By Jeff Mulhollem UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. -- The discovery of a gene involved in determining the melting point of cocoa butter -- a critical attribute of the substance widely used in foods and pharmaceuticals -- will likely lead to new…

Preliminary results show 30 percent reduction in ovulated eggs in female mice exposed to ozone. By Matt Solovey HERSHEY, Pa. -- Many urban and suburban areas have high levels of ground-level ozone, an air pollutant that can adversely affect lung…

Hunters asked to participate in survey UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – There seems to be a lot of common wisdom that exists when it comes to whitetails, such as, "It's near full moon, so the deer are only moving at night."…

A Penn State professor uses musical audio to help researchers reach new audiences by Katie Jacobs FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- The squirrels are wary at first. They carefully sniff at the traps set on the chilly ground of Alaska’s north slope,…

Crew members aboard Coast Guard cutter Kodiak Island out of Atlantic Beach North Carolina and their family members prepare to release a sea turtle into the Gulf Stream off the North Carolina coast Dec. 15, 2014. The Coast Guard, in…

How much fun would tons of snow in downtown Phoenix be? Never stop wondering during Snow Week at Arizona Science Center! We’re celebrating the season with 30+ tons of snow in Heritage and Science Park, ice sculptures, gingerbread houses, candy…

Mercury appears to undergo a recurring meteor shower, perhaps when its orbit crosses the debris trail left by comet Encke. (Artist's concept.) Image Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center The closest planet to the sun appears to get hit by…

This image is the first detailed picture of the crystal structure of a gene-regulation enzyme while it is working on a nucleosome -- a fundamental component of the chromosomes that provide structure and organization for an organism\'s genes. Nucleosomes are…

A colony of coral from a newly discovered coral community with attached anemones and brittle stars from a site 6 km from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site. The patchy brown growth on the normally gold-colored coral is not found…

Aim is to minimize losses when earthquake follows flood. By David Pacchioli Flood and earthquake. Either one of these natural hazards, if severe enough, can topple a highway bridge. Accordingly, bridges are designed and built to withstand both types of…

HERSHEY, Pa. -- All instances of a gene mutation that contributes to light skin color in Europeans came from the same chromosome of one person who most likely lived at least 10,000 years ago, according to Penn State College of…

Environmental research and weather forecasting are about to get a significant technology boost as NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) prepare to launch a new satellite in February. NASA and JAXA selected 1:07 p.m. to 3:07 p.m. EST…