NBC Philadelphia

Rapid COVID-19 test developed at Penn could give on-the-spot results quickly

César de la Fuente of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about his work, conducted in collaboration with the School of Engineering and Applied Science, developing a rapid, at-home COVID-19 test. “It all works through these chips that we’ve generated. They’re very small. You can make them out of different materials: paper, cardboard,” he said. “You can put your saliva sample onto the chip, and you can connect it to this little machine, and then you connect it to your phone.”

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Penn immunotherapy pioneer Carl June shares prize from Israeli foundation that also honors Fauci

Carl June of the Perelman School of Medicine was awarded a Dan David prize for his contributions to immunotherapy.

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KYW Newsradio (Philadelphia)

The first computer is turning 75 in Philadelphia: 'ENIAC set the stage for everything'

Penn is celebrating the 75th anniversary of ENIAC, an early computer, with a week of virtual presentations and roundtable discussions.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Made in Philadelphia, the ‘first modern computer’ is celebrated on 75th anniversary

Seventy-five years ago, the first all-electronic programmable computer was unveiled at Penn. This year, a weeklong series of events celebrates the men and women that made it possible.

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The New York Times

College student’s simple invention helps nurses work and patients rest

Anthony Scarpone-Lambert, a senior in the School of Nursing, collaborated with a nurse to invent a wearable LED that nurses can use to illuminate their work without waking sleeping patients. “I would say it’s been through COVID that this kind of innovation came to life,” he said. “It highlights the really important message that frontline health care workers and patients really deserve more support now more than ever.”

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The New York Times

Childhood colds do not prevent coronavirus infection, study finds

Scott Hensley of the Perelman School of Medicine worked on a study that refuted the idea that antibodies to seasonal coronaviruses have an impact on COVID-19. “Going into this study, we thought we would learn that individuals that had pre-existing, pre-pandemic antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 would be less susceptible to infection and have less severe COVID-19 disease,” he said. “That’s not what we found.”

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A robot made of blocks of ice on a table.

GRASP Lab’s coolest robot yet

The Lab’s latest GRASP Lab’s latest modular robotic system is a series of units made out of blocks of ice. These robots could be deployed to research in the Antarctic, or even an extraterrestrial planet.

Evan Lerner ・

The New York Times

Evidence builds that pregnant women pass COVID antibodies to newborns

Scott Hensley and Karen Puopolo of the Perelman School of Medicine spoke about their study of pregnancy and COVID-19. The team found evidence that COVID-19 antibodies can cross the placenta, though it’s still unknown if the amount of antibodies passed on can prevent newborns from contracting the virus.

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