Bike lanes experiment measures cyclist response to infrastructure design A PennDesign pilot study tracks riders in urban bike lanes to visualize a safer redesign. Bike lanes experiment measures cyclist response to infrastructure design A PennDesign pilot study tracks riders in urban bike lanes to visualize a safer redesign.
The future of technology Moderator Susan Davidson and panelists Rakesh Vohra, Aaron Roth, and Michael Kearns (left to right) discussed algorithmic decision making, which now contributes to the prices of goods and services we purchase, the media we consume, and whether we are approved for a loan or interviewed for a job. The future of technology As new technologies emerge, they bring with them new ethical challenges. The topic of the future of technology was front and center on day three of the Penn Teach-in.
Creating atomic water filters nocred Creating atomic water filters A vast majority of the earth’s water is salty, making it unfit for people to drink. Researchers are working on a technology that could potentially offer a new method of desalinating water that would be both fast and scalable.
Unraveling how stem cells from gum tissue accelerate wound healing To assist with wound healing, mesenchymal stem cells from the gum tissue secrete extracellular vesicles (labeled red) that contain the anti-inflammatory signaling molecule IL-1RA (labeled green). Unraveling how stem cells from gum tissue accelerate wound healing Gum tissue stem cells heal twice as fast as skin, and researchers are determining their potential in accelerated wound healing research.
Agricultural sustainability project reached 20.9 million farmers across China A massive, nation-wide effort to improve yields while reducing fertilizer use reached more than 20 million smallholder farmers across China. Penn Vet's Zhengxia Dou partnered in the effort, which was led by Fusuo Zhang of China Agricultural University (center, holding plant). Agricultural sustainability project reached 20.9 million farmers across China Increasing smallholder farmer efficiency while reducing their environmental impact are critical steps to ensuring a sustainable food source for the world’s growing population.
Bringing a ‘One Health’ perspective to global challenges Penn Vet Dean Joan Hendricks will lead a “satellite session” on issues around livestock and health at the Ninth Annual CUGH Global Health Conference in New York City on Thursday, March 15. nocred Bringing a ‘One Health’ perspective to global challenges Universities, Penn included, have a major role to play in advancing global health, combining research and education across disciplines to find solutions to urgent worldwide challenges.
New gene therapy corrects a form of canine macular degeneration Gene therapy successfully treated a canine version of Best disease, a blinding disorder, the effects lasting more than five years. In these images of the retina of untreated (left) and treated (right) dogs, one can see that BEST1 gene expression (in red) was restored following treatment. In addition, the threrapy restored the structure of the RPE (green layer), a layer of cells that supports the light-sensing photoreceptor cells. New gene therapy corrects a form of canine macular degeneration Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have developed a gene therapy that successfully treats a form of macular degeneration in a canine model.
Building futures through LEGOs Since this year’s theme is water, the students had to create autonomous robots that would move through LEGO field models and accomplish tasks such as collecting rain water, helping flowers grow, and putting out fires. Building futures through LEGOs In the FIRST LEGO League tournament, middle school teams mentored by Penn Engineering students worked to design and build robots related to the theme of water.
5.5 million-year-old fossil turtle species sheds light on invasive modern relatives 5.5 million-year-old fossil turtle species sheds light on invasive modern relatives A University of Pennsylvania paleontologist has described a 5.5 million-year-old fossil species of turtle from eastern Tennessee. It represents a new species of the genus Trachemys, commonly known as sliders, which are frequently kept as pets today.