K-State in the news

Recent news highlights

Read some of today's top stories mentioning Kansas State University. See more K-State faculty, staff and students in the news in the clip archives.

Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026

National/International

Explainer-What Is Red-Dyed Diesel and Can It Help Lower Prices, as Trump Wants?
9/30/26 US News and World Report
"It would help less than it sounds like, and ⁠the version the administration can do without Congress wouldn't lower pump prices at all," said Gregg Ibendahl, an agricultural economics professor at Kansas State University. "It's a much safer idea than the export ban — mostly because it does less."

Plant Viruses Already Carry Weapons That Can Blind CRISPR-Cas13
9/30/26 ScienMag
But a new study published in Stress Biology by Veerendra K. Sharma, Sandeep Marla, and David E. Cook of Kansas State University and Oregon State University reveals an unexpected vulnerability: proteins that plant viruses evolved long ago to defeat one RNA-silencing system can also defeat another. The viral suppressors of RNA interference known as HcPro and P19, the researchers found, block not only the plant’s native RNAi machinery but also CRISPR-Cas13-mediated transcript interference, effectively acting as anti-CRISPR factors.

State/Regional

This grain could be an answer to drought-prone fields – if more Americans eat it
9/30/26 Harvest Public Media/NPR
Sorghum thrives in conditions that make other crops wilt. It welcomes heat and tolerates drought. The plant grows deep roots to capture hard-to-reach moisture beneath the soil, according to Sarah Sexton Bowser, director for the Center for Sorghum Improvement at Kansas State University. "A connecting thread of sorghum production across the globe is you find sorghum production in spots where things are tough," said Sexton Bowser.

Wichita middle school deals with bats as KDHE warns of potential rabies exposures
9/30/26 KMUW
Drew Ricketts, a wildlife expert at Kansas State University, said bats don’t typically attack humans. But their claws and mouths are so small that it can be hard to detect a bite or scratch.

K-State opens Western Star Global Grain and Food Center
9/30/26 Kansas Farmer/Farm Progress
Kansas State University’s College of Agriculture is renowned for its excellence in all aspects of agricultural research and education. On Sept. 18, members of the faculty and staff, along with dignitaries from across the state, gathered to cut the ribbon on the Western Star Global Grain and Food Center, a $130 million guiding star in the future of collaboration and discovery.

Local

New Call Hall facility will offer frozen treats and much more
9/30/26 Marysville Advocate
While there’s been plenty of excitement for Kansas State University’s new Western Star Grain and Food Center — a new state-of-the-art interdisciplinary center for food and grain research, development and education — there’s also been a lot of buzz surrounding the return of Call Hall ice cream and other dairy products.