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Science & Technology
Cooler temps and northern climes associated with increased diabetes diagnoses in dogs
Mirroring a finding in humans, diabetes diagnoses in dogs were more common in colder areas of the U.S. and during winter, according to a new study led by School of Veterinary Medicine researchers.
Marrying models with experiments to build more efficient solar cells
Penn chemist Andrew M. Rappe, in collaboration with former postdoc Arvin Kakekhani and researchers at Princeton University, has gained insight into how the molecular make up of solar cells can affect their properties and make them more efficient.
Deploying microrobotics for dental treatments and diagnostics
Penn Dental Medicine and its Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry show that microrobots can access the difficult to reach surfaces of the root canal with controlled precision.
Combating urban heat
Through the Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program, rising junior Sarah Sterinbach has spent the summer learning about the policies Philadelphia has used to protect its citizens from extreme heat and how those efforts might improve in the future.
A fish harvest that’s more sustainable—and tastier, too
December graduate Saif Khawala’s President’s Sustainability Prize is helping him build Shinkei Systems, a company that has developed a robotics-based system for minimizing waste in the fishing industry.
Cancer cells selectively load ‘drones’ to keep T cells from infiltrating tumors
Biologist Wei Guo and colleagues elucidate the process of sorting and loading cargo for these biological drones with implications for a more targeted and effective use of checkpoint inhibitor drugs in cancer treatment.
Progress toward a stem cell–based therapy for blindness
A multi-institutional effort led by researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine is taking steps to develop an effective technique to regenerate photoreceptors cells and restore sight in people with vision disorders.
TV news top driver of political echo chambers in U.S.
Duncan Watts and colleagues found that 17% of Americans consume television news from partisan left- or right-leaning sources compared to just 4% online. For TV news viewers, this audience segregation tends to last month over month.
Intervening to stop bone loss
A study led by Shuying (Sheri) Yang of the School of Dental Medicine identified a new role for a protein that keeps osteoclasts—the cells that break down bone—in check, and may guide the development of new therapies to counter bone loss.
Mentorship strategies to boost diversity in paleontology
Drawing on research as well as their experiences as women of color in paleontology, Aja Carter and Erynn Johnson, who earned doctoral degrees from Penn, coauthored a paper offering advice for making the field more inclusive.
In the News
Do chemicals in sunscreens threaten aquatic life? A new report says a thorough assessment is ‘urgently needed,’ while also calling sunscreens essential protection against skin cancer
A report co-authored by PIK Professor Karen Glanz weighs the negative environmental effects of UV filters against their positive impact on human health.
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Michael E. Mann is coming for your climate doomism
In a profile, Michael E. Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that the country is on the verge of truly meaningful climate action on the policy front.
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Philadelphia bidding for new federal research agency headquarters
Dawn Bonnell of the Provost’s Office says that Philadelphia business leaders are applying for a new program from the National Science Foundation to establish regional research hubs.
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The Pentagon established an office to track UFOs. What could we learn?
Kate Dorsch of the School of Arts & Sciences clarifies how UFOs and UAPs are classified and delves into the scarcity of knowledge gleaned from their potential sightings by the military.
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The women who programmed the first modern computer
A new book by Kathy Kleiman shares the story of the six women mathematicians at Penn who programmed the world’s first digital computer—the ENIAC.
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Forget electric toothbrushes: Tiny robots could one day brush and floss your teeth for you
Hyun (Michel) Koo of the School of Dental Medicine and Edward Steager of the School of Engineering and Applied Science comment on technology that has the potential to prevent oral diseases by brushing and flossing with microbots.
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What does the rise in remote work mean for research-based innovation?
John Swartley and Bhavana Mohanraj of the Penn Center for Innovation discuss how research center hubs are changing and how they’re staying the same.
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Philly hosts a robot lollapalooza, attracting 4,500 roboticists and showing off devices that fly, swim, and enter the body
Vijay Kumar of the School of Engineering and Applied Science is quoted on the International Conference on Robotics and Automation and how robotics has become a fundamental discipline in engineering education.
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What can Philly do to make a home for robotics to flourish? Scenes from ICRA 2022’s mad dash
Dean Vijay Kumar and Avik De of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Laurie Actman of the Penn Center for Innovation are quoted on their participation in the International Conference on Robotics and Automation.
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Watch this noodle-shaped robot autonomously escape a maze
Researchers at Penn and North Carolina State University have created a rotini-shaped robot that can tumble through a maze without any help or guidance from a computer or human being.
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