Chemistry | Penn Today

a diagram of the sars-cov-2 virus showing the proteins and sugars on the exterior

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

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

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.

an audience in a lecture hall watching a speaker give a powerpoint presentation

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 lego set of a microscope on a table with a green vial next to it

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.

Microscopic image of ice with hexagonal linked shapes

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 mountain foregrounds the Los Angeles skyline, shrouded in haze

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.

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Rare earth minerals could be sourced through outdated smartphones, batteries, wind turbines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.

long chains of blue and green molecules, depicted as randomly spaced dots along the chain. a close-up view of one of the chains in the foreground shows an aromatic chemical, depicted in yellow, linked to the structure

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.

microscopic image of small gold cylinders

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.

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