Today’s top 5 from Purdue University

You will want to read these good stories that you may have missed.

The AP Newsroom (for AP members) and Purdue News YouTube channel (for all reporters) provide comments from Purdue experts on timely topics. 

New website updates strategic initiatives announced in 2022-23

Three strategic initiatives were announced in the last fiscal year and continue into the new year: Purdue University in Indianapolis, the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, and Purdue Computes. These, along with other related efforts, will be regularly updated on the university’s strategic initiatives summary website.

Media contact: Derek Schultz, dcschultz@purdue.edu

Purdue’s microwave technology could lead to more stable vaccine supply chain

Purdue University researchers have been working on the problem of vaccine stability for years — using rocket science to advance a freeze-drying technology that lengthens product shelf life. A Purdue-led team has been awarded nearly $1 million to pursue a technology of using microwaves to make the freeze-drying process twice as fast and more cost-effective. Like astronaut ice cream, many vaccines are made stable for transport and storage through freeze-drying, also known as lyophilization.

Media contact: Tim Doty, doty2@purdue.edu 

AP Video: Pros and cons of the 4-day school week

Jennifer Smith, a clinical associate professor of special education in Purdue University’s College of Education, goes over the benefits and challenges that come with a four-day school week. Smith says many rural districts are adopting a shorter school week in order to reduce budget costs and attract more teachers. However, parents of elementary schoolchildren in these four-day districts may have to pay more for child care. Some schools are offering child care during the now empty fifth day, but at a cost.

Media contact: Trevor Peters, peters237@purdue.edu

Purdue experiments clarify critical molecular stages of mammalian development

A Purdue University research team has revealed complex new details about the function of a key protein shared by mammals, including humans. Many cancers result when this DNA methyltransferase protein goes awry. 

Media contact: Maureen Manier, mmanier@purdue.edu

Purdue animal sciences faculty members receive USDA grants for animal welfare research

Faculty members in Purdue University’s Department of Animal Sciences have received $1.4 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture for research on safeguarding animal welfare. Both projects pertain to poultry production, a major contributor to the U.S. and Indiana economies. 

Media contact: Maureen Manier, mmanier@purdue.edu

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About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top 4 in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, with 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 12 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap, including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the new Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, and Purdue Computes, at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.