

May 23, 2014

Lack of Plant Diversity Spurs Cankerworm Damage in Cities

Research from North Carolina State University finds that a lack of plant diversity is a key contributor to the widespread defoliation caused by cankerworms in cities, and highlights the role that increasing diversity can play in limiting future damage. 

May 21, 2014

Dam Removal Improves Shad Spawning Grounds, May Boost Survival Rate

Research from North Carolina State University finds that dam removal improves spawning grounds for American shad and seems likely to improve survival rates for adult fish, juveniles and eggs – but for different reasons. 

May 20, 2014

Researchers Sequence Genome of Primitive Termite

North Carolina State University entomologists are part of a research team that has for the first time sequenced the genome of a member of the termite order, the dampwood termite (Zootermopsis nevadensis). A paper reports the findings today in Nature Communications. The findings on the genetic blueprint of the dampwood termite, one of the world’s… 

May 19, 2014

Engineers Find Way to Lower Risk of Midair Collisions for Small Aircraft

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed new modifications for technology that helps pilots of small aircraft avoid midair collisions. The modified tools significantly improved pilot response times in making decisions to avert crashes. 

May 12, 2014

Dopamine Turns Worker Ants Into Warrior Queens

The ritualized fighting behavior of one ant species is linked to increases in dopamine levels that trigger dramatic physical changes in the ants without affecting their DNA, according to research from North Carolina State University, Arizona State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

May 9, 2014

Bee Biodiversity Boosts Blueberry Crop Yields

Research from North Carolina State University shows that blueberries produce more seeds and larger berries if they are visited by more diverse bee species, allowing farmers to harvest significantly more pounds of fruit per acre. 

May 9, 2014

New Method Sneaks Drugs Into Cancer Cells Before Triggering Release

Biomedical engineering researchers have developed an anti-cancer drug delivery method that essentially smuggles the drug into a cancer cell before triggering its release. The method can be likened to keeping a cancer-killing bomb and its detonator separate until they are inside a cancer cell, where they then combine to destroy the cell. 

May 5, 2014

Study: Game Developers Say Success Hinges on More Than Just Programming Skills

Aspiring game developers may want to bone up on their interpersonal skills. A forthcoming study from North Carolina State University and Microsoft Research finds that game developers need a suite of non-programming skills – including communication skills – that are considered less important in other fields of software development. 

May 1, 2014

Increased Drought Portends Lower Future Midwest Crop Yields

Increasingly harsh drought conditions in the U.S. Midwest’s Corn Belt may take a serious toll on corn and soybean yields over the next half-century, according to research published today in the journal Science. Corn yields could drop by 15 to 30 percent, according to the paper’s estimates; soybean yield losses would be less severe. North… 

Apr 29, 2014

Study Highlights Importance of Parents Talking to Kids About Money

A new study from North Carolina State University and the University of Texas finds that children pay close attention to issues related to money, and that parents should make an effort to talk with their children to ensure that kids don’t develop misconceptions about finance. 

Apr 28, 2014

Urbanization, Higher Temperatures Can Influence Butterfly Emergence Patterns

An international team of researchers has found that a subset of common butterfly species are emerging later than usual in urban areas located in warmer regions, raising questions about how the insects respond to significant increases in temperature.