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Katherine Unger Baillie
Senior Science News Officer
kbaillie@upenn.edu
Biology
High-ranking hyena mothers pass their social networks to their cubs
High-ranking hyena mothers pass their social networks to their cubs
Using 27 years of detailed data on hyena social interactions, a team led by Penn biologists nailed down a pattern of social network inheritance and its implications for social structure, rank, and survival.
Biologist Daniel Janzen illustrates how a cicada is like an oak tree
Biologist Daniel Janzen illustrates how a cicada is like an oak tree
Janzen, the DiMaura Professor in Biology, on why cicadas (and wildebeests, salmon, and oak trees) act the way they do.
Obscuring the truth can promote cooperation
Obscuring the truth can promote cooperation
People are more likely to cooperate if they think others are cooperating, too. New research by biologists in the School of Arts & Sciences shows that overstating the true level of cooperation in a society can increase cooperative behavior overall.
Protein’s ‘silent code’ affects how cells move
Protein’s ‘silent code’ affects how cells move
A School of Veterinary Medicine-led study shows how, despite having nearly identical amino acid sequences, two forms of the protein actin differ in function due their distinct nucleotide sequences.
With remarkable similarities to MS, a disease in dogs opens new avenues for study
With remarkable similarities to MS, a disease in dogs opens new avenues for study
Researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine led by Jorge Iván Alvarez and Molly Church found that the canine disease granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis shares many of the same pathological and immunological features as MS.
Ballerina Emily Davis is ‘on her toes’
Ballerina Emily Davis is ‘on her toes’
May graduate Emily Davis earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of Liberal and Professional Studies while working full-time as a ballerina with the Pennsylvania Ballet and volunteering to conduct research at CHOP and community service with Philadelphia nonprofits.
Designing public institutions that foster cooperation
Designing public institutions that foster cooperation
People are more likely to cooperate with those they see as “good.” Using a mathematical model, School of Arts & Sciences researchers found it’s possible to design systems that assess and broadcast participants’ reputations, leading to high levels of cooperation and adherence.
Pinpointing how cancer cells turn aggressive
Pinpointing how cancer cells turn aggressive
Penn scientists have developed a new method for tracing the lineage and gene expression patterns of metastatic cancer at the single-cell level.
Climate change-resistant corals could provide lifeline to battered reefs
Climate change-resistant corals could provide lifeline to battered reefs
Corals that withstood a severe bleaching event and were transplanted to a different reef maintained their resilient qualities, according to a new study led by Katie Barott of the School of Arts & Sciences.
Black in Marine Science is building a community
Black in Marine Science is building a community
Postdoc Camille Gaynus of the School of Arts & Sciences and colleagues formed a nonprofit dedicated to lifting up Black voices in marine science and inspiring a new generation to follow their curiosity about the ocean.
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In the News
Psychology Today
Hyenas inherit their moms’ social connections
Erol Akçay of the School of Arts & Sciences and former postdoc Amiyaal Ilany discussed their research on hyena’s social networks. “We show that a simple process—social inheritance—is important to understanding network structure and dynamics,” said Akçay.
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Quanta Magazine
’Social’ mitochondria, whispering between cells, influence health
James Eberwine of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about how mitochondria interact, communicate, and mutate. “If we understand how the mitochondria are acting together, and we learn how to manipulate it,” he said, “we’re going to gain so much more insight into biology.”
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Scientific American
What monkeys can teach humans about resilience after disaster
PIK Professor Michael Platt and Camille Testard, a Ph.D. student in the Perelman School of Medicine, spoke about their research on how rhesus macaques in Puerto Rico adapted in the wake of Hurricane Maria. “We see this massive surge in the time they spend in proximity to other partners, and their social tolerance increasing toward many different partners,” said Testard. “We saw active building of relationships with individuals that they didn’t really interact with before.”
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The Atlantic
How female frogs tune out useless, noisy males
Amritha Mallikarjun, a postdoc in the School of Veterinary Medicine, weighed in on a study that found that female frog lungs can not only amplify the mating calls of male frogs but also muffle noises from other species. “It seems incredibly smart,” she said. “They’re taking sounds that aren’t interesting and trying to reduce them.”
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Popular Science
Like humans, naked mole-rats have regional accents
Robert Seyfarth of the School of Arts & Sciences weighed in on a new study that found naked mole-rat colonies have unique vocal signatures. “Mole-rats have this incredible society,” he said. “It looks like their vocal communication, and the way their brain organizes vocalizations, has evolved to fit the demands of that society.”
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Philadelphia Inquirer
How to conduct an engaging lab experiment in the time of COVID: Brew beer
Biology instructors at Penn assembled and mailed hundreds of lab kits to students to aid virtual learning. “It’s important to get students off of their computers and using some of the tools and techniques that are used by scientists,” said Linda Robinson of the School of Arts & Sciences.
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