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Science & Technology
An innovative approach to better energy storage
A Penn/Drexel research team has engineered a way to manipulate nanomaterials to stand up vertically on a scale that has potential for industrial applications.
Stem cell signaling drives mammary gland development and, possibly, breast cancer
A connection between mammary stem cells and macrophages, a type of immune cell, is crucial for mammary gland development, and may also figure into the biology of breast cancer.
A chemotherapy companion to save thousands of lives
A trio of Penn students created the startup Sanguis, producing an inexpensive, portable blood cell counting device.
Earthquakes at the nanoscale
Scientists have gotten better at predicting where earthquakes will occur, but they’re still in the dark about when they will strike and how devastating they will be. Penn researchers hope to tackle this by investigating the laws of friction at the smallest possible scale, the nanoscale.
With second FDA approval, the transformative power of CAR-T is multiplied
After last year’s approval to treat pediatric lymphoma, the latest indication will expand the number of patients that can be treated with personalized cell therapy almost tenfold.
Wrongful convictions reported for 6 percent of crimes
For capital crimes like rape and murder, wrongful convictions happen in about 3 to 5 percent of cases. Such an estimate had proved elusive for the prison population as a whole—until now, thanks to work from Penn criminologists.
A faster way to make drug microparticles
Penn Engineers have developed a liquid assembly line process that controls flow rates to produce particles of a consistent size at a thousand times the speed.
Veterinary experts work to stay ahead of equine doping
As in human sports, unscrupulous practices occasionally make their way into horse racing. Researchers and veterinarians at the School of Veterinary Medicine are keeping an eye on illicit drug use, evaluating samples, and designing tests to maintain the integrity of the sport and keep the competitors safe.
Engineering dean elected to the American Philosophical Society
Dean Vijay Kumar of the School of Engineering and Applied Science has been elected a member of the American Philosophical Society, the oldest learned society in the U.S.
Innovative vaccine offers canine cancer patients a shot at a longer, happier life
Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer to affect dogs. It is a painful and aggressive disease. Affecting more than 10,000 dogs annually, predominantly larger breeds, it kills more than 85 percent within two years.
In the News
“PBS NewsHour”
An 11-year-old changed election results on a replica Florida state website in under 10 minutes
The School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Matt Blaze discussed a hacking experiment, saying it was “not surprising that these precocious, bright kids would be able to do it because the websites that are on the internet are vulnerable…. What was interesting is just how utterly quickly they were able to do it.”
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Wired.co.uk
Why people can't resist the viral lure of the Kiki Challenge
Damon Centola of the Annenberg School for Communication explained the phenomenon of dangerous viral challenges: “Slightly dangerous or slightly risky challenges may have the best combination of high-enough riskiness to make it easy to create emotional excitement about participating, but low-enough risk that they can spread with only moderate levels of social reinforcement.”
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The New York Times
Worker ants: You could have been queens
The Perelman School’s Roberto Bonasio discussed the difficulties of studying insulin signaling in ants. The relevant genes, said Bonasio, are involved in numerous bodily functions, making it tough to isolate their role in differentiating queens from workers.
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Reuters
Viral content-vaccine scandal test Beijing’s grip on information control
The Annenberg School for Communication’s Kecheng Fang discussed the Chinese government’s failed attempts to suppress discourse about current events on WeChat, a popular messaging platform. “This is a guerrilla war. The government cannot tackle it just like it does traditional media,” said Fang.
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The Washington Post
Testosterone boost feeds U.S. men’s hunger for luxury products, study indicates
Researchers at the Wharton School found that men who were given doses of testosterone expressed more interest in high-status goods. However, the study authors also noted that “status signals are not universal” and that results may vary between cultures.
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Technical.ly Philly
The Drone From This Penn Spinout Can Fly Inside Mines Without Maps or GPS
Exyn Technologies will be sending out a drone to explore a Latin American mine using only its own onboard sensors. The startup, which originated in Penn’s GRASP lab, was cofounded by Dean Vijay Kumar of the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Penn Makes Third Big Biotech Bet, Helping to Raise $53M for Carisma
Cancer-fighting biotech company Carisma Therapeutics Inc. is the latest addition to Penn’s recently-announced investment plan. Roy Rosin, CIO at Penn Medicine, said, “Penn’s commitment is pretty exciting for this region.”
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Penn Invests $50 million in Biotech in a Bold Bid to Build Philly’s Innovation Cluster
Kevin B. Mahoney of the Perelman School of Medicine and UPHS confirmed Penn’s plans to invest in biotech companies, with long-range goals “to create jobs, synergy and an innovation cluster around Penn technology and spin outs.”
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Philly’s First Maker Faire: A Summer Carnival of Innovation
The School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Dean Vijay Kumar, Dan Koditschek, and Mark Yim were participants in Sunday’s Maker Faire, hosted at Pennovation.
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Nature
Microsoft’s Purchase of GitHub Leaves Some Scientists Uneasy
Post-doc Daniel Himmelstein of the Perelman School of Medicine discussed problematic elements of GitHub’s model. “Regardless of the Microsoft acquisition, GitHub, as a centralized and closed company, possesses a dangerous level of control over the open-source ecosystem,” said Himmelstein.
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