Chemical Engineering

Researchers turn a toxic fungus into cancer-fighting drug

A study by Xue (Sherry) Gao of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and colleagues found potent cancer-killing effects in the deadly Aspergillus flavus fungus, which was linked to rumors of a “pharaoh’s curse.”

Deadly ‘pharaoh’s curse fungus’ could be used to fight cancer

A deadly fungus linked to deaths in archaeologists excavating tombs has been turned into a cancer-fighting compound by a School of Engineering and Applied Science team. Sherry Gao and doctoral fellow Qiuyue Nie are quoted.

Scientists transform deadly ancient fungus into potential cancer cure

A study by Xue (Sherry) Gao of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and colleagues found potent cancer-killing effects in the deadly Aspergillus flavus fungus.

Climate and environment updates: Accidental breakthrough creates water from thin air

Daeyeon Lee led a team in the School of Engineering and Applied Science that discovered a method of harvesting water from the air.

A water droplet reflecting the color spectrum.

New class of materials passively harvest water from air

Researchers at Penn Engineering have discovered a new class of nanostructured materials that can pull water from the air, which could enable new ways to collect water in arid regions and devices that cool electronics or buildings using the power of evaporation.

2 min. read

New physics-defying nanomaterial gathers water from air directly

Daeyeon Lee of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and colleagues have discovered a new class of nanostructured materials that can pull water from the air, collect it in pores, and release it onto surfaces without any external energy.

Scientists unlock frogs’ antibacterial secrets to combat superbugs

The lab of César de la Fuente has created synthetic peptides, a class of antibiotics, derived from the secretions of a frog commonly found in South Asia.

2 min. read

The minute nucleic differences detectable using the form of nuclear quadrupolar resonance.

New quantum sensing technology reveals subatomic signals

Penn Engineers have created a novel approach to detect tiny variations in individual atoms, enabling protein research in drug development.

Real vs. fake Christmas trees: The great debate, explained

Lorena Grundy of the School of Engineering and Applied Science says that the debate between real and fake Christmas trees isn’t as black and white as it’s being portrayed.

How can we remove carbon from the air? Here are a few ideas

Jennifer Wilcox of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design says that the carbon-removal potential of forestation can’t always be reliably measured in terms of how much removal and for how long.

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