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Biology
A deep dive with Anna Kalandadze
The fourth-year distance swimmer discusses swimming 11,000 yards a day, competing at the NCAA Championships, learning to dive from watching Michael Phelps, her interest in coral reef restoration, and getting circled by a shark.
Does simple guesswork lead to more cooperation than complicated calculus?
Theoretical biologists from Penn test two modes of social reasoning and find surprising truths in simplicity.
Bringing cognitive science in action to young minds
Penn Upward Bound high school students from West Philadelphia got a tour of the Penn Smart Aviary, GRASP Lab, and the Penn Vet Working Dog Center during a visit to Pennovation Works.
Structural elements of archaea
Researchers shed light on archea, a single cell microorganism, to discover how proteins determine what shape a cell will take and how that form may function.
When do stereotypes undermine indirect reciprocity?
Researchers from Penn and Princeton develop a model to evaluate how reputation and indirect reciprocity affects cooperative behaviors.
The role of history in how efficient color names evolve
In a new study, biology and psychology researchers show how existing color vocabularies constrain future options for efficient color vocabularies.
In hot water: Coral resilience in the face of climate change
Over a decade, researchers from Penn studied coral species in Hawaii to better understand their adaptability to the effects of climate change.
Protein partners identified as potential key for fetal bone development
A pair of proteins, YAP and TAZ, could contribute to the development of healthy, strong bones by directing early cell movement and blood vessel generation.
More than skin deep: A molecular and mechanistic look at pigmentation variation
A new collaborative study offers a better understanding of genes and variants responsible for skin color, providing insights into human evolution and local adaptation.
Research shows how stress activates neurons that disrupt sleep
New research from Penn Medicine shows suppressing these neurons may be a promising target for therapies to treat stress-related sleep disorders, like insomnia and PTSD.
In the News
Man does DNA test, not prepared for what comes back ‘unusually high’
César de la Fuente of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Perelman School of Medicine says that Neanderthal DNA provides insights into human evolution, population dynamics, and genetic adaptations, including correlations with traits such as immunity and susceptibility to diseases.
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Bird flu virus has been spreading in U.S. cows for months, RNA reveals
Louise Moncla of the Veterinary School of Medicine says that the bird flu virus is clearly being transmitted to cows in some way.
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When is the best time to take L-theanine—morning or night?
According to Colleen Tewksbury of the School of Nursing, research suggests that L-theanine may help support stress management, sleep, and potentially weight management.
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Is the flu shot market a slam dunk for mRNA vaccines? Experts aren’t so sure
Scott Hensley of the Perelman School of Medicine is working on a flu vaccine to provide protection against 20 subtypes of flu that may pose a pandemic threat in the future.
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Thanks, Neanderthals: How our ancient relatives could help find new antibiotics
A study by César de la Fuente of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues used AI to recreate molecules from ancient humans that could be potential candidates for antimicrobial treatments.
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Long COVID brain fog may originate in a surprising place, say scientists
A study by Christoph Thaiss and Maayan Levy of the Perelman School of Medicine and colleagues finds that long COVID’s neurological symptoms, like brain fog, memory loss, and fatigue, may stem from serotonin reduction.
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