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Pennsylvania State University

Scientists give Greenland ice cap warning

Thu, 08/12/2010 - 00:49 by Prince damin

Washington -- U.S. scientists say the entire ice mass of Greenland could disappear if temperatures rise by as little as 4 degrees F, with severe worldwide consequences.

Richard Alley, a geosciences professor at Pennsylvania State University, said Greenland shed its largest chunk of ice in nearly half a century last week and faces an even grimmer future, Britain's The Guardian newspaper said.

"Sometime in the next decade we may pass that tipping point which would put us warmer than temperatures that Greenland can survive," Alley told a briefing in Congress, saying a rise in the range of 4 to 12 degrees Fahrenheit would mean the obliteration of Greenland's ice sheet.

Renewable hydrogen device created

Tue, 09/29/2009 - 22:43 by surajdogra

Oakville, Calif. -- Pennsylvania State University engineers say they have created a microbial electrolysis system that can produce hydrogen from wastewater.

The first demonstration of the device is underway at the Napa Wine Co. in Oakville, Calif. Researchers said their refrigerator-sized hydrogen generator will take winery wastewater, and using bacteria and a small amount of electrical energy, convert the organic material into hydrogen.

"This is a demonstration to prove we can continuously generate renewable hydrogen and to study the engineering factors affecting the system performance," said Professor Bruce Logan. "The hydrogen produced will be vented except for a small amount that will be used in a hydrogen fuel cell."

AccuWeather founder gives Penn State $2M

Tue, 09/22/2009 - 23:33 by surajdogra

State College, Pa. -- Pennsylvania State University says Joel Myers, founder of AccuWeather Inc., has made a $2 million gift to the school to ensure its leadership in meteorology.

Myers, a Penn State trustee and alumnus, said the gift will support the university's new weather center. Officials said the gift is the largest ever made to the school's Department of Meteorology and among the largest ever received for programs in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

School officials said the new weather facility will be named "The Joel N. Myers Weather Center."

Algae may shield coral from global warming

Thu, 09/10/2009 - 23:24 by surajdogra

State College, Pa. -- A U.S.-led scientific team has found a rare photosynthetic alga might be able to save certain colonies of coral from the damaging effects of global warming.

The team, led by Pennsylvania State University Assistant Professor Todd LaJeunesse, evaluated corals -- and the photosynthetic algae that live inside their cells -- before, during and after a period in 2005 when global warming caused Caribbean Ocean sea-surface temperatures to rise.

Technology finds bodies in disasters

Mon, 08/17/2009 - 23:02 by surajdogra

Washington -- U.S. scientists say they are working to develop the first portable device that can detect human bodies buried in disasters and at crime scenes.

Pennsylvania State University forensic scientists Dan Sykes and Sarah Jones said they are creating a profile of the chemicals released from decomposing bodies. Such a profile could lead to an electronic device designed to determine the time elapsed since death in a quick and accurate manner, they said.

Active genes found in budding mammal brain

Tue, 07/14/2009 - 03:08 by surajdogra

State College, Pa. -- U.S. scientists studying a mammal's early brain development have found evidence of a large number of genes, including those linked to neurological disorders.

The Pennsylvania State University study led by Professor Hong Ma and Associate Professor Gong Chen is the first to use high-throughput sequencing to uncover active genes in developing brains. The results, said the researchers, might lead to development of drugs or gene therapies for neurological disorders such as autism and mental retardation.

Iron and manganese used to convert methane

Tue, 07/14/2009 - 02:52 by Salinder Kumar

State College, Pa. -- U.S. scientists say they have discovered marine microorganisms use manganese and iron to convert methane into carbon dioxide.

The Pennsylvania State University researchers said their finding is important because carbon dioxide can produce compounds that sequester carbon in the ocean, reducing the amount of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere. That process had previously been thought to be dependent on compounds containing sulfur.

Study may improve genetic counseling

Thu, 07/02/2009 - 03:00 by Salinder Kumar

State College, Pa. -- U.S. scientists studying how some human DNA mutations are involved in inherited diseases say their findings may affect the way genetic counseling is offered.

Pennsylvania State University researchers said their study has shed light on the processes that lead to human DNA mutations implicated in such diseases as tuberous sclerosis and neurofibromatosis type 1.

The scientists, led by Associate Professors Kateryna Makova and Francesca Chiaromonte, examined mutations in which small fragments of DNA are either added or subtracted from the genome. They said they found patterns in the DNA sequences immediately surrounding those mutations.