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Friday, November 23 2018

  • Newly sequenced genomes of parasitic worms could speed development of new treatments, according to Iowa State University biomedical research

    An international team of scientists, including an ISU biomedical researcher, conducted genomic studies of 81 worm species, including 45 that had never been sequenced before, and documented nearly a million new genes. The research might identify promising targets for new medical treatments to combat parasitic worms, a major global threat to human and animal health.

  • Expert political panel will analyze midterms, look to the future

    The political ads have disappeared, but many questions remain about what comes next in American politics. A panel of experts will discuss November’s midterm election results and what the future may hold.

  • Quality of sellers critical to growth, revenues for online platforms

    Online shopping platforms have changed the way we shop for everything from household items to holiday gifts. The success of an online platforms depends on its ability to pair buyers and sellers and remove low-quality sellers, according to new Iowa State University research.

  • Engineers use game theory to quantify threats of cyberattacks on power grid

    Iowa State's Manimaran Govindarasu and Sourabh Bhattacharya are turning to game theory to help quantify threats of cyberattacks on the power grid. They're also developing cybersecurity tools that could help protect the grid and could be adapted to other cyber-physical infrastructure such as oil, natural gas and transportation systems. Their research is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

  • Change Agent: Austin Stewart

    Austin Stewart’s passion for building and supporting community, and how art weaves through it all, has led him across America – including his pilgrimage with a monk 13 years ago. Today, the assistant professor of art and visual culture splits his time between teaching digital media in Iowa State’s College of Design and revamping a former feed mill and warehouse on Ames’ west side.

  • Weightlifting is good for your heart and it doesn’t take much

    Lifting weights for less than an hour a week may reduce your risk for a heart attack or stroke by 40 to 70 percent, according to a new Iowa State University study. Spending more than an hour in the weight room did not yield any additional benefit, the researchers found. The results show benefits of strength training are independent of running, walking or other aerobic activity.

  • Singing may reduce stress, improve motor function for people with Parkinson’s disease

    Singing may provide benefits beyond improving respiratory and swallow control in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to new data from Iowa State University researchers. The results from the pilot study revealed improvements in mood and motor symptoms, as well as reduced physiological indicators of stress. Researchers say the improvements among singing participants are similar to benefits of taking medication.

  • ‘Smart shrinkage’ in small towns driven by strong social infrastructure, ISU research shows

    As small Iowa towns continue to lose population, a strong social infrastructure – rather than economic or physical factors – determines whether residents report greater quality of life, according to new research out of Iowa State University.

  • Engineers develop ‘bury-and-forget’ sensors, data networks for better soil, water quality

    Iowa State's Jonathan Claussen is leading a team of engineers developing a system of low-cost, "bury-and-forget" soil sensors connected to a remote, wireless, data-collection network. Data collected by the system will help the engineers build better models of the interactions of fertilizer, soil and crops. Those models could help farmers reduce their use of fertilizer, which can run off fields and contribute to harmful algae blooms.

  • Iowa State University veterinarians trying to improve safety and efficiency in development of new drugs

    Iowa State University veterinary researchers are working with the Food and Drug Administration to advance an innovative in vitro model to study the oral absorption of therapeutic drugs without requiring testing on live animals. The work could lead to more efficient and safer development of new therapies for human and animal medicine.

  • Marketing’s influence on innovation enhances profits

    Firms are constantly developing new products and services to stay competitive in a global marketplace. Iowa State researchers say creating a product that sells and doesn’t flop takes the right combination of innovation and marketing. Their latest study found firms with high levels of marketing capabilities enhanced profits.

  • Playing video games to cope with anxiety may increase risk for addiction

    Understanding a person's motivation to play video games may be key to identifying some of the causes of gaming disorder. Iowa State University researchers found people who use video games as a coping mechanism for anxiety are more likely to have symptoms of gaming disorder, and higher levels of stress increased their risk for addiction.

  • Checkmate: How plant protein Feronia protects against bacterial attackers

    When bacterial pathogens invade a plant, a game of chess plays out inside the cells of the plant as the pathogen tries to hijack the genetic pathways that govern the plant’s disease response. In a newly published study, researchers at Iowa State University describe the tactics the pathogens and the plants use in this high-stakes standoff.