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Erica K. Brockmeier
Science News Officer
ekbrock@upenn.edu
Chemistry
Reviving ‘old school’ chemistry to tackle the energy crisis
Reviving ‘old school’ chemistry to tackle the energy crisis
In the lab of Neil Tomson, chemists tackle the complex challenges of catalysis while gaining firsthand experience in science outreach and communication.
A new tool for cell biologists
A new tool for cell biologists
Researchers describe a new approach for creating realistic synthetic cells, providing a new tool that can be used to figure out how certain pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, infect hosts.
At home, but still engaged with STEM classes
At home, but still engaged with STEM classes
While instructional laboratories on campus are closed, students, faculty, and instructors are finding creative solutions for science, math, and engineering courses and projects.
Penn labs get creative to stay productive, connected
Penn labs get creative to stay productive, connected
In the face of a pandemic that has shuttered most physical laboratories across campus, researchers have shifted gears, maintaining work and social ties through grant- and manuscript-writing, virtual journal clubs, online coffee breaks, and more.
Future collaborators and scientific pioneers at the Women in STEM symposium
Future collaborators and scientific pioneers at the Women in STEM symposium
Graduate students and faculty across Penn met to share their work and discuss solutions for issues faced by women in STEM.
A better building block for creating new materials
Researchers describe a new way to synthesize organic “Legos,” a chemical framework that can be easily modified and controlled to create new materials with unique properties.
A close look at thin ice
A close look at thin ice
A pairing of theory and experiment led to discovering atomic-scale details of the growth of ice on surfaces, which can inform the design of materials that make ice removal simple and cheaper.
A missing link in haze formation
A missing link in haze formation
Hazy days don’t just block the view; they mean the air contains particulate matter that can compromise human health. Chemists have discovered a way that alcohols can balance out the formation of new particles, a finding that could improve the accuracy of air-quality forecasts.
Customizable ‘bundlemers’ poised to become new material building blocks
Customizable ‘bundlemers’ poised to become new material building blocks
New research describes a novel type of synthetic polymer subunits that form rigid structures that could be used in applications ranging from high-performance fibers to superstrong materials.
Microscale rockets can travel through cellular landscapes
Microscale rockets can travel through cellular landscapes
A new study from the lab of Thomas Mallouk shows how microscale “rockets,” powered by acoustic waves and an on-board bubble motor, can be maneuvered through 3D landscapes of cells and particles using magnets.
Media Contact
In the News
Forbes
Rare earth minerals could be sourced through outdated smartphones, batteries, wind turbines
Eric Schelter and colleagues from the School of Arts and Sciences developed a method to extract rare earth minerals used in high-tech gadgets using common lab equipment.
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Chemistry World
American Civil War Era Tea Yields Modern Day Medicine
Madeleine Jouillé of the School of Arts and Sciences led a team in developing a way to synthesize ceanothine D, a complex cyclopeptide alkaloid found in red root, also known as the New Jersey tea plant, a “staple of American folk medicine.”
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