From mullets in the 1980s to bowl cuts a decade later, bad haircuts have caused humans plenty of stress. But Iowa State University animal science researchers are trying to find out if trimming pigs’ hair can provide insight into how they respond to stressors they encounter through life, including disease. The researchers aim to use…
The latest artificial intelligence tools will allow researchers to develop digital twins of individual crop plants and entire farm fields, helping plant breeders improve crop varieties and farmers boost production. The researchers behind a new artificial intelligence research institute say their work can accelerate the productivity and sustainability of agriculture at a time when the…
Iowa State University scientists are finding evidence that obesity alters mammals’ reproductive systems in a variety of ways, including undermining natural abilities to resist and recover from exposures to chemical toxins. “It has been known for some time that obese women tend to have issues with fertility and related problems, such as earlier onset of…
A new study led by an Iowa State University scientist sheds light on how organisms have evolved to address imbalances in sex chromosomes. The study looks at a species of softshell turtle, but the results could help to illuminate an important evolutionary process in many species, said Nicole Valenzuela, professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology and…
Do you ever feel like the light of your computer screen is burrowing into your eyes and making your head pulse? Or feel dizzy or nauseous after looking at your phone? While you might think these sensations are just eye strain or fatigue from looking at your screen for too long, they’re actually symptoms of…
Summer means cookouts, picnics, and backyard barbecues. But a generous spread of food eaten outside raises some serious health questions. Nobody wants food poisoning – or to make their guests sick. But how do you know when you’ve kept the potato salad or fruit medley out too long? As a professor and chair of the…
In Iowa, the vital role research plays – in keeping us healthy, in growing our economy, in maintaining our competitiveness in today’s global market, and in keeping our world sustainable for generations to come – has never been greater. So, it is significant that during the 2021 fiscal year that ended June 30, 2021, the…
Five Iowa State University researchers have been selected to receive Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) awards from the National Science Foundation during the 2021 fiscal and academic year, adding to the record-breaking number of university recipients last year. Considered to be the most prestigious award of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the CAREER program…
The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust of Muscatine, Iowa, has committed $400,000 to help expand the microscopy capabilities at Iowa State University, aiding the university’s research in human and animal health, reliable food production and innovative bioenergy solutions and bioproducts. With the Carver Trust’s investment, the university’s Office of Biotechnology will be able to purchase…
Brian Hornbuckle has an old photo of himself as a boy, talking—mouth wide—while cousin Keri Hornbuckle’s brother rests his chin on his fists, elbows on the table, looking exasperated. Brian grew up in Shenandoah, in the southwest corner of Iowa, while Keri, a decade his senior, grew up 260 miles away in Cedar Rapids. Because…
