As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to develop, the CDC now recommends that anyone traveling outside their home should wear a cloth face covering to cut down on the spread of the virus, leaving professional-grade face masks for healthcare workers. Many people are now turning to DIY tutorials to learn how to make their own masks, but confusion remains on the best designs and materials.
Given Yang’s expertise in how two-dimensional sheets can be assembled into three-dimensional structures, origami was a natural approach to this problem. Yang says that the issue with many DIY face mask designs is that they do not properly conform to the face. Without a strong seal around the mouth and nose, even the best materials are undermined; the virus can enter or leave through the gaps in the sides, or hitch a ride on fingers as they adjust a loose-fitting mask.
Novel plant-based approach to a better, cheaper GLP-1 delivery system
Research led by Penn Dental’s Henry Daniell investigates the use of a lettuce-based, plant-encapsulated delivery platform as a new oral delivery of two GLP-1 drugs previously approved by the FDA in injectable form.
No brain, no gain: Neuronal activity enhances benefits of exercise
Research led by Penn neuroscientist J. Nicholas Betley and collaborators finds that hypothalamic neurons are essential for translating physical exertion into endurance, potentially opening the door to exercise-mimicking therapies.
In honor of Valentine's Day, and as a way of fostering community in her Shakespeare in Love course, Becky Friedman took her students to the University Club for lunch one class period. They talked about the movie "Shakespeare in Love," as part of a broader conversation on how Shakespeare's works are adapted.
In Becky Friedman’s English course Shakespeare in Love, undergraduate students analyze language, genre, and adaptation in the Bard’s plays through the lens of love.
Beating the heat: Designing cooling for bodies in motion
Dorit Aviv, director of Weitzman’s Thermal Architecture Lab, studies how humans, technology, and design intersect, paving the way for the development of novel approaches to cooling people efficiently.
