An arms race that plays out in a single genome Like Alice furiously running to keep up with the Red Queen, but remaining in one place, two genetic elements in the fruit fly genome are engaged in an evolutionary arms race to simply keep the biological status quo, according to new research by Penn scientists. (Image: John Tenniel in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass) An arms race that plays out in a single genome School of Arts & Sciences biologist Mia Levine and Cara Brand, a postdoc, shed light on an example of coevolution in fruit flies that has implications for human health.
Genomic differences selected through evolution may offer clues as to why COVID-19 outcomes vary widely COVID-19’s hard-to-predict effects likely owe in part to genetic differences. A Penn-led study analyzing the genomes of a diverse set of populations globally points to genetic variants that may help explain some of the variability in disease severity. Genomic differences selected through evolution may offer clues as to why COVID-19 outcomes vary widely A team from the University of Pennsylvania analyzed genomic data from global populations, including thousands of ethnically diverse Africans, to identify genetic variants that may be associated with clinical COVID-19 outcomes.
Frozen testicular tissue still viable after 20 years After being transferred to an infertile mouse, testes tissue from a rat that had been frozen for more than two decades gave rise to sperm and germ cells. (Image: Eoin Whelan/PLOS Biology/CC-BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) Frozen testicular tissue still viable after 20 years Many pediatric cancer treatments, though lifesaving, can compromise future fertility. In a new study in rodents, researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine showed that testicular tissue frozen for more than 20 years could give rise to sperm.
With plants as a model, studying the ‘complexity and reproducibility’ of developmental biology By studying how plants develop, Aman Husbands, who joined the Department of Biology faculty this year, may make insights that find application well beyond the plant kingdom. With plants as a model, studying the ‘complexity and reproducibility’ of developmental biology In his first year at Penn, biologist Aman Husbands is busy working on projects aimed at illuminating the molecular mechanisms that govern plant development.
In the Galápagos, training community scientists to monitor water quality Under the umbrella of the Galápagos Education and Research Alliance, Penn Vet professor Daniel Beiting (far right) and others from Penn visited San Cristóbal Island in March, where they engaged students and scientists in water quality testing. (Image: Courtesy of Daniel Beiting) In the Galápagos, training community scientists to monitor water quality Both dense human populations and a plethora of wildlife can pose a challenge to marine and public health in the Galápagos Islands. With portable, user-friendly PCR technology, Penn faculty and students are training local scientists and school children to perform water quality research.
The future of forests Faced with an onslaught of changes—heat, drought, fire, flood, pests, and disease—forests are under stress. (Image: photo by Tommy Kwak on Unsplash) The future of forests Faced with an onslaught of changes—heat, drought, fire, flood, pests, and disease—forests are under stress.
Regulating the regulators of the immune system Regulating the regulators of the immune system Research led by School of Veterinary Medicine scientists reveals a new layer of complexity with which the immune system finds a balance between controlling pathogens and protecting healthy tissue.
Revising the lifecycle of an important human parasite The parasite Cryptosporidium, transmitted through water sources, is one of the most common causes of diarrheal disease in the world. (Image: Muthgapatti Kandasamy and Boris Striepen) Revising the lifecycle of an important human parasite Researchers from Boris Striepen’s lab in the School of Veterinary Medicine tracked Cryptosporidium in real time, creating a new paradigm for how the widespread parasite reproduces in a host.
The changing face of portraiture at Penn Homepage image: A portrait in Leidy honors Nathan Francis Mossell, who, in 1882, became the first African American student to earn a medical degree from Penn. With its placement in the accessible portion of the building’s stairway, this new portrait gallery is highly visible to students, staff, faculty, and visitors who spend time in the Biology Department. The changing face of portraiture at Penn Efforts around campus aim to diversify those honored in portraits and rethink how to approach representation through art.
From a pandemic, scientific insights poised to impact more than just COVID-19 Bijels, or bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gels, are structured emulsions of oil and water that are kept separated by a layer of nanoparticles. Penn Engineering researchers will develop a way of using them to manufacture mRNA-based therapeutics. (Image: Penn Engineering Today) From a pandemic, scientific insights poised to impact more than just COVID-19 Pivoting to study SARS-CoV-2, many scientists on campus have launched new research projects that address the challenges of the pandemic but also prepare us to confront future challenges.