Biology | Penn Today

New COVID variant drives increase in Pa. and N.J. infections

Frederic Bushman of the Perelman School of Medicine says that the new XBB.1.5 COVID variant is more immune-evasive and is sharply increasing in Pennsylvania as a proportion of all infections.

Microscopic rendering of bacteria in the large intestines.

Gut microbes can boost the motivation to exercise

A new study by Penn Medicine uncovers a gut-to-brain pathway that increases exercise performance.

Bacteria and fungi can ‘walk’ across the surface of our teeth

A study by Hyun (Michel) Koo of the School of Dental Medicine and colleagues shows that conglomerations of fungi and bacteria can work together to “walk” and “leap” across the surface of teeth, quickly spreading decay.

What secrets might 2-million-year-old DNA hold?

Scientists from Denmark recently extracted and sequenced the oldest-ever DNA, from permafrost in Greenland, revealing a robust ecosystem of 135 species. Penn Today spoke with four faculty members about the potential power of ancient DNA.

How intestinal microbes affect our inclination to exercise

A team led by Christoph Thaiss of the Perelman School of Medicine has linked intestinal microbes in mice to the desire to exercise, with remarks from Nicholas Betley of the School of Arts & Sciences.

Your gut bacteria may influence how motivated you are to exercise

A study by Christoph Thaiss of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues found a correlation between the amount that mice exercise and the makeup of their microbiome.

People and places at Penn: Research

From Charles Addams Fine Arts Hall to the Schuylkill River, four researchers share their science and their spaces.

Minimally invasive method tracks how the brain spends energy

Penn researchers have developed a new technique for monitoring the brain’s metabolic rate of oxygen consumption, a measure of the brain’s consumption of energy.

Recently discovered virus family infects a human oral amoeba

A study by Frederic Bushman of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues points to a human oral amoeba as the host for a recently discovered family of DNA viruses.

Antibiotics encoded in Neanderthal DNA could help us fight infections

César de la Fuente of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues have identified extinct antibiotic molecules in ancient mitochondrial DNA that could be revived to help fight infections.

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