Chemical and biomolecular engineering researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have recently achieved something truly impressive: they've managed to dramatically improve the process of methane catalysis, by a factor of 30, and using lower temperatures. What this could mean in terms of environmental protection and energy generation is nothing less than game-changing. Natural gas production is at an all-time high in the U.S. and will replace much of our dependence on oil and coal if we can burn it efficiently and without methane pollution. Methane is also a by-product of industries such as waste management, animal farming, and oil extraction (the iconic flame at the top of an oil well is methane being released from underground), where its containment is an ongoing challenge.
Tags: Pennsylvania, Northeast, University of Pennsylvania, UPenn, catalysts, nanotechnology, 2012, chemistry research, Philadelphia, BioResearch Product Faire Event, PA, BRPF
By now you've probably heard about 3D bio printing, a bioengineering technique for literally building functional replacement tissue and eventually organs. (Read an earlier blog of ours on the subject.) While still in the early stages of development in terms of actually producing a human organ for transplant, the technology is advancing and critical problems are being met with innovative solutions. In the July issue of Nature Materials, University of Pennsylvania scientists, in conjunction with MIT and Harvard researchers, published an article documenting their success creating a blood vessel network using sugar.
Tags: Pennsylvania, Northeast, University of Pennsylvania, UPenn, 2012, Cell Research, bioprinting, bio research, Philadelphia, BioResearch Product Faire Event, Research, Front Line event, PA, BRPF, scientist solutions, science solution
At the University of Pennsylvania, Steve Fluharty is the senior vice provost for research, as well as a professor and researcher himself in the School of Veterinary Medicine. Now he's got one more hat to wear, as a member of the selection committee for the newly-announced Golden Goose Awards, sponsored by a congressional committee and supported by the AAAS and a broad base of other organizations and industry. At a time when basic research in particular is hard-tasked to justify its continued funding, the point of the awards is to look positively at the sometimes-serendipitous nature of scientific progress so as not to "kill the golden goose" (that lays the golden eggs), which all variations on the ancient fable agree is a really bad idea. Wikipedia says of the phrase: It is generally used of a short-sighted action that destroys the profitability of an asset. Exactly.
Tags: Northeast, University of Pennsylvania, scientific research, animal science, Philadelphia, Funding, scientists solutions, basic research funding
Led by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the six-week MyHeartMap Challenge is a trial science research project that uses crowd-sourcing to locate and gather information about automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in Philadelphia. The challenge runs from January 31 to March 13, during which time participants can use a free app on their iPhones or Android phones to take pictures and document the location of publicly accessible AEDs in Philadelphia.
Tags: Pennsylvania, Northeast, University of Pennsylvania, cardiovascular research, heart disease, crowdsourcing, Philadelphia, BioResearch Product Faire Event, science research, innovative solution, BRPF, MyHeartMap Challenge
On October 21, President Obama presented the National Medal of Science awards to the 2011 recipients in a ceremony at the White House. The award program is administered for the White House by the NSF to recognize individuals who have made outstanding lifetime contributions to science and engineering.
Tags: University of California San Diego, Pennsylvania, Utah, university of utah, University of Pennsylvania, California
Almost everyone, young and old, has experienced a memory chain. Perhaps you are reminiscing upon your favorite foods, and all of a sudden you think of your grandmother's kitchen. One memory of food, vibrant and sensory, triggered another less prominent memory of your grandmother.
Tags: Pennsylvania, Northeast, University of Pennsylvania, episodic memory
[Photo courtesy of University City Science Center]
Tags: Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University, Research Funding, Northeast Region
In 2010, this vendor show on campus at the University of Pennsylvania attracted over 500 academic researchers.
Tags: Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Northeast Region, marketing
Tags: Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Northeast Region, new construction
Construction crews on Civic Center Blvd. at the University of Pennsylvania have been very busy the past few years, and now Penn Med has an impressive research facility that is filling fast.
Tags: Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research, Philadelphia, Northeast Region, new construction