great research click stories  1   2   3   4   Crocker-Sinno
  Engineers Use DNA to Make Crystals That Can Switch Configurations
 
Beyond serving as the backbone of modern biology, DNA has come to be a molecule of great interest to engineers. John Crocker and Talid Sinno, both of CBE, have used DNA to make a crystal that can switch into a more stable configuration under the right temperature conditions, much like heat-treated steel.
 
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  great innovation click stories  1   2   3   4   Scott Diamond
  Diamond Lab Research Reveals That Clots Can Sense Blood Flow
 
The disease atherosclerosis involves the build up of fatty tissue within arterial walls, creating unstable structures known as plaques. These plaques grow until they burst, rupturing the wall and causing the formation of a blood clot within the artery. New research from the Diamond Lab shows that clots forming under arterial-flow conditions have an unexpected ability to sense the surrounding blood moving over it.
 
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  great research click stories  1   2   3   4   Dennis Discher
  Engineers Develop Protein 'Passport' That Helps Nanoparticles Get Past Immune System
 
The body's immune system exists to identify and destroy foreign objects, whether they are bacteria, viruses, flecks of dirt or splinters. Unfortunately, nanoparticles designed to deliver drugs and implanted devices like pacemakers or artificial joints are just as foreign and subject to the same response. Research led by Dennis Discher, CBE, provides a "passport" for such therapeutic devices, enabling them to get past the body’s security system.
 
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  great innovation click stories  1   2   3   4   Liquid Crystals
  Engineers Collaborate to Show New Level of Control Over Liquid Crystals
 
Directed assembly is a growing field of research in nanotechnology in which scientists and engineers aim to manufacture structures on the smallest scales without having to individually manipulate each component. Kathleen Stebe and Shu Yang have collaborated to show a new way to direct the assembly of liquid crystals, generating small features that spontaneously arrange in arrays based on much larger templates.
 
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Did you know?

The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science is the oldest continuously operating degree-granting program in chemical engineering in the U.S. Learn more about this photo!

Bubbles for Medicine

"I tell my children that I am working with bubbles and they think I have the best job in the world – which I do!" says Daeyeon Lee, Assistant Professor of CBE. By learning how to modify the air and water interface, Lee is able to make "perfect" bubbles that have potential to enhance biomedical imaging and ultrasound therapy. Learn more!

Crystals That Can Switch Configurations

John Crocker’s team has made a crystal that rearranges itself into a stronger, more stable configuration, all by changing the mix of DNA strands on the spheres' exterior.Check it out!