Biology | Penn Today

Cancer breakthrough as ‘speckles’ may reveal best treatment

A paper co-authored by PIK Professor Shelley Berger finds that patterns of “speckles” in the heart of tumor cells could help predict how patients with a common form of kidney cancer will respond to treatment options.

Bird poop may be the key to stopping the next flu pandemic. Here’s why

A study led by Louise H. Moncla of the School of Veterinary Medicine suggests that wild birds are an emerging reservoir for North America’s bird flu virus and that surveillance of migrating birds is critical to stopping future outbreaks.

California declares a state of emergency as a new severe bird flu case was discovered. What it means for the rest of the country

Scott Hensley of the Perelman School of Medicine says the latest H5N1 bird flu strain might have a greater potential to adapt and cause severe disease in humans.

Headshots of Tej Patel and Sridatta Teerdhala

Two fourth-year students chosen as 2025 Marshall Scholars

Fourth-years Tej Patel and Sridatta Teerdhala, both in the Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management, a dual degree in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School, have been chosen as 2025 Marshall Scholars.

Scientists confront a mystery: Why have U.S. bird flu cases been so mild?

Scott Hensley of the Perelman School of Medicine says that one or two mutations can greatly change the pathogenicity profile of current bird flu viruses.

A beneficial bacterium helps wounds heal

Research by Ellen White of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues in Elizabeth Grice’s lab suggests that a bacterium found in chronic wounds can aid healing.

Collaborating on agricultural climate solutions, from plants to animals

The new Penn Plant Adaptability and Resilience Center brought together faculty speakers from five schools for its Climate Solutions for the Living World symposium.

Aman Husbands inspects plants in his lab

From one gene switch, many possible outcomes

A team of researchers led by Aman Husbands of the School of Arts & Sciences has uncovered surprising ways transcription factors—the genetic switches for genes—regulate plant development, revealing how subtle changes in a lipid-binding region can dramatically alter gene regulation.

Developing kidneys from scratch

Bioengineering professor Alex Hughes tackles the burden of chronic kidney disease by creating kidney tissue from scratch, which could reduce the need for both dialysis and transplantation.

Person scratching an itch on their right arm.

Scratching beneath the surface of itchy skin

Researchers from Penn Vet provide insights into how a species of worms found a way around the mammalian urge to scratch an itch.

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