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Unearthing new cancer treatments from fungi
Chunxiao Sun holding a fungal sample on a petri dish.

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Unearthing new cancer treatments from fungi

Penn Engineers led by Xue “Sherry” Gao have developed a gene-editing tool built specifically for fungi, unlocking a hidden library of molecules—including some with early anti-cancer promise—from one of biology’s most overlooked kingdoms.

3 min. read

Examining asthma with human lung-on-a-chip technology
A chip with asthma cells being held up in a dark, neon-colored laboratory environment

A bioengineered “asthma-on-a-chip” platform. (Image: Courtesy of Penn Engineering)

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Examining asthma with human lung-on-a-chip technology

Researchers at Penn Engineering developed an ‘asthma-on-a-chip’ system that mimics the mechanical stresses experienced by human airways during an asthma attack. The innovation enables scientists to probe how unhealthy lung tissue responds to compression in ways previously impossible to observe directly in patients.

Melissa Pappas , From Penn Engineering

2 min. read

Deadly proteins behind mad cow disease might help us fight superbugs

Deadly proteins behind mad cow disease might help us fight superbugs

“The main takeaway is that prion and prion-like proteins, despite being best known for their role in rare and fatal neurodegenerative diseases, may also contain hidden molecular fragments with potential antibiotic activity,” says César de la Fuente of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, Perelman School of Medicine, and School of Arts & Sciences.

An AI tool to speed antibiotic discovery
Jacob R. Gardner, César de la Fuente and Marcelo Torres, holding a 3D-printed example of the kind of antibiotic peptide they generated

(From left) Co-authors Jacob R. Gardner, César de la Fuente and Marcelo Torres, holding a 3D-printed example of the kind of antibiotic peptide they generated using AI.

(Image: Sylvia Zhang)

An AI tool to speed antibiotic discovery

APEX is an AI model that predicts whether or not a given peptide is likely to have antimicrobial properties. Now, APEXGo can identify antibiotic candidates with laboratory activity against disease-causing bacteria, simply by searching large datasets.

Ian Scheffler

2 min. read

Inside NSF AIRFoundry, Senator McCormick gets a look at the future of RNA discovery
Senator Dave McCormick (second from left) and Andrew Hanna (left) in the lab at AirFoundry.

Senator Dave McCormick (second from left) and Andrew Hanna (left) observing Hanna’s robotic system for rapidly formulating large numbers of lipid nanoparticles.

(Image: Sylvia Zhang)

Inside NSF AIRFoundry, Senator McCormick gets a look at the future of RNA discovery

A visit to Penn’s Artificial Intelligence-driven RNA BioFoundry gave U.S. Senator Dave McCormick a firsthand look at how federal investment in science translates into shared research infrastructure, student training, and regional economic development.

Ian Scheffler

2 min. read

Penn fourth-year and graduate student named 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholars
Naseebullah Andar and Brianna Leung

Fourth-year Naseebullah Andar and graduate student Brianna Leung are 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholars.

(Image: Courtesy Stanford University)

Penn fourth-year and graduate student named 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholars

The scholarship provides financial support for as long as three years to pursue a graduate degree and global leadership training at Stanford University.

2 min. read

The science of winemaking
Students listen to explanation at winery.

Students listened to an information session in a vineyard at Cobos winery prior to a sit-down tasting.

(Image: Kelly Williamson)

The science of winemaking

The Biochemical Engineering of Wine course provides a real-world application of engineering principles, teaching students about the science behind the processes involved with making wine.

3 min. read

A new hub for AI-driven RNA research
from left: Drew Weissman, Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research; Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering; Daeyeon Lee, Russell Pearce and Elizabeth Crimian Heuer Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the facility’s director; Susan Marqusee, head of NSF’s Biological Sciences Directorate; David F. Meaney, Solomon R. Pollack Professor in Bioengineering and Penn’s Vice Provost for Research; Pennsylvania State Senator Frank A. Farry.

(From left) Drew Weissman, Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research; Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering; Daeyeon Lee, Russell Pearce and Elizabeth Crimian Heuer Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the facility’s director; Susan Marqusee, head of NSF’s Biological Sciences Directorate; David F. Meaney, Solomon R. Pollack Professor in Bioengineering and Penn’s Vice Provost for Research; and Pennsylvania State Senator Frank A. Farry.

(Image: Courtesy of Penn Engineering)

A new hub for AI-driven RNA research

Penn’s newest collaborative institution is the U.S. National Science Foundation Artificial Intelligence-driven RNA BioFoundry (NSF AIRFoundry) which uses AI to improve, accelerate, and scale the design, manufacture, and delivery of RNA.

Ian Scheffler

2 min. read

Building better delivery vehicles for medicine
A machine in Michael Mitchell’s lab.

Image: Courtesy of Penn Engineering

Building better delivery vehicles for medicine

Penn researchers in the Mitchell Lab are modifying lipid nanoparticles, the delivery vehicles for mRNA therapies, to make them more potent, precise, and better tolerated.

Ian Scheffler

2 min. read