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Innovation
Engineering a polymer network to act as active camouflage on demand
Artificial chromatophores, which consist of membranes stretched over circular cavities attached to pneumatic pumps, allow surfaces squid-like active camouflage capabilities.
Respiratory care program allows patients with neuromuscular disorders to thrive at home
Penn Medicine’s Jay and Randy Fishman Program for Home Assisted Ventilation has implemented dramatic advances in respiratory support and multidisciplinary care so patients can live safely at home.
2022 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences awarded to mRNA pioneers Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó
Weissman and Karikó are honored for engineering modified RNA technology which enabled rapid development of effective COVID-19 vaccines.
The best new implants may be a piece of you
Innovative techniques like autologous surgery involves implanting patients with something taken from a different part of their body, which eliminates the risk of infection and erosion of synthetic materials.
Packaging-free design quadruples microbatteries’ energy density
New research from the School of Engineering and Applied Science shows a new way to build and package microbatteries that maximizes energy density even at the smallest sizes.
Penn Medicine’s first living donor uterus transplant
Cheryl Cichonski-Urban donated her uterus to Chelsea Jovanovich through Penn Medicine’s Uterus Donation program. In May, Jovanovich gave birth to a baby boy.
Latest ‘organ-on-a-chip’ is a new way to study cancer-related muscle wasting
New “muscle-on-a-chip” technology allows for drug testing on human muscles outside the body while capturing the complexity of human physiology.
Penn receives $5m cryptocurrency gift, largest in University’s history
The gift, facilitated by NYDIG, an industry leader in providing Bitcoin technology and financial services, will support the growth of programs within the Stevens Center for Innovation in Finance at the Wharton School.
Inaugural Projects for Progress recipients announced
Awardees include three Penn teams that will help address health care, education, and environmental justice, respectively, in Philadelphia.
Rapid COVID-19 diagnostic test delivers accurate results within 4 minutes
The low-cost biosensor test developed by Penn Medicine could extend COVID-19 testing with 90% accuracy to remote and disadvantaged areas.
In the News
Philly schools could be on the forefront of using AI. Here’s what that means
Penn has partnered with the Philadelphia School District to launch a pilot program to train teachers and administrators on how best to integrate artificial intelligence in city schools, featuring remarks from L. Michael Golden of the Graduate School of Education.
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Bosses struggle to police workers’ use of AI
Ethan Mollick of the Wharton School says that workers who privately use generative AI to accelerate their work might not be willing to admit it.
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Supreme Court will hear TikTok’s challenge to looming U.S. ban
Justin (Gus) Hurwitz of Penn Carey Law says that the heart of the TikTok ban case is balancing the First Amendment against both national security concerns and the court’s deference to Congress and the executive branch.
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Family offices face hidden risks in making direct investments
According to a study by Raphael “Raffi” Amit of the Wharton School and colleagues, direct investments in private companies could mean taking on more risk than expected if family offices aren’t leveraging their resources.
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When AI goes shopping: AI agents promise to lighten your purchasing load—if they can earn your trust
Ethan Mollick of the Wharton School says that the adoption of AI in everyday life will be gradual, as societal change typically lags behind technological advancement.
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What a new innovation index tells us about Philadelphia
Penn is lauded for its research and development efforts, including the modified mRNA technique that was commercialized into a COVID vaccine and won its researchers a Nobel Prize last year.
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