News from

School of Engineering & Applied Science

Visit the School's Site
Reset All Filters
1130 Results
Researchers breathe new life into lung repair
Artist's interpretation of human lungs and a virus.

Respiratory diseases like influenza and COVID-19 drive inflammatory responses that can cause long-term damage to the lungs and can be difficult to treat. Now, by using techniques that deliver mRNA via lipid nanoparticles, researchers led by Andrew Vaughan of the School of Veterinary Medicine were able to greatly enhance modes of repair for damaged blood vessels in the lung, leading to improved oxygen saturation.

(Image: iStock/Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen)

Researchers breathe new life into lung repair

A collaborative effort from teams across Penn culminates in new techniques to repair lung tissue after damage from flu and COVID-19.
Breaching the blood-brain barrier
Researchers Mike Mitchell and Emily Han examining a microfluidic device used to make LNPs by mixing lipids and mRNA.

Michael Mitchell (left) and Emily Han (right) examine a microfluidic device used to make LNPs by mixing lipids and mRNA. 

nocred

Breaching the blood-brain barrier

A team of researchers in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has devised a method to deliver mRNA into the brain using lipid nanoparticles, potentially advancing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and seizures.
How common is common sense?
Artist rendering depiction of common sense: This image features an abstract representation of multiple silhouetted profiles facing each other against a background of overlapping, multicolored shapes, symbolizing the interplay and convergence of diverse perspectives and ideas. The interlocking colors and profiles suggest the complex, multifaceted nature of common sense.

How common is common sense? A straightforward question that, surprisingly, has yet to receive a definitive science-based answer. Now, PIK Professor Duncan Watts and co-author Mark Whiting of the Wharton School and the School of Engineering and Applied Science present a new way to quantify common sense among both individuals and collectives.

(Image: Courtesy of Mark Whiting)

How common is common sense?

Researchers from Penn develop a framework for quantifying common sense, findings address a critical gap in how knowledge is understood.
Penn alum named 2024 Churchill Scholar 
Xander Uyttendaele standing in front of a windowed door with sunlight streaming through

A May graduate of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, Xander Uyttendaele is among 16 students or recent graduates selected nationwide as 2024 Churchill Scholars.

(Image: Courtesy of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships)

Penn alum named 2024 Churchill Scholar 

Xander Uyttendaele, a 2023 graduate, is among 16 selected nationwide to receive the scholarship.
Shu Yang manipulates materials to create climate change-fighting inventions
Shu Yang.

Image: Courtesy of Penn Engineering Today

Shu Yang manipulates materials to create climate change-fighting inventions

The Joseph Bordogna Professor and chair of Materials Science and Engineering has introduced simple yet effective technologies, including kirigami-inspired structures that aid in breast reconstruction, to the manipulation of knots to create stronger sutures.

From Penn Engineering Today

Microrobots: An emerging biomedical trend
Medical concept in the field of nanotechnology, a nanobot studies or kills a virus. 3D rendering.

Image: Courtesy of iStock / K_E_N

  • Q&A

    • Microrobots: An emerging biomedical trend

    In a Q&A with Penn Today, Hyun (Michel) Koo of the School of Dental Medicine and Edward Steager of the School of Engineering and Applied Science discuss the emerging trend of microrobots in healthcare.
    Celebrating innovation and impact
    Sean McCooe, Holger Kissel, Shu Yang, Firooz Alfatouni, Steve Kelly, and Sean Marett pose for photograph at an award ceremony.

    During its recent eighth annual Celebration of Innovation, the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) reported on a successful fiscal year 2023. From left: Sean McCooe, Holger Kissel, Shu Yang, Firooz Alfatouni, Steve Kelly, and Sean Marett.

    (Image: Courtesy of Felice Macera)

    Celebrating innovation and impact

    Now in its tenth year of operation, the Penn Center for Innovation marked innovation achievements from fiscal year 2023 with highlights and awards.
    Inclusive, ambitious research to meet the needs of a changing planet
    vast soy bean field with clouds

    (Image: iStock/oticki)

    Inclusive, ambitious research to meet the needs of a changing planet

    Collaborative research communities supported by the Environmental Innovations Initiative are addressing issues related to climate action, stewardship of nature, and societal resilience.

    Katherine Unger Baillie

    AI and environmental challenges
    A windmill with statistics of energy consumption overlayed across.

    Image: iStock/Igor Borisenko

    AI and environmental challenges

    The growth of artificial intelligence is impossible to ignore, but how does it intersect with climate and the environment? Law professor Cary Coglianese and engineering professor Benjamin Lee weigh in on the roles AI may play.

    From the Environmental Innovations Initiative