The University’s nexus for technology transfer supports researchers in their innovative efforts, from CAR T to mRNA advancements that have dramatically reshaped the world.
Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly, has long been a model species for biologists seeking to understand the molecular mechanisms of animal function and how novelty may arise in organisms. Theoretical physicist Andrea Liu of the School of Arts & Sciences is conducting research on the insect, along with biology and experimental biophysics collaborators at Duke University. Their research has opened the door to an approach that could offer not only a new understanding of how biological function emerges but also suggest a new class of systems in condensed matter physics.
(Image: iStock / nechaev-kon)
Fruit fly development offers insights into condensed matter physics
Penn Physicist Andrea Liu and collaborators modeled the behavior of tissue during a stage of fly development and found, surprisingly, it doesn’t fluidize as it shrinks but stays solid. Their approach could offer insights physical systems with complex functionality.
For more than a month, residents in New Jersey, parts of Pennsylvania, and New York have spotted unidentified flying objects, which local residents refer to as “drones,” hovering over neighborhoods, critical infrastructure and even restricted sites. To learn more about the mysterious flying objects, Penn Today spoke with local expert Dean Vijay Kumar of the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
(Image: Courtesy of iStock/Naypong)
Q&A: Dean Kumar and the ‘drone’ sightings
Penn Engineering Dean Vijay Kumar discusses the mysterious flying objects, or “drones,” hovering around parts of the East Coast.
Eric Stach of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and colleagues used neural networks to better identify the characteristics of catalysts that drive the creation of liquid fuels from sunlight. Shown here: The arrangement of a catalyst molecule, as observed under cryogenic conditions. The bright spots represent individual or small groups of molecules immobilized on a surface and the cryogenic temperature helps minimize clustering caused by the electron beam during imaging, allowing scientists to study the molecule’s distribution more accurately.
(Image: Sungho Jeon)
Mapping molecular arrangements to pave the way for better catalytic systems
The Stach Group in Penn Engineering led a collaborative team identifying how chemical catalysts drive the creation of liquid fuels from sunlight, paving the way for more efficient removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
Penn researchers led a collaborative effort pioneering safer, more sustainable technique to extract elements critical to battery-powered technologies. Findings pave the way for getting value from materials that would otherwise be considered waste.
New research from Penn psychologist Joe Kable looks at individuals with damage to different parts of the prefrontal cortex to reveal how the brain evaluates uncertainty and guides split-second decisions.
(Image: iStock/ALLVISIONN)
When does waiting stop being worth it?
Psychologist Joe Kable examined how lesions in specific parts of the prefrontal cortex reveal the brain’s strategies for managing delayed gratification.
A team of researchers led by Aman Husbands of the School of Arts & Sciences has uncovered surprising ways transcription factors—the genetic switches for genes—regulate plant development, revealing how subtle changes in a lipid-binding region can dramatically alter gene regulation.
Guyin (Cice) Chen, a fourth-year chemistry, biochemistry, and neurobiology major in the College of Arts and Sciences, played a leading role in organizing the inaugural student-run National Research Conference at Penn.
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Who, What, Why: Cice Chen’s first-of-its-kind research conference for undergraduates
Cice Chen, a fourth-year chemistry, biochemistry, and neurobiology major in the College of Arts and Sciences, played a leading role in organizing the student-run National Research Conference at Penn.
From left to right, Dawn Chen, Yun Ding, and Minhao Li.
Eric Sucar
Finding a new behavioral adaptation in fruit flies
Penn researchers discovered “wing spreading” in Drosophila santomea, research that hints at a rare, novel finding and offers insights into an underrepresented area in sexual reproduction research: female-initiated behaviors.
