Author: dhallett

Ancient asteroid impact exposes the moon’s interior

Scientists have long assumed that all the planets in our solar system look the same beneath the surface, but a study published in Geology on Oct. 4 tells a different story.

California animal welfare laws led to higher egg prices, lower production

Laws that changed animal confinement standards in California raised the price of eggs dramatically upon adoption and have kept prices higher than had the laws not been enacted, according to a Purdue University study. An analysis of the laws’ effects on egg production and prices in California could inform other states considering similar legislation.

Cover crops increase destruction of weed seed in fields, shed light on predator interactions

Cover crops have been promoted for their abilities to reduce erosion and retain or enhance soil nutrients. Now there is evidence that they can significantly reduce weed seeds from entering the soil seed bank.

Move over, Mario: Purdue researchers use Wii games to help Parkinson’s patients

A pair of Purdue University professors are using the popular Nintendo Wii gaming system to help people with Parkinson’s disease. Jessica Huber and Jeff Haddad from the College of Health and Human Sciences are studying how playing specially created games can improve a patient’s movement, speech and overall quality of life.

Purdue attributes record research funding growth to faculty, facilities, partnerships

Purdue University achieved another record year of sponsored research funding, reaching $418.3 million in fiscal year 2017, topping the previous year’s record of $403 million.

Research seeks to improve electrical system against weather outages

Determining how to improve the resilience of power grid structures in the face of outages from severe weather events is the focus of a multidisciplinary study by Purdue professors.

The project, “Towards a Resilient Grid: An Investment Prioritization Decision Framework that Integrates the Growing Risks of Severe Weather-Induced Outages,” received a $468,851 grant from the National Science Foundation.

Breakthrough soybean research by Purdue and Dow AgroSciences could save farmers millions

Through a collaborative project, Purdue University and Dow AgroSciences researchers have discovered a novel soybean gene that provides resistance to a devastating and costly fungal disease.

NSF-funded center at Purdue could help power U.S. for next century

The National Science Foundation has chosen Purdue University to lead an engineering research center, which will develop new technologies to produce fuels from U.S. shale-gas deposits that could inject $20 billion annually into the economy.

Key process to be modernized in production of lifesaving drugs, food preservation

A consortium of experts is working to modernize a process that is used in making a wide range of products, from freeze-dried space foods to lifesaving wonder drugs.

The process, called “lyophilization,” removes water at low temperature and pressure. Lyophilization is needed for products that would be damaged if they were dried by heating, but it can be slow, energy-intensive and expensive.

Purdue researchers create device to identify risks for breast cancer

Researchers at Purdue University are creating a device that they hope will help identify risk factors that cause breast cancer.

The device, known as risk-on-a-chip, is a small plastic case with several thin layers and an opening for a piece of paper where researchers can place a portion of tissue. This tiny environment produces risk factors for cancer and mimics what happens in a living organism.