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Chemistry
Researchers discover new molecules for tracking Parkinson’s disease
Researchers discover new molecules for tracking Parkinson’s disease
The study describes an innovative approach for identifying and evaluating candidate molecules that can image and track the progression of a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases.
New funding supports milestone initiative to advance solar energy research
Penn’s Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology is a partner in a $40 million award from the Department of Energy that will accelerate fundamental research on solar technology.
Reviving ‘old school’ chemistry to tackle the energy crisis
Reviving ‘old school’ chemistry to tackle the energy crisis
In the lab of Neil Tomson, chemists tackle the complex challenges of catalysis while gaining firsthand experience in science outreach and communication.
A new tool for cell biologists
A new tool for cell biologists
Researchers describe a new approach for creating realistic synthetic cells, providing a new tool that can be used to figure out how certain pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, infect hosts.
At home, but still engaged with STEM classes
At home, but still engaged with STEM classes
While instructional laboratories on campus are closed, students, faculty, and instructors are finding creative solutions for science, math, and engineering courses and projects.
Penn labs get creative to stay productive, connected
Penn labs get creative to stay productive, connected
In the face of a pandemic that has shuttered most physical laboratories across campus, researchers have shifted gears, maintaining work and social ties through grant- and manuscript-writing, virtual journal clubs, online coffee breaks, and more.
Future collaborators and scientific pioneers at the Women in STEM symposium
Future collaborators and scientific pioneers at the Women in STEM symposium
Graduate students and faculty across Penn met to share their work and discuss solutions for issues faced by women in STEM.
A better building block for creating new materials
Researchers describe a new way to synthesize organic “Legos,” a chemical framework that can be easily modified and controlled to create new materials with unique properties.
A close look at thin ice
A close look at thin ice
A pairing of theory and experiment led to discovering atomic-scale details of the growth of ice on surfaces, which can inform the design of materials that make ice removal simple and cheaper.
A missing link in haze formation
A missing link in haze formation
Hazy days don’t just block the view; they mean the air contains particulate matter that can compromise human health. Chemists have discovered a way that alcohols can balance out the formation of new particles, a finding that could improve the accuracy of air-quality forecasts.
In the News
Nature
Meet the unsung scientists behind the Nobel for quantum dots
Christopher Murray’s lab at the School of Arts & Sciences is delving into the next phase of quantum-dot research to make components for quantum computing, sensing, and communication.
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Live Science
Scientists propose ‘missing’ law for the evolution of everything in the universe
Stuart Kauffman of the Perelman School of Medicine comments on a study that proposed a missing scientific law identifying “universal concepts of selection” that drive evolution.
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SciTechDaily
Iontronics breakthrough: Faster thin film devices for improved batteries and advanced computing
Andrew Rappe of the School of Arts & Sciences and colleagues have developed high-quality, single-crystal oxide thin films, aligned in such a way that the lithium ions can move even faster along vertical ionic transport channels.
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Forbes
How fireworks could worsen air quality
A report by chemists from Penn reveals that firework combustion releases harmful chemicals and metals into the environment that impact air quality, drinking water and public health.
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Fast Company
A once-shuttered California mine is trying to transform the rare earth industry
Eric Schelter of the School of Arts & Sciences cautions that the economics of rare earth production are challenging and have worked against U.S. industry in the past.
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Business Insider
Study: Heat-temperature marine bacteria help detoxify asbestos
Ileana Perez-Rodriguez of the School of Arts & Sciences says that iron has been identified as a major component driving the toxicity of asbestos minerals.
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