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Trained dogs can sniff out a deadly deer disease
A Finnish spitz dog sniffs at a jar labeled CWD+

Jari, an 8-year-old Finnish spitz, takes in the odor of a sample taken from a deer with chronic wasting disease. Penn Vet scientists are working to see whether detection dogs trained to discern the disease’s scent could be employed as a tool in helping contain its spread.

(Image: Shelby Wise/Wise K9 Photography)

Trained dogs can sniff out a deadly deer disease

The proof-of-concept investigation by School of Veterinary Medicine researchers suggests detection dogs could be an asset in the effort to identify, contain, and manage chronic wasting disease, a highly contagious ailment.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Harnessing an innate protection against Ebola
fluorescent microscopic image of two cells being infected with virus

An innate mechanism in human cells may prevent Ebola virus from spreading, according to new Penn Vet-led research. Using powerful confocal microscopy, they tracked the budding of virus-like particles from cells (shown in the filamentous projections in the cell in the upper right) and how autophagy, a “self-eating” cellular process, by which viral proteins are sequestered in vesicles (shown in the cell in the lower left), inhibits virus-like particles from exiting.

(Image: Courtesy of the Harty lab)

Harnessing an innate protection against Ebola

School of Veterinary Medicine researchers have identified a cellular pathway that keeps Ebola virus from exiting human cells, with implications for developing new antivirals.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Eight Penn professors elected 2022 AAAS Fellows
Two rows of people: William Beltran, Brian Gregory, Insup Lee, Guo-Li Ming. Bottom row: Eric Schelter, Theodore Schurr, Warren Seider, and Karen Winey.

Penn’s new AAAS Fellows for 2022, clockwise from top left: William Beltran, Brian Gregory, Insup Lee, Guo-Li Ming, Karen Winey, Warren Seider, Theodore Schurr, and Eric Schelter.

(Images: Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania)

Eight Penn professors elected 2022 AAAS Fellows

Researchers from the School of Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Perelman School of Medicine, and School of Veterinary Medicine join a class of scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines.

Michele W. Berger

Partnering with farmers to advance livelihoods, food, and health
tractors on display at the pa farm show

(Homepage image) With a $130 billion economic impact, agriculture is Pennsylvania’s largest industry. At the Farm Show this year, Penn Vet faculty, staff, and students highlighted the integral role that veterinarians play in keeping that sector thriving.

Partnering with farmers to advance livelihoods, food, and health

At the 107th Pennsylvania Farm Show last week, with the theme “Rooted in Progress,” the School of Veterinary Medicine’s importance to the state’s agricultural industry was on full display.

Katherine Unger Baillie

How sex differences may influence lung injury
Lung cells with RNA labeled in pink in each cell

AT2 cells, a type of lung cell that produces surfactant and give rise to gas-exchanging cells, can be infected by SARS-CoV-2. Research by Penn Vet scientists showed that differences in gene expression between male and female AT2 cells may help explain why older males have more severe outcomes from COVID-19 and similar diseases. (Image: Courtesy of the Anguera laboratory)

How sex differences may influence lung injury

Comparing lung cells from male and female mice, School of Veterinary Medicine scientists found gene expression differences that may explain why older males are at a higher risk than females for worse outcomes from COVID-19 and similar diseases.

Katherine Unger Baillie

What secrets might 2-million-year-old DNA hold?
Icy landscape in Greenland

Genetic material extracted from permafrost in northern Greenland revealed the presence of a rich, warm, and vibrant ancient ecosystem in what is today a cold and rather barren landscape, offering promise for future scientific discovery based on ancient environmental DNA.

What secrets might 2-million-year-old DNA hold?

Scientists from Denmark recently extracted and sequenced the oldest-ever DNA, from permafrost in Greenland, revealing a robust ecosystem of 135 species. Penn Today spoke with four faculty members about the potential power of ancient DNA.

Katherine Unger Baillie

A target for improving recovery from lung injury
Microscopic image of lung with cells labeled in blue, red, and green

A target for improving recovery from lung injury

After a bout of severe respiratory disease, some patients never fully recover. New research from the School of Veterinary Medicine identifies a factor responsible for inappropriate tissue regrowth after infection, pointing to a possible therapeutic target.

Katherine Unger Baillie

People and places at Penn: Research
laia mogas

People and places at Penn: Research

From Charles Addams Fine Arts Hall to the Schuylkill River, four researchers share their science and their spaces.

Kristina García

An evolving animal health emergency
Two chickens in a grassy yard

An outbreak of avian influenza is impacting birds both wild and domestic. Penn Vet researchers are helping track and better understand the disease, which has affected more than 52 million birds in the United States this year.

An evolving animal health emergency

More than 52 million birds in the U.S. have been affected by an outbreak of avian influenza. Researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine are supporting Pennsylvania’s diagnostic work and launching new investigations to better understand the virus.

Katherine Unger Baillie

At COP27, Penn showcased its diverse climate expertise on the world stage
The American continent is seen on a revolving globe

Image: AP Photo/Peter Dejong

At COP27, Penn showcased its diverse climate expertise on the world stage

More than 30 representatives from the University traveled to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for two weeks of negotiations at this year’s United Nations climate change conference.

Marilyn Perkins , Michele W. Berger , Michele W. Berger