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Katherine Unger Baillie
Senior Science News Officer
kbaillie@upenn.edu
Biology
Climate change doesn’t spare the smallest
Climate change doesn’t spare the smallest
Changing conditions have taken a toll on insects in the tropics, according to research by School of Arts & Sciences biologists Daniel Janzen and Winnie Hallwachs. But education and science offer a path forward, they say.
One step closer to an at-home, rapid COVID-19 test
One step closer to an at-home, rapid COVID-19 test
The lab of César de la Fuente is working on a paper-based biosensor that could provide results in minutes. Clinical trials began Jan. 5.
Novel anti-craving mechanism discovered to treat cocaine relapse
Novel anti-craving mechanism discovered to treat cocaine relapse
New research from School of Nursing has discovered that certain biological chemicals are expressed on specific cell types and neural circuits in the brain that reduce cocaine-seeking behavior.
Dynamic plants
Dynamic plants
Led by School of Arts & Sciences prof Brian Gregory and postdoc Xiang Yu, researchers have uncovered one way plants respond to hormonal cues. A similar process is likely at play in mammals.
Potential cellular target for eliminating bone breakdown in osteoporosis found
Potential cellular target for eliminating bone breakdown in osteoporosis found
New research has discovered a cell type that governs the way bones form and maintain themselves, opening up a potential target for future therapies for bone disorders like osteoporosis.
Two Penn faculty named 2020 AAAS Fellows
Two Penn faculty named 2020 AAAS Fellows
Qi Long and E. Michael Ostap of the Perelman School of Medicine are among a cohort of 489 distinguished scientists recognized with the honor from the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Customized kits turn students’ dining rooms into biology labs
Customized kits turn students’ dining rooms into biology labs
Students in introductory biology laboratory courses in the School of Arts & Sciences used customized laboratory kits to get hands-on practice with the scientific method.
Donita Brady is ready for the next steps in cancer biology research
Donita Brady is ready for the next steps in cancer biology research
The Presidential Professor of cancer biology leads a team that is working to understand how cancer grows uncontrolled in cells and discovering novel ways to stop it.
Two key events that turn normal cells into cancer
Two key events that turn normal cells into cancer
The discovery of a unifying mechanism could inform new therapeutic approaches to prevent normal cells from transforming into any type of tumor.
The role of data in a world reshaped by COVID-19
The role of data in a world reshaped by COVID-19
Experts across Penn share their insights on how data and data science affect their fields in the context of an ongoing pandemic.
Media Contact
In the News
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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ABC Australia
Are very long-lived trees immortal and what can they teach humans?
Brenda Casper of the School of Arts & Sciences said it’s hard to measure age-related deterioration in trees that are older than 1,000 years. “It’s not just internal physiology per se but it’s the interaction of the tree with its environment,” she said.
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NPR
Are there zombie viruses—like the 1918 flu—thawing in the permafrost?
Michael Zimmerman of the School of Arts & Sciences said the possibility of reviving long frozen pathogens is “extremely unlikely.”
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National Geographic
Horses and dogs share a surprisingly common language of play
Sue McDonnell of the School of Veterinary Medicine commented on new research that finds shared play language between dogs and horses. “It’s a wonderful study, and takes the questions surrounding play behavior to a new level,” she said.
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The Wall Street Journal
Coronavirus vs. flu: Which virus is deadlier?
Neil Fishman of the Perelman School of Medicine weighed in on the novel coronavirus and how it differs from the flu. “I think what we’re seeing with Covid-19 is what influenza would look like without a vaccine,” he said.
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PBS
Study finds kittens bond with their human caregivers like babies do
Carlo Siracusa of the School of Veterinary Medicine advised readers to keep in mind that while babies and kittens are similar, they’re not analogous; scientific findings about one may not hold true for the other. “We should be open-minded about the idea that there are other variables [at play],” he said.
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