Skip to Content Skip to Content

Chemistry

Structural elements of archaea
Photo of Yellowstone hotspring.

Archaea, a unique domain of life, were discovered in the 1970s in extreme environments such as hot springs and salty lakes, with notable early studies conducted in locations like Yellowstone National Park in the United States. Initially considered unusual bacteria, their distinct genetics and biochemistry led to their recognition as a separate domain, emphasizing microbial diversity and evolutionary complexity.

(Image: iStock / rmbarricarte)

Structural elements of archaea

Researchers shed light on archea, a single cell microorganism, to discover how proteins determine what shape a cell will take and how that form may function.
Penn scientists reflect on one year of ChatGPT
Panel on ChatGPT.

Caption: René Vidal, at the podium, introduces the event "ChatGPT turns one: How is generative AI reshaping science?" Bhuvnesh Jain, left at the table, moderated the discussion with Sudeep Bhatia, Konrad Kording, Andrew Zahrt, and Nick Pangakis. 

nocred

Penn scientists reflect on one year of ChatGPT

The Data Driven Discovery Initiative hosted an interdisciplinary panel discussion with Penn researchers in chemistry, neuroscience, psychology, and political science.
Leading the charge: new research unveils the future of energy-efficent power delivery
Digital illustration of lithium ions passing through two-dimensional channels within a crystal structure

The rapid movement of lithium ions along the 2D vertical channels in the T-Niobium oxide (T-Nb2O5) thin film results in unique property changes and a chase transition. The blue and purple polyhedra show T-Nb2O5 lattices, without and with lithium, respectively. The bright green spheres represent lithium ions.

(Image: Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics / Patricia Bondia)

Leading the charge: new research unveils the future of energy-efficent power delivery

Penn’s Andrew Rappe and collaborators explore high-quality thin films to propel power into the future.
Exploring the relationship between cooking and scientific discovery
Laser tomography of champagne glasses.

Laser tomography of champagne glasses: (left and right) counter-rotating convection cells self-organize at the air-champagne interface, and (center) stabilized eddies in a surface-treated glass.

(Image: Fabien Beaumont, Gérard Liger-Belair, and Guillaume Polidori)

Exploring the relationship between cooking and scientific discovery

Penn physicist Arnold Mathijssen and colleagues have authored a review article discussing the history of food innovations and the current scientific breakthroughs that are changing the way we eat.