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Science & Technology
Genomic differences selected through evolution may offer clues as to why COVID-19 outcomes vary widely
Genomic differences selected through evolution may offer clues as to why COVID-19 outcomes vary widely
A team from the University of Pennsylvania analyzed genomic data from global populations, including thousands of ethnically diverse Africans, to identify genetic variants that may be associated with clinical COVID-19 outcomes.
Elucidating the developmental origin of life-sustaining adrenal glands
Elucidating the developmental origin of life-sustaining adrenal glands
Research led by the School of Veterinary Medicine reveals that adrenal development proceeds differently in humans than it does in mice.
A passion for addressing ‘meaningful causes’ with data
A passion for addressing ‘meaningful causes’ with data
Senior Angelina Heyler, a systems science and engineering major who is submatriculating in Penn’s data science accelerated master’s program, spent her time at Penn fostering a passion for applied problem solving, building community, and playing Ultimate Frisbee.
Making chemical separation more eco-friendly with nanotechnology
Making chemical separation more eco-friendly with nanotechnology
Chemical separation processes are essential to manufacturing, but also consume high levels of energy. Penn Engineers are developing new membranes for energy-efficient membrane-based separations on a nanoscale level.
With plants as a model, studying the ‘complexity and reproducibility’ of developmental biology
With plants as a model, studying the ‘complexity and reproducibility’ of developmental biology
In his first year at Penn, biologist Aman Husbands is busy working on projects aimed at illuminating the molecular mechanisms that govern plant development.
Six from Penn elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2022
Six from Penn elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2022
Faculty from the Perelman School of Medicine, School of Arts & Sciences, Graduate School of Education, and Law School join more 260 honorees recognized for contributions to academia, the arts, industry, public policy, and research.
In the Galápagos, training community scientists to monitor water quality
In the Galápagos, training community scientists to monitor water quality
Both dense human populations and a plethora of wildlife can pose a challenge to marine and public health in the Galápagos Islands. With portable, user-friendly PCR technology, Penn faculty and students are training local scientists and school children to perform water quality research.
How one inflammatory disorder exacerbates another
How one inflammatory disorder exacerbates another
Researchers from the School of Dental Medicine and colleagues from Dresden, Germany demonstrate that an association between conditions such as severe gum disease and arthritis is traceable to the bone marrow.
Islands on the climate front line
Islands on the climate front line
Perry World House’s Global Shifts Colloquium looked at how islands can protect their people, build resilient communities, and safeguard their environment in the climate crisis.
Regulating the regulators of the immune system
Regulating the regulators of the immune system
Research led by School of Veterinary Medicine scientists reveals a new layer of complexity with which the immune system finds a balance between controlling pathogens and protecting healthy tissue.
In the News
Technical.ly Philly
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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Philadelphia Inquirer
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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Daily Beast
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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NBC News
Triceratops tussle: ‘Big John’ skull shows signs of battle, scientists say
Julie Engiles of the School of Veterinary Medicine commented on new research regarding triceratops anatomy, calling the team’s methodology “elegant and thorough.”
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Scientific American
Where rising seas threaten drinking water, scientists look for affordable solutions
Research led by Allison Lassiter of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design aims to identify water systems along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts that are vulnerable to saltwater intrusion. “Besides being unpleasant to drink, salinized water can harm vulnerable populations, including people with hypertension and pregnant women,” she said.
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The New York Times
Ty Haney is doing things differently this time
Kevin Werbach of the Wharton School said “web3,” a block-chain-centered iteration of the internet, won’t be as democratized or utopian as some believe. “There’s a web3 that’s out there which is wonderful and trying to make the world a better place, but just by labeling something web3, it doesn’t mean power dynamics will magically reverse,” Werbach said.
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Got an idea to address the impacts of climate change along the Delaware? You could win money to make it happen
The Penn Program in Environmental Humanities’ Ecotopian Toolkit competition is soliciting proposals for tools to help the greater Philadelphia region address impacts of climate change. “One of the things that the project is really keen to develop is helping Philadelphians, and people really across the whole watershed, understand the ways that the water really connects to them and to their lives,” said Bethany Wiggin.
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Scientific American
Why some fluids flow slower when pushed harder
Paulo Arratia of the School of Engineering and Applied Science commented on a study that explored how fluids flow under different pressures. “Visualizing flow inside a 3-D porous media literally gives a window into something that was impossible to see,” he said. “If you could actually see the molecules stretching and recoiling, that would be wonderful [to] connect the molecular point of view to the microscopic.”
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Popular Science
Even dinosaurs couldn’t escape the sniffles
Ali Nabavizadeh of the School of Veterinary Medicine commented on research that found evidence of respiratory infections in dinosaurs. “This paper provides yet another piece of evidence to show just how modern dinosaurs—the birds—are biologically so similar to their extinct non-avian dinosaurian relatives, even to the point of showing similar diseases,” he said.
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ABC News
Why the global chip shortage threatens the economy, national security and Americans’ ‘status quo’
Morris Cohen of the Wharton School spoke about the semiconductor shortage. "Most consumers didn't know and didn't care where their chips came from: 'You turn the car on, it should go, I don't really care who made the chip and what country it was built in,'" he said. "But now, all of a sudden, these issues become really important, and so I think we become more sensitized to how dependent we are, how interdependent we are, how things can be disrupted."
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