Critical Issues
Each highlighted project is categorized under one of the critical issues identified below, which relay why the research is vital to the health and welfare of society and the environment as much as it is to the productivity of plants and animals.
Resiliency | Characterizing and Mitigating Stressors
Protecting Against Biotic Stressors: Insect-deterring compounds in sorghum may be an eco-friendly pesticide
Improving Soybean Yield: “Scaring” soybeans into defensive mode yields better plants a generation later
Identifying Stressors’ Impacts: Assessment details the impact of pests and pathogens on the world’s major food crops
Managing Mushroom Pests: Tackling mushroom phorid fly infestations with a multi-pronged biocontrol approach
Invasive Species | Detecting and Rapidly Responding to Biological Invasions
Controlling Stink Bugs: Using parasitic samurai wasps and pheromones to biologically control stink bugs
Preserving Regional Industries: Predicting the threat of the invasive round goby to a multi-million-dollar shellfish industry
Water Management | Reducing Soil Degradation and Minimizing Inputs
Reducing Nutrient Inputs: Conservation dairy farming could help Pennsylvania meet Chesapeake Bay target
Curbing Emerging Contaminants: Citizen scientists help researchers gauge Susquehanna water quality
Sustainability | Responsibly Increasing Agricultural Productivity and Efficiency
Increasing Yields and Incomes: Cacao provides alternative to illicit production of coca for Colombian farmers
Improving Dairy Cow Health: Spicing up the diets of transition dairy cows shown to improve their health
Infectious Diseases | Mitigating the Spread of Vector-Borne Pathogens
Editing Genes in Mosquitos: CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in mosquitos promises future control of vector-borne diseases
Predicting Future Tick Threats: More than 100 years of historical data show shifting tick population
Infectious Diseases | Protecting Against Infections and Decreasing Disease Incidence
Treating Wood Packaging: Energy-efficient treatment chamber may protect against destructive pests.
Making Farmers Markets Safer: Training for farmers markets vendors helps to improve food safety practices.
Functional Foods | Improving Health through Mechanisms of Bioactive Compounds
Promoting Gut Health: Broccoli may be good for the gut.
Upcycling Avocado Seeds: Extract shows promise as a naturally-occurring anti-inflammatory compound.
Biotechnology | Developing Sustainable, Value-Added Products
Replacing Plastics with Biomaterial: Environmentally friendly barrier coatings pose numerous applications for curbing plastic use.
Mass-producing Vitamin K: Biofilm reactor promises to cut production costs of Vitamin K for high-dose therapies.
Rural Prosperity | Enabling Equitable Access to Knowledge and Techniques
Promoting Economic Resilience: Using lessons from successful communities to guide future growth.
Empowering Cambodian Women Farmers: Agricultural diversification empowers women in Cambodia with “wild gardens.”
Biodiversity | Conserving Pollinator Populations
Identifying Viruses in Pollinators: Inexpensive technique provides way to identify unknown viruses in bee populations.
Predicting Local Population Extinction: Bee dispersal ability may influence conservation measures.
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Research Areas
Six cross-cutting themes that organize the college’s research portfolio into broad categories