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Penn’s Singh Center for Nanotechnology has added the newest cutting-edge technology to its collection of already impressive microscopes: The Krios G3i, a cryogenic electron microscope that will allow researchers to look at cells, proteins, and engineered nanoparticles like never before. The trick is to keep them frozen in time, holding them in their natural environment while bombarding them with ultrafast, ultrahot subatomic particles.

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/penn-joins-cryo-revolution-adding-nobel-winning-microscope

As Penn continues to open up and is now in the 'Fall Semester Phase', our Cell Center Service Facility is fully open for business. We hope everyone is doing well and surviving the Covid 19 shut down. We are now on campus and ready for your orders. 🙂

Gilead's experimental drug remdesivir has been touted by public health officials at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the most—if not the most—promising antivirals to fight the new coronavirus strain.

https://fortune.com/2020/03/10/gilead-coronavirus-treatment-remdesivir-being-used-washington-cdc/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=brainstorm-health&utm_content=2020031119pm

Gilead coronavirus treatment already being used in Washington state According to CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield in congressional testimony.

Panic-buying of protective N95 respirators is putting at risk the very research that aims to stop deadly pathogens. To adapt, some high-level biosafety labs are switching to reusable air-purifying hoods — but these are far more expensive. “We can be creative,” says infectious-disease researcher Joan Nichols. “But at the end of the day, we cannot do this work unless we’re protected properly.”

https://undark.org/2020/03/10/covid-19-n95-mask-shortage-research/?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=dbbbcf30e8-briefing-dy-20200310&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-dbbbcf30e8-43962577

As Covid-19 Fears Mount, a Face Mask Shortage Imperils Research Infectious disease researchers worry about their ability to continue working as available supplies of N95 respirators dwindle.

Erika H. James has been named dean of the Wharton School, effective July 1. She is currently dean of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. In making the announcement, President Amy Gutmann said James is “a passionate and visible champion of the power of business and business education to positively transform communities locally, nationally, and globally. She is exceptionally well prepared to lead Wharton into the next exciting chapter of its storied history.”

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/erika-h-james-named-dean-penns-wharton-school?utm_source=Primary&utm_campaign=beb0236f5f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_07_26_08_41_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3777f2ca8f-beb0236f5f-44369825

Erika H. James named dean of Penn’s Wharton School | Penn Today The dean of the Goizueta Business School at Emory University will begin her new position as dean of the Wharton School effective July 1.

“Americans need facts and science—not reassurance that all will be well. The presidential press conference on the coronavirus pandemic was, sadly, a disappointment,” Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at NYU Langone Health, says in a statement emailed to The Scientist.

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/governments-mixed-messages-on-coronavirus-are-dangerous-experts-67202?utm_campaign=TS_DAILY%20NEWSLETTER_2020&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=84124196&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--ajnZppOHQ7rmLYr-S1U44QdFHHOYXIeMWefLnjqpj-0wwylv0ueWwhgfVT80ZQkcas6KClESWUuHD4TSQEVXUJdRwHInPrk38FlDJkwPiaMT8YFc&_hsmi=84124196

Government’s Mixed Messages on Coronavirus Are Dangerous: Experts Administration officials have given contradictory statements about how COVID-19 will affect the US, and it is not clear who is leading the infectious disease response effort, critics say.

A machine-learning approach has spotted powerful new types of antibiotic from a pool of more than 100 million molecules, including one that works against bacterial strains considered untreatable. This is the first time artificial intelligence has identified completely new kinds of antibiotic from scratch, without relying on any previous human assumptions.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00018-3?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=f680a1d26d-briefing-dy-20200221&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-f680a1d26d-43962577

Powerful antibiotics discovered using AI Machine learning spots molecules that work even against ‘untreatable’ strains of bacteria.

In 2005, research from the Shore Health System of Maryland ICU showed that the homeopathic remedy, Kali bichromicum (Kali-bi) reduced excessive mucus in seriously ill patients, lessened their time on ventilators, resulted in less respiratory complications, and shortened their stay in the ICU.
In contrast, those in the control group who had not received the remedy took considerably longer to recover, with some returning to the ventilator after extubation because they struggled to breath – something that had not been a problem for the homeopathic group. As a result, the hospital added the Kali-bi to their pharmacy.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15764779

Influence of potassium dichromate on tracheal secretions in critically ill patients. - PubMed - NCBI Chest. 2005 Mar;127(3):936-41. Clinical Trial; Randomized Controlled Trial

The Indian government’s Ministry of AYUSH, which promotes alternative medicine systems in the country, released a health advisory on January 29 that advocates the use of homeopathy and traditional remedies, such as Indian systems of medicine, to ward off infections of the newly circulating 2019-nCoV coronavirus. This includes the use of a homeopathic preparation called Arsenicum album 30C.

