10.20
Science & Technology
Vijay Kumar reappointed dean of Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science
Vijay Kumar reappointed dean of Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science
Kumar, the Nemirovsky Family Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, will serve as dean through June 30, 2027.
Newly described horned dinosaur from New Mexico was the earliest of its kind
Newly described horned dinosaur from New Mexico was the earliest of its kind
With a frilled head and beaked face, Menefeeceratops sealeyi lived 82 million years ago, predating its relative, Triceratops. Researchers including Peter Dodson, of the School of Veterinary Medicine, and Steven Jasinski, who recently earned his doctorate from the School of Arts & Sciences, describe the find.
An updated understanding of how to synthesize value-added chemicals
An updated understanding of how to synthesize value-added chemicals
New research provides key insights on how to add functional groups onto simple hydrocarbons including methane, a crucial first step towards designing the next generation of catalysts.
A gentler strategy for avoiding childhood dental decay
A gentler strategy for avoiding childhood dental decay
By targeting the bonds between bacteria and yeast that can form a sticky dental plaque, a new therapeutic strategy could help wash away the build-up while sparing oral tissues, according to a new study by a team from the School of Dental Medicine.
A more effective at-home treatment for IBS
A more effective at-home treatment for IBS
In a randomized control trial, researchers found that after eight weeks, participants with irritable bowel syndrome who used an app focused on cognitive behavioral therapy experienced better health-related quality of life, fewer GI symptoms, and less anxiety.
Studying plants from 400 miles up
Studying plants from 400 miles up
Using remote sensing data, senior Paul Lin looked for signals of climate change in the grasslands of the Great Plains.
From insightful courses to traveling and teaching, reflecting on Penn’s ‘unending opportunities’
Hyacinthe Uwizera came to Penn with an interest in science and engineering. During the past four years, she’s also fostered an interest in Africana studies and discovered a passion for traveling and teaching.
Beer with no buzz: 2021 Y-Prize awards dealcoholization project
Beer with no buzz: 2021 Y-Prize awards dealcoholization project
LiberTech, the award-winning team, pitched their plan to filter alcohol from beer using a nanostructured membrane, which preserves the flavor of beer.
India’s COVID crisis
India’s COVID crisis
Political scientist Tariq Thachil of the School of Arts & Sciences and economist and public health expert Harsha Thirumurthy of the Perelman School of Medicine take a look at what’s happening in India with the pandemic's second wave and what can be done to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
How has COVID-19 changed ‘superstar cities’?
A new analysis found that overall mobility in large U.S. cities has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, and some are also experiencing changing segregation patterns, with potential implications that could last well beyond the pandemic.
In the News
ABC News
Philadelphia doctor develops rapid COVID test with results on smartphone
A team of researchers led by Ping Wang of the Perelman School of Medicine is developing a more accurate rapid test for COVID-19 that uses smart phone cameras. “The PCR is great. It's sensitive, but at the same time it's only residing in the core laboratories,” she said. “So, you can't really do PCR at home for most settings.”
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The Washington Post
Facebook is like chairs. No, telephones. No, cars. No …
Zachary Loeb, a doctoral candidate in the School of Arts & Sciences, spoke about Facebook’s attempts to compare the platform to simpler, less threatening technologies. “There used to be this utopian aura where they had been trying to act as though they were the latest in the stream of these transformative [communication] technologies,” he said.
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The Scientist
Signaling dynamics fine-tune gene expressiong
Lukasz Bugaj of the School of Engineering & Applied Science comments on a systematic and quantitative look at how gene information is transmitted and what can influence the amount of expression.
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Wired
Now that machines can learn, can they unlearn?
Aaron Roth of the School of Engineering and Applied Science spoke about his research on machine unlearning, which seeks to answer the question, “Can we remove all influence of someone’s data when they ask to delete it but avoid the full cost of retraining from scratch?”
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Philadelphia Business Journal
Penn spinout Cogwear gets funding to develop ‘anxiety thermometer’ headband
Cogwear, a startup based at the Penn Center for Innovation and founded by PIK Professor Michael Platt and former postdoc Arjun Ramakrishnan, is developing a wearable device that monitors mental health.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Prizewinning photo by Penn biologist called metaphor for ‘spiraling crisis’ in the ocean
Kristen Brown, a postdoc in the lab of Katie Barott at the School of Arts & Sciences, won a contest with a photo she took while researching coral reefs.
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Forbes
COVID’s forgotten hero: The untold story of the scientist whose breakthrough made the vaccines possible
Vaccine technology developed by Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó of the Perelman School of Medicine relies on a lipid delivery system created by Ian MacLachlan, a Canadian scientist.
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Discover Magazine
We’re not alone: Animals suffer from mental health issues too
Carlo Siracusa of the School of Veterinary Medicine said, that while dogs certainly experience mental health issues like anxiety, their experiences differ from humans’ because they can’t plan for the future. “They’re not worrying if their buddies at the dog park are making fun of them,” he said. “Dogs aren’t obsessed in their thoughts like humans—as far as we know. They’re unlikely to be depressed in human terms.”
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Salon.com
Your dog has a rich interior life it's not telling you about
James Serpell of the School of Veterinary Medicine spoke about how dogs interact with and interpret the world around them, from barking to licking to sniffing. “While we derive most of the information about the world around us through our eyes and ears, dogs can access an additional layer of information via their noses that we are essentially ‘blind’ to,” he said.
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USA Today
Fact check: 62-mile-wide mega comet unlikely to hit Earth, will just pass by it in 2031
Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about the giant comet they recently discovered. “There is no possibility of this thing getting any closer to Earth than Saturn gets,” said Bernstein.
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