Department of plant pathology and environmental microbiology

Harnessing mushroom microbiomes for better crop development

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 01:05:23 -0500

Microorganisms collected from the material in which button mushrooms are grown may benefit the development of future fungi crops, according to a study led by researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

Jimenez-Gasco leads Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 11:09:33 -0500

The College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State has appointed Maria del Mar Jimenez-Gasco, professor of plant pathology, as head of the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, effective Jan. 1.

Penn State awarded grant for workforce development for Spanish-speaking farmers

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:00:00 -0500

The Extension Foundation’s AgriProspects Workforce Development Network recently awarded Penn State Extension a competitive mini-grant to support its “Success Skills in Spanish 4 Ag” project, which focuses on workforce development for Spanish-speaking tree-fruit growers and poultry farmers.

College of Ag Sciences celebrates faculty, staff achievements in research

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 15:44:03 -0500

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences celebrated another year of outstanding success and accomplishments in research during the 2024 Research Awards Ceremony, held Nov. 19 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus.

Fungi Futures exhibition showcases work of Stuckeman architecture researchers

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 09:47:10 -0400

Three projects from researchers in the Penn State Stuckeman School that focus on the use of mycelium, the root of fungus, as sustainable architectural components are featured in the “Fungi Futures: Exploring Mycelium in Product Design and Crafts” exhibition in the gallery of the (con)Temporary CRAFTS STUDIO in Bremen, Germany.

Q&A: Using a new approach to shine a light on hidden plant microbes

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 10:00:28 -0400

An approach called metagenomics — a type of DNA sequencing — may help scientists learn more about the microbes that affect plants, according to Penn State researchers.

College of Ag Sciences doctoral student wins national foundation award

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 11:34:38 -0400

Ram Neupane, a doctoral student in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, received a $10,000 research award given by the Storkan-Hanes-McCaslin Foundation.

Research teams receive $1.1 million to study microbiomes in agriculture

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 09:51:15 -0400

Two Penn State-led research teams have received funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture for projects investigating the ways microbiomes — the microorganisms in a particular environment, such as in soil or a living organism — can affect disease dynamics in agriculture.

Grants will provide real-world learning experiences for College of Ag students

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 11:08:04 -0400

Penn State's Engaged Scholarship and Experiential Learning Seed Grant Program, offered through the University's Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Science, has awarded five teams funding to help students apply skills they are learning in class to meet the needs of an external partner or stakeholder.

Architecture team receives grant to study 3D-printed sustainable materials

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 08:45:52 -0400

With the support of a seed grant from the Living Multifunctional Materials Collaborative Seed Grant Program through the Convergence Center for Living Multifunctional Material Systems at Penn State, an interdisciplinary Penn State team is working with researchers at the University of Freiburg in Germany to explore the durability and strength of sustainable 3D-printed building components made with mycelium, the root of fungus.

College of Ag Sciences faculty, extension leader engage in leadership program

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:20:59 -0400

Two Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences faculty members and an assistant director with Penn State Extension recently furthered their knowledge of leadership principles by completing the LEAD21 leadership development program, a national yearlong program to develop leaders in land-grant institutions and their strategic partners who link research, academics and extension and can navigate an increasingly complex environment to lead more effectively in their current or future leadership positions.

Yellow-eyed grasses may have more insect visitors than previously thought

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 11:38:07 -0400

A team led by Penn State researchers published the first documentation of arthropods that visited yellow-eyed grasses in Guyana, a South American country where species of the plant are most diverse.

Fungi into the future

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 15:19:00 -0500

Mushrooms, and specifically the common white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, are big business in Pennsylvania. The state grows almost two-thirds of all Agaricus produced in the United States. Penn State’s leadership in research and education has shaped and supported the industry since its beginnings. In recent years, however, mushroom-related research at Penn State has expanded, fungus-like, across departments and even colleges into new and surprising areas, from food science to environmental clean-up to architecture and design.

College of Ag Sciences recognizes faculty, staff for research achievements

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 09:05:08 -0500

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences lauded outstanding accomplishments in research during the 2023 Research Awards Ceremony, held Nov. 1 at the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus.

$7M grant funds project to develop new ways to protect mushroom crops

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 08:25:13 -0500

A new grant for more than $7 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will fund an upcoming project led by Penn State researchers, who aim to develop new pest management tools for mushroom crops.

Plant pathologist to research plant diseases in organic vegetables

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 09:12:32 -0400

Sharifa Crandall, a plant pathologist in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, has received support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to study plant diseases in organic vegetable operations.