After being transferred to an infertile mouse, testes tissue from a rat that had been frozen for more than two decades gave rise to sperm and germ cells. (Image: Eoin Whelan/PLOS Biology/CC-BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)
Frozen testicular tissue still viable after 20 years
Many pediatric cancer treatments, though lifesaving, can compromise future fertility. In a new study in rodents, researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine showed that testicular tissue frozen for more than 20 years could give rise to sperm.
By studying how plants develop, Aman Husbands, who joined the Department of Biology faculty this year, may make insights that find application well beyond the plant kingdom.
With plants as a model, studying the ‘complexity and reproducibility’ of developmental biology
In his first year at Penn, biologist Aman Husbands is busy working on projects aimed at illuminating the molecular mechanisms that govern plant development.
Under the umbrella of the Galápagos Education and Research Alliance, Penn Vet professor Daniel Beiting (far right) and others from Penn visited San Cristóbal Island in March, where they engaged students and scientists in water quality testing. (Image: Courtesy of Daniel Beiting)
In the Galápagos, training community scientists to monitor water quality
Both dense human populations and a plethora of wildlife can pose a challenge to marine and public health in the Galápagos Islands. With portable, user-friendly PCR technology, Penn faculty and students are training local scientists and school children to perform water quality research.
Researchers from the School of Dental Medicine and colleagues from Dresden, Germany demonstrate that an association between conditions such as severe gum disease and arthritis is traceable to the bone marrow.
Homepage image: Though a “revolutionary” piece of legislation, the Clean Water Act still has its shortcomings, Penn faculty, staff, and students note. More work is needed to make rivers like the Delaware fishable and swimmable.
The Clean Water Act at 50
Approaching the half-century mark of this landmark piece of environmental legislation, Penn students, staff, and faculty share their reflections on its legacy, both strengths and shortcomings.
Research led by School of Veterinary Medicine scientists reveals a new layer of complexity with which the immune system finds a balance between controlling pathogens and protecting healthy tissue.
Multiple opportunities during Earth Week will give members of the Penn community a chance to get their hands dirty in nature, including an orchard work day and a volunteer day at Penn Park Farm. (Image: Kylie Cooper)
Earth Week offers immersive opportunities to connect with nature
Organized by Penn Sustainability, Earth Week, with nearly 50 events running April 17-24, offers a diverse slate of both in-person and online chances to learn about and engage with the environment.
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)
Revising the lifecycle of an important human parasite
Researchers from Boris Striepen’s lab in the School of Veterinary Medicine tracked Cryptosporidium in real time, creating a new paradigm for how the widespread parasite reproduces in a host.
Homepage image: A portrait in Leidy honors Nathan Francis Mossell, who, in 1882, became the first African American student to earn a medical degree from Penn. With its placement in the accessible portion of the building’s stairway, this new portrait gallery is highly visible to students, staff, faculty, and visitors who spend time in the Biology Department.
The changing face of portraiture at Penn
Efforts around campus aim to diversify those honored in portraits and rethink how to approach representation through art.
Researchers used data on soil lead content to inform their analysis of the contributing factors to lead exposure risk around Philadelphia. Many samples were collected during Academically Based Community Service courses taught at Penn. (Image: Alex Schein)
Lead toxicity risk factors in Philadelphia
Two studies identify factors that correlate with high blood-lead levels in children, pointing to ongoing environmental justice issues that disproportionately fall on children of color and poorer communities in the city.
