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Bioengineering
Penn Libraries dedicates Holman Biotech Commons
Penn Libraries dedicates Holman Biotech Commons
The Commons serves as a collaborative resource for researchers in the health sciences, providing the latest tools and technologies to further health care research and equality.
Deconstructing the mechanics of bone marrow disease
Deconstructing the mechanics of bone marrow disease
A new understanding of how mechanical features of bone marrow affect resident immune cells in a fibrotic cancer points to future therapeutic strategies for cancers and fibrotic diseases.
Shapeshifting microrobots can brush and floss teeth
Shapeshifting microrobots can brush and floss teeth
In a proof-of-concept study, researchers from the School of Dental Medicine and School of Engineering and Applied Science shows that a hands-free system could effectively automate the treatment and removal of tooth-decay-causing bacteria and dental plaque.
Bioengineering technology keeps track of living cells and tissues
Bioengineering technology keeps track of living cells and tissues
A new chemistry technique developed by Jina Ko, assistant bioengineering professor, and colleagues allows for a wider range of fluorescent markers to be added to individual cells without damaging them in the process.
A new method could enable a patient’s own antibodies to eliminate their tumors
A new method could enable a patient’s own antibodies to eliminate their tumors
A team of researchers at Penn Engineering has developed a new methodology to help differentiate tumors from healthy, normal tissues.
Making chemical separation more eco-friendly with nanotechnology
Making chemical separation more eco-friendly with nanotechnology
Chemical separation processes are essential to manufacturing, but also consume high levels of energy. Penn Engineers are developing new membranes for energy-efficient membrane-based separations on a nanoscale level.
Five Penn students are 2022 Goldwater Scholars
Five Penn students are 2022 Goldwater Scholars
Five juniors have received 2022 Goldwater Scholarships to pursue research careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering. Penn's newest Goldwater Scholars are Joshua Chen, Allison Chou, Shriya Karam, Laila Barakat Norford, and Andrew Sontag.
Newly discovered ‘encrypted peptides’ with antibiotic properties
Newly discovered ‘encrypted peptides’ with antibiotic properties
A new study reports three distinct proteins in human plasma that have naturally occurring antibiotic properties.
Protein controlled by both light and temperature can inform cell signal pathways
Protein controlled by both light and temperature can inform cell signal pathways
Penn Engineering researchers have described a new type of optogenetic protein that can be controlled not only by light, but also by temperature, allowing for a higher degree of control in the manipulation of cellular pathways.
Refining data into knowledge, turning knowledge into action
Refining data into knowledge, turning knowledge into action
Penn Engineering researchers are using data science to answer fundamental questions that challenge the globe—from genetics to materials design.
In the News
WDET (Detroit)
New book discusses different types of curiosity and how to encourage it
Dani Bassett of the School of Engineering and Applied Science discusses their new book on curiosity and intellectual humility, “Curious Minds,” co-authored with twin Perry Zurn.
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Technical.ly Philly
Penn is establishing a $100M center to focus on the intersection of engineering and biomedicine
A planned Center for Precision Engineering for Health, housed in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, will focus on developing biomaterials for personalized medical treatments. “Engineering solutions to problems within human health is one of the grand challenges of the discipline,” Dean Vijay Kumar said. “Our faculty are already leading the charge against these challenges, and the Center will take them to new heights.”
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Science vs science: The contradictory fight over whether electromagnetic hypersensitivity is real
Electromagnetic fields are everywhere, and especially so in recent years. To most of us, those fields are undetectable. But a small number of people believe they have an actual allergy to electromagnetic fields. Ken Foster, a professor emeritus of bioengineering, has heard these arguments before. “Activists would point to all these biological effects studies and say, ‘There must be some hazard’; health agencies would have meticulous reviews of literature and not see much of a problem.”
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Los Angeles Times
This L.A. start-up is building tiny injectable robots to attack tumors
Marc Miskin of the School of Engineering and Applied Science commented on a new startup that is developing remote-control medical microrobots. “I would give them a lot of credit for figuring out a space where they can make an impact and justify how they’ll be competitive with traditional pharmaceutical approaches,” he said.
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