2026-07-28 WRAL News

Mosquitoes are evolving to survive common backyard sprays

Two new studies by NC State researchers show that homeowners' decisions about how they control mosquitoes in their own backyards may be helping some of those mosquitoes survive the very insecticides meant to kill them.

2026-07-20 CNN

Was the World Cup worth it?

American taxpayers footed the bill at one point for the stadiums that hosted the 2026 FIFA World Cup games. How much of that cost should be accounted for? “There are so many confounding variables and so much noise in the data,” said Michael Edwards, professor of sport management at NC State University. “It’s really difficult to pinpoint specific gains from these events.”

2026-07-19 Yahoo! News

Daylight saving time has a negative impact on healthy living, new research finds

"There's quite a bit of research in health fields related to how well-being is affected by daylight saving time," said Ram Janakiraman, a professor of marketing analytics at North Carolina State University's Poole College of Management. "We wanted to explore similar issues through the lens of consumer behavior, giving us new insights into how daylight saving influences the decisions we make."

2026-07-13 WRAL News

NC State scientists solve mystery behind beetle damaging North Carolina blueberry farms

For years, some North Carolina blueberry growers knew something was destroying their bushes from below ground. By the time plants showed obvious signs of trouble, it was often too late. Now, NC State researchers say they've identified the culprit: a native longhorn beetle whose larvae can spend years feeding on blueberry roots before the damage becomes visible. "We need to know exactly which species we're dealing with because that's going to help us determine what tools to use," said Lorena Lopez, an assistant extension professor in NC State's Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. "We also want to answer why blueberries are being infested only here in North Carolina so far."

2026-07-11 Newsweek

How Worried Should Americans Be About Cyclosporiasis? Experts Weigh In

“Cyclospora is almost always associated with consumption of fresh vegetables, herbs, and a few fruits, particularly berries,” said Lee-Ann Jaykus, the William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Emerita in food, bioprocessing and nutrition sciences at NC State University. “Larger outbreaks are often linked to widely distributed multi-component foods, such as salad mixes or vegetable trays, making it difficult to determine which ingredient was contaminated.”

2026-07-01 Interesting Engineering

New air-powered battery includes built-in self-destruct for sensitive devices

Researchers at Rice University and NC State have developed a stretchable battery that draws moisture from the air to generate electricity, eliminating the need for conventional liquid electrolytes while powering wearable and Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

2026-06-29 Vice

A Subtle Walking Change Could Be an Early Sign of Dog Dementia, Study Finds

Senior dogs slow down. Everyone knows that. The graying muzzle, the creaky joints, the nap that used to last an hour now lasting all afternoon—most owners chalk it up to age and leave it at that. A new study out of North Carolina State University suggests paying closer attention.

2026-06-09 The New York Times

As Screwworm Cases Mount, U.S. Officials Ramp Up Response

2026-06-04 The News & Observer

RDU tries novel approach to stormwater flowing off its massive parking lot

Contractors with Raleigh-Durham International Airport consulted NC State researchers on the design of the new stormwater system. The university will monitor the wetlands over the next year. “There’s a lot of stuff that’s being learned,” said Bill Hunt, a stormwater specialist in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. “We’re confident it’s going to work. We just don’t know exactly how well — that’s why we’re doing the monitoring.”

2026-06-03 CNN

Flesh-eating New World screwworm detected in Texas calf, USDA says, signaling major threat to food production

Max Scott, an entomology and plant pathologist at NC State who has genetically modified screwworm so the flies don’t reproduce, said outbreaks are typically controlled by rearing flies in a factory and sterilizing the bugs by exposing them to gamma rays when they are at the pupal stage. Scientists then release enough sterile flies to overwhelm the local fertile fly population. When the fertile female mates with a sterile male, they don’t produce offspring. “The USDA, over a 50-year period, succeeded in eradicating this fly all the way down to the Panama-Colombia border,” Scott said. “It was a lot of effort by a lot of people, but it’s largely unknown, unfortunately, because it was a big success story. They kept it there and away from here for 20 years, but the barrier failed a few years ago, and flies rapidly moved through Central America until where we are today.”