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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.

Getting to the root of it: Why soil matters
Aerial view of fields at Penn Vet's New Bolton Center.

Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center.

(Image: Elliot Bullen)

  • Q&A

    • Getting to the root of it: Why soil matters

    Soil specialist Alain Plante of the School of Arts & Sciences explains what soil is, how it works, and why its health matters far beyond plant growth.

    3 min. read

    Applying AI to accelerate discovery, foster learning

    From left to right: Penn President J. Larry Jameson, Hamsa Bastani of the Wharton School, and César de la Fuente of Penn Medicine at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. 

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    Applying AI to accelerate discovery, foster learning

    At an Alumni Weekend panel moderated by President J. Larry Jameson, Presidential Associate Professor César de la Fuente of Penn Medicine and Hamsa Bastani of the Wharton School highlighted how research at Penn is putting AI insights and tools into practice.

    3 min. read

    Immune linked high risk diabetic kidney disease found
    Internal rendering of two kidneys.

    Image: iStock/magicmine

    Immune linked high risk diabetic kidney disease found

    A Penn Medicine study maps kidney tissue in single cell resolution and identifies a form of disease linked to faster progression to kidney failure.

    Matt Toal

    2 min. read

    Penn announces nine 2026 Thouron Scholars
    Recipients of the 2026 Thouron awards are (left to right, top to bottom) Tristen Brisky, Charissa Howard, Jean Kim, Jordan Liu, Caroline Magdolen, Griffin Pitt, Andrew Schmidt, Sriya Teerdhala, and Megha Thomas.

    Recipients of the 2026 Thouron awards are (left to right, top to bottom) Tristen Brisky, Charissa Howard, Jean Kim, Jordan Liu, Caroline Magdolen, Griffin Pitt, Andrew Schmidt, Sriya Teerdhala, and Megha Thomas.

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    Penn announces nine 2026 Thouron Scholars

    Six fourth-year students and three recent graduates will use the scholarship award to pursue graduate studies in the United Kingdom.

    6 min. read

    Penn fourth-year awarded Davis Projects for Peace grant
    Hemza Tarawneh

    Class of 2026 student Hemza Tarawneh has been chosen for a Kathryn Wasserman Davis Projects for Peace grant to help refugees in Jordan find protection from the heat and sun.

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    Penn fourth-year awarded Davis Projects for Peace grant

    The College of Arts & Sciences student will lead an effort aiding women and children in two Jordanian refugee camps.

    1 min. read

    Shujie Yang harnesses sound to build the next generation of microrobotic medicine
    Shujie Yang

    Shujie Yang is at the frontier of single-cell acoustic manipulation, an emerging field that blends physics, mechanobiology, and medicine.

    (Image: Courtesy of Penn Engineering)

    Shujie Yang harnesses sound to build the next generation of microrobotic medicine

    Yang’s lab at Penn Engineering uses precisely-controlled ultrasound waves to develop microscale tools that can manipulate cells, viruses, and soft materials without physical contact.

    Melissa Pappas

    2 min. read

    Four third-years receive Goldwater Scholarships
    (Top row) Shreya Nair and Ian Peng. (Bottom row) Pranav Sompalle and Emily Valerio.

    (Top row) Shreya Nair and Ian Peng. (Bottom row) Pranav Sompalle and Emily Valerio.

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    Four third-years receive Goldwater Scholarships

    Goldwater Scholarships are awarded to students planning research careers in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics.

    3 min. read