Two University faculty performing research in genetics were among 48 scientists in the nation named Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigators last month, an honor that will give them long-term funding for their research and pay their salaries while allowing them to remain on the faculty.
Nancy Bonini, Ph.D., whose research has the potential of leading to cures for Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, is looking for suppressor genes in fruit flies that slow or stop the advance of these kinds of diseases.
The money, said Bonini, an asssistant professor of biology, will speed the work. “We can’t be fast enough,” she said.
Gregory D. Van Duyne, Ph.D., is exploring how the enzyme Cre recombinase allows viruses to integrate their genomes into their hosts, information that would be helpful in creating transgenic animals used, for example, in exploring the role of genes in diseases. “It’s a tool in arranging DNA molecules,” said Van Duyne, a professor of biochemistry and biophysics.
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.
Nancy Bonini, Ph.D., whose research has the potential of leading to cures for Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, is looking for suppressor genes in fruit flies that slow or stop the advance of these kinds of diseases.
