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Katherine Unger Baillie

Articles from Katherine Unger Baillie
First ever ‘pioneer’ factor found in plants enables cells to change their fate
A close-up view of white flowers emerging from a plant

Using an experimental technique whereby flowers can be coaxed to form from plant roots, biologists led by Doris Wagner uncovered a protein that enables for the initial loosening of chromatin that can allow new proteins to be made and plants to take on different forms. (Image: Courtesy of the Wagner laboratory)

First ever ‘pioneer’ factor found in plants enables cells to change their fate

To start the process of unpacking tightly bundled genetic material, plants depend on the LEAFY pioneer protein, according to work led by biologist Doris Wagner.

Katherine Unger Baillie

The outlook for science under the Biden-Harris administration
International leaders celebrate the Paris Climate Accord

President Biden made good on his promise to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord on his first day in office. The agreement was originally adopted at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2015. (Image: UNclimatechange)

The outlook for science under the Biden-Harris administration

Penn Today spoke with experts in various areas of science and environmental policy about what they anticipate will shift now that President Biden has assumed the nation’s leadership.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Climate change doesn’t spare the smallest
Topographic map of Area de Conservacion Guanacaste in Costa Rica showing different biomes

The ACG is home to a variety of different types of environments and ecosystems, and a rich diversity of species. (Image: Courtesy of Daniel Janzen and Winnie Hallwachs)

Climate change doesn’t spare the smallest

Changing conditions have taken a toll on insects in the tropics, according to research by School of Arts & Sciences biologists Daniel Janzen and Winnie Hallwachs. But education and science offer a path forward, they say.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Applying physics expertise to making smiles brighter
Scientist Yu Zhang in his lab

Yu Zhang joined the Penn Dental Medicine faculty last year, bringing a wealth of expertise in physics and engineering to complement the School’s existing strengths.

Applying physics expertise to making smiles brighter

With a background in physics and material science, Yu Zhang has joined the School of Dental Medicine to advance the way dentists restore oral health.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Seeing clearly through the fog of war
Side-by-side photos of author and book cover of Rational Fog by M. Susan Lindee

Seeing clearly through the fog of war

In a new book, science historian M. Susan Lindee of the School of Arts & Sciences explores the interplay between scientific progress and violence in modern war.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Gut cells sound the alarm when parasites invade
Black and white microscopic image of many cells clustered tightly

The parasite Cryptosporidium, transmitted through water sources, is one of the most common causes of diarrheal disease in the world. (Image: Muthgapatti Kandasamy and Boris Striepen)

Gut cells sound the alarm when parasites invade

A chain reaction led by cells lining the intestines tips the immune system off to the presence of the parasite Cryptosporidium, according to a study led by researchers in the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Side Gigs for Good across Penn
Classroom full of girls seated at wooden desks with Fatima Al Rashed seated in front of the blackboard in the front of the class.

Side Gigs for Good across Penn

For many, 2020 was a difficult year. Despite that, the community found ways to go above and beyond, in their own backyards and across the world.

Katherine Unger Baillie, Michele W. Berger

Vision researchers honored by End Blindness 2020
Trio of photos of vision researchers Gustavo Aguirre, Jean Bennett and Albert Maguire

Gustavo Aguirre, Jean Bennett, and Albert Maguire

Vision researchers honored by End Blindness 2020

The Outstanding Achievement Prize highlights the contributions of the School of Veterinary Medicine’s Gustavo D. Aguirre and the Perelman School of Medicine’s Jean Bennett and Albert M. Maguire toward a gene therapy for a form of blindness.

Katherine Unger Baillie

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