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.
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.
Parkinson's disease pathology is tied to the activity of cell's 'recycling centers'
Genetic variations associated with both increases and reductions in risk of the neurodegenerative disease alter the action of ion channels within cellular organelles called lysosomes, a new Penn study finds.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine emergency use authorization: Five takeaways
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Holly Fernandez Lynch sheds light on the regulatory process that will allow companies to begin distributing their COVID -19 vaccines.
