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Chemical Engineering
Engineered magic: Wooden seed carriers mimic the behavior of self-burying seed
Engineered magic: Wooden seed carriers mimic the behavior of self-burying seed
Researchers from Penn Engineering have developed a seed carrier, fashioned from wood veneer, that could enable aerial seeding of difficult-to-access areas, and could be used for a variety of seeds or fertilizers.
New insights into the mechanisms of tumor growth
New insights into the mechanisms of tumor growth
A team of researchers led by the School of Arts & Science’s Wei Guo characterize the molecular pathways that play a major role in tumorigenesis, findings that could lead to better diagnostic tools for cancer and new targeted therapies.
Turning carbon emissions into rocks
Turning carbon emissions into rocks
In Penn’s Clean Energy Conversions Lab, researcher Peter Psarras and colleagues are repurposing waste from industrial mines, storing carbon pulled from the atmosphere into newly formed rock.
Prioritizing environmental justice while capturing carbon from the air
Prioritizing environmental justice while capturing carbon from the air
The Clean Energy Conversions Lab’s mission is to minimize the environmental and climate impacts of the world’s dependence on fossil fuels through carbon management.
Decoding a material’s ‘memory’
Decoding a material’s ‘memory’
A new study details the relationship between particle structure and flow in disordered materials, insights that can be used to understand systems ranging from mudslides to biofilms.
Incentivizing an underused, more environmentally friendly method for carbon capture
A study by three 2021 graduates describes how a method for sequestering carbon from natural gas can be made more cost-effective with increased tax credits.
Refining data into knowledge, turning knowledge into action
Refining data into knowledge, turning knowledge into action
Penn Engineering researchers are using data science to answer fundamental questions that challenge the globe—from genetics to materials design.
‘I Look Like an Engineer’
‘I Look Like an Engineer’
For the third year in a row, Penn Engineering’s Advancing Women in Engineering program, dedicated to recruiting, retaining and promoting all female-identified students in the School, participated in the “I Look Like an Engineer” social media movement.
Using stress to shape microlevel structures
Using stress to shape microlevel structures
A new study describes how external forces drive the rearrangement of individual particles in disordered solids, enabling new ways to imbue materials with unique mechanical properties.
What to do when cutting emissions alone is no longer enough
What to do when cutting emissions alone is no longer enough
Four factors to consider in the race to solve the climate crisis, including how to scale up a tool called negative emissions and why the oceans can only help so much.
In the News
The Guardian
Reversible superglue proves strong enough to hold average man
Shu Yang and colleagues from the School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed a new glue from hydrogel, inspired by snail slime. “The mucus [snails] produce is a viscous liquid, but when it dries they become firmly stuck,” said Yang.
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Nature
A DIY approach to automating your lab
Brian Chow of the School of Engineering and Applied Science led a team of Penn undergrads in developing a low-cost plate reader for teaching labs using open-source automation software. “Philosophically, I believe in supporting the open-source-hardware community,” he said.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
‘Metallic wood’ at Penn is as strong as titanium but lighter than water
James Pikul of the School of Engineering and Applied Science comments on his innovation of a material that is as strong as titanium while putting aluminum to shame in the weight department.
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Science News
A new insulation material is practically weightless yet still durable
The School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Deep Jariwala commented on a new, nearly weightless insulation material made of porous aerogel capable of withstanding temperature shifts of over 1,000 degrees Celsius. “It’s notoriously hard to make materials that are not just lightweight but can also be heavily heat resistant.”
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