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Research
How species partnerships evolve
Biologists from the School of Arts & Sciences explored how symbiotic relationships between species evolve to become specific or general, cooperative, or antagonistic.
Eight Penn professors elected 2022 AAAS Fellows
Researchers from the School of Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Perelman School of Medicine, and School of Veterinary Medicine join a class of scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines.
At a southern Iraq site, unearthing the archaeological passing of time
When Holly Pittman and colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania and University of Pisa returned to Lagash in the fall of 2022 for a fourth season, they knew they’d find more than ceramic fragments and another kiln.
OCTOPUS, an optimized device for growing mini-organs in a dish
With OCTOPUS, Dan Huh’s team expands organoid research with a platform superior to conventional gel droplets, allowing researchers to replicate biological systems outside of the body.
New cell characterization method hints at reasons for resistance to cancer therapies
Penn experts have developed new analysis tool that combines a cell’s unique gene expression data with information about the cell’s origins. The method can be applied to identify new cell subsets throughout development and better understand drug resistance.
What fabricated languages can teach us about real ones
Linguist Gareth Roberts of the School of Arts & Sciences uses “alien” languages and interactive games to show how social pressures shape our communication.
How sex differences may influence lung injury
Comparing lung cells from male and female mice, School of Veterinary Medicine scientists found gene expression differences that may explain why older males are at a higher risk than females for worse outcomes from COVID-19 and similar diseases.
Identifying a vulnerability in critical spacecraft networks
Penn Engineering’s Linh Thi Xuan Phan and a team of researchers have identified a critical security flaw in the networking approach used in aerospace and other safety-critical systems.
Gut microbes can boost the motivation to exercise
A new study by Penn Medicine uncovers a gut-to-brain pathway that increases exercise performance.
Kirigami technique hints at promising outcomes for breast reconstruction
Penn researchers have developed a new technique for aiding in the reconstruction of breast tissue following a mastectomy.
In the News
The hidden risk factor investors may be missing in stocks, bonds, and options
A study by Nikolai Roussanov of the Wharton School and colleagues finds that stocks, bonds, and options strategies could have more correlated risk than is evident on the surface.
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Why the return to office workforce is coming back less diverse
A study by the Wharton School found that changing job openings to remote work at startups increased female applicants by 15% and minority applicants by 33%.
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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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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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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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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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