September 16, 2024
Nine Penn State researchers have been named fellows of the Institute of Energy and the Environment for 2024. The program recognizes and assists the exceptional achievements and unparalleled research impacts of highly successful researchers in the areas of energy and the environment. Nominees for the fellowship were submitted by the University community.
June 26, 2024
Cacao, the chocolate tree, is one of the world’s most important economic crops, generating hundreds of billions of dollars annually. However, cocoa is affected by a range of pests and diseases, with some estimates putting losses as high as 30% to 40% of global production. Now, a team led by researchers at Penn State has created a genetic information resource to help plant breeders develop resistant strains of cacao that can be grown sustainably in its native Amazon and elsewhere, such as the tropical latitudes of Central and South America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia.
June 7, 2024
A collaborative effort between Penn State University and the Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education (BFREE) inspired a successful workshop that charted future interdisciplinary activities on developing agroforestry systems for sustainable and climate-resilient solutions and ecosystem conservation in Latin America.
October 16, 2023
Three projects have been awarded seed grants as part of the Penn State-Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education initiative. Faculty and students from Penn State will research agricultural and ecological sustainability, preservation of tropical rainforest ecosystems, and sustainable development in Belize.
October 2, 2023
Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal that poses a threat to food safety via the ingestion of food products with Cd. The uptake of Cd by the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) has gained attention after the European Union set limits for Cd in chocolate products, the main commodity produced from cacao beans. In this study, we analyzed levels of Cd in soils and plant tissues across five cacao farms in the Piura region of Peru to identify the origins of Cd accumulation, and the natural and human factors controlling its concentration
October 2, 2023
Identifying the effectiveness of agricultural interventions is a challenge faced by many international aid initiatives. This article reports on our efforts to document the success of agricultural aid interventions.
August 26, 2021
An exhaustive and painstaking comparison of the genomes of multiple strains of the cacao tree by a team of researchers has provided insights into the role genomic structural variants play in the regulation of gene expression and chromosome evolution, giving rise to the differences within populations of the plant.
May 20, 2021
April 13, 2021
Penn State Global Programs has announced the 2020-21 recipients of its annual awards that recognize the outstanding contributions of individuals and academic programs at Penn State who have helped to advance the University’s global engagement goals.
January 6, 2021
The CARICOM Biofortification Network being spearheaded by IICA is undertaking trials of iron enriched beans in Belize and zinc biofortified rice in Guyana.
December 23, 2020
May 15, 2020
Penn State has committed $530,000 of new support for three of the CfP graduates to continue with their PhD studies.
May 6, 2020
Our lab remains open under tightly controlled safety conditions. We are also focused on writing manuscripts, a thesis, and thesis proposal and several grant proposals. Overall our progress is continuing at an efficient pace given the circumstances. Our weekly lab meetings continue, in this photo, we celebrate Sarah Prewitt last week, as she moves into a new position at USDA APHIS!
