11/15
Research
From one gene switch, many possible outcomes
From one gene switch, many possible outcomes
A team of researchers led by Aman Husbands of the School of Arts & Sciences has uncovered surprising ways transcription factors—the genetic switches for genes—regulate plant development, revealing how subtle changes in a lipid-binding region can dramatically alter gene regulation.
How to reduce partisan animosity
How to reduce partisan animosity
Matthew Levendusky, a professor of political science in Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences, explains the results of a megastudy that explores whether anything could bridge the political gap between the left and right among Americans.
Patterns of Soviet Jewish emigration in the post-Stalin era
Patterns of Soviet Jewish emigration in the post-Stalin era
For four decades, more than one million Jews left the USSR despite the Soviet Union’s complex bureaucracy and opposition to emigration. Doctoral candidate Sasha Zborovsky explores the intricate dynamics.
A link between liver-brain communication and daily eating patterns
A link between liver-brain communication and daily eating patterns
A new study by researchers at Penn Medicine finds that disconnecting a connection in the vagus nerve corrects overeating and weight gain caused by a defective “liver clock.”
New class of encrypted peptides offer hope in fight against antibiotic resistance
New class of encrypted peptides offer hope in fight against antibiotic resistance
New research by César de la Fuente finds that nearly 90% of peptides discovered exhibit significant antimicrobial properties, particularly through the disruption of bacterial membranes.
A monumental view of the Ten Commandments
A monumental view of the Ten Commandments
Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures Assistant Professor Timothy Hogue sees the foundational text as more than just words.
Who, What, Why: Cice Chen’s first-of-its-kind research conference for undergraduates
Who, What, Why: Cice Chen’s first-of-its-kind research conference for undergraduates
Cice Chen, a fourth-year chemistry, biochemistry, and neurobiology major in the College of Arts and Sciences, played a leading role in organizing the student-run National Research Conference at Penn.
Finding a new behavioral adaptation in fruit flies
Finding a new behavioral adaptation in fruit flies
Penn researchers discovered “wing spreading” in Drosophila santomea, research that hints at a rare, novel finding and offers insights into an underrepresented area in sexual reproduction research: female-initiated behaviors.
Studying Wikipedia browsing habits to learn how people learn
Studying Wikipedia browsing habits to learn how people learn
A collaborative team of researchers analyzed the information-seeking styles of more than 480,000 people from 50 countries and found that gender and education inequality track different types of knowledge exploration. Their findings suggest potential cultural drivers of curiosity and learning.
Airbnbs associated with more crime in London, new study shows
Airbnbs associated with more crime in London, new study shows
Since its founding in 2008, the short-term homestay platform Airbnb has expanded to 100,000 cities in more than 220 countries, and, according to data from the company, 1.5 billion guests had stayed in Airbnb-listed properties through 2023.
In the News
Education Week
The more students miss class, the worse teachers feel about their jobs
A study co-authored by Michael Gottfried of the Graduate School of Education finds that teacher satisfaction steadily drops as student absenteeism increases.
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The Washington Post
Diversity will suffer with five-day office mandates, research suggests
A 2024 Wharton School study found that changing job openings to remote work at startups increased female applicants by 15% and minority applicants by 33%.
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Interesting Engineering
Superhuman vision lets robots see through walls, smoke with new LiDAR-like eyes
Mingmin Zhao of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and colleagues are using radio signals to allow robots to “see” beyond traditional sensor limits.
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Phys.org
Rising student absenteeism may be hurting teacher job satisfaction
A study by Michael Gottfried and Ph.D. student Colby Woods of the Graduate School of Education finds that student absences are linked to lower teacher job satisfaction, which could exacerbate growing teacher shortages.
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SciTechDaily
Scientists unveil 16+ distinct nerve cell types behind human touch
A study by Wenqin Lo of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues used detailed analyses of the genes used by individual nerve cells to identify 16 distinct types of nerve cells in humans.
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Fortune
Experts say mortgage rates will stay high as Trump inflation fears negate expected Fed cut
A paper co-authored by Pinar Yildirim of the Wharton School finds that worsening job prospects from automation decrease long-term investments in housing and education, which causes residents to increasingly vote for candidates with populist agendas.
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