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/indian-authorities-propose-use-of-homeopathy-to-prevent-coronavirus-67075?utm_campaign=TS_OTC_2020&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=83516812&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9AkovZR0EpyE-lRJcXesxa5f-kXUe-YXV7h4jzG0XPm-cE0dbzLeWeGfEfAygchNVQwfKLLoKNUFhJJz5aqZnnYroOWQ8Ui7rvVnAdbN62_-5HtYA&_hsmi=83516812

Indian Authorities Propose Use of Homeopathy to Prevent Coronavirus Critics of the practice say the guidance is irresponsible and could give users a false sense of security.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), one of the largest and most influential conservation organizations in the world, boasts a network of 15,000 scientific experts, some of whom have interests that run counter to wildlife conservation and may in fact promote the trade of endangered animals.

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/corruption-and-conflicts-at-conservation-group-iucn--investigation-67113?utm_campaign=TS_DAILY%20NEWSLETTER_2020&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=83444702&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_oH-TCTdZ3RdGtL8Cs0u-T5d9N2qzzRrzO3nkBNUpYJSUKGixh3e9PqfrTgKKQlDxTcwOkIny_YSQ_y44YLMLsOcMxunBRjqBeKUp5Jw82iXj2fCA&_hsmi=83444702

Conflicts of Interest at Conservation Group IUCN: Investigation Buzzfeed uncovers trophy hunters among the ranks of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which, critics say, may be impeding wildlife protection.

We use a component of the blood of the Horseshoe crab to test reagents and media for Endotoxin content.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-last-days-of-the-blue-blood-harvest?utm_source=pocket-newtab

The Last Days of the Blue-Blood Harvest - The Atlantic - Pocket Every year, more than 400,000 crabs are bled for the miraculous medical substance that flows through their bodies—now pharmaceutical companies are finally committing to an alternative that doesn't harm animals.

On Thursday, the United States Department of Energy announced plans to build a cutting-edge nuclear physics research facility called the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) at New York’s Brookhaven National Laboratory.
“The EIC promises to keep America in the forefront of nuclear physics research and particle accelerator technology, critical components of overall U.S. leadership in science,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette said in a press release.

https://futurism.com/the-byte/doe-new-york-particle-collider?utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_03cd0a26cd-dcfd5bca88-247240009&mc_cid=dcfd5bca88&mc_eid=094196685d&utm_source=The%20Future%20Is&utm_campaign=dcfd5bca88-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_01_13_07_05

DOE: New York will be home to a new particle collider "The Electron-Ion Collider will open up a new frontier in nuclear physics..."

A Chinese court has sentenced leading animal-cloning researcher Li Ning to 12 years in prison for embezzling millions in research funding. Li was one of several scientists at Chinese universities who were arrested in 2014 for misusing research grants. Li has denied stealing the money, and said that he had invested unused grant funding with the intention of supporting research in future years.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00051-2?utm_source=Nature+Briefing&utm_campaign=6792bd51b5-briefing-dy-20200114&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c9dfd39373-6792bd51b5-43962577

Prominent animal-cloning researcher sentenced to 12 years in prison Li Ning was arrested in 2014 for allegedly stealing millions in research funding.

Proton therapy leads to a significantly lower risk of side effects severe enough to lead to unplanned hospitalizations for cancer patients when compared with traditional radiation, while cure rates between the two groups are almost identical. The findings come from an expanded analysis of the largest review of its kind, performed by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine.

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/proton-therapy-lowers-risk-side-effects-cancer-patients?utm_source=Primary&utm_campaign=e9e5a85082-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_07_26_08_41_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3777f2ca8f-e9e5a85082-44369825

Proton therapy lowers risk of side effects in cancer patients | Penn Today Proton therapy leads to a significantly lower risk of side effects severe enough to lead to unplanned hospitalizations for cancer patients when compared with traditional radiation. Cure rates between the two groups are almost identical.

For the first time, altruistic behaviors have been seen in birds in a lab setting. African grey parrots will spontaneously help each other obtain food even when there is no obvious benefit to the helper.

https://www.the-scientist.com/image-of-the-day/image-of-the-day--helpful-birds-66942?utm_campaign=TS_DAILY%20NEWSLETTER_2020&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=81738375&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9lBo5RHrb9NKutLAQq5x6UmhO8G_nX9bJ4lllKw3L9TXd2e7JWbGsUd2F-vbONFtupYapwi5UcR66S44NAZwtVLXl1ys2uhe7tip1kl5gYnVbeAuE&_hsmi=81738375https://www.the-scientist.com/image-of-the-day/image-of-the-day--helpful-birds-66942?utm_campaign=TS_DAILY%20NEWSLETTER_2020&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=81738375&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9lBo5RHrb9NKutLAQq5x6UmhO8G_nX9bJ4lllKw3L9TXd2e7JWbGsUd2F-vbONFtupYapwi5UcR66S44NAZwtVLXl1ys2uhe7tip1kl5gYnVbeAuE&_hsmi=81738375

Image of the Day: Helpful Birds

This old microscope has served us well for more than 25 years...

The University of Pennsylvania's Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI) has announced the award of twelve 2020 small grants to teams led by twelve LDI Senior and Associate Fellows engaged in work across a wide range of health services research (HSR) areas.

https://ldi.upenn.edu/news/twelve-penn-researchers-selected-2020-ldi-pilot-research-grants?utm_source=Primary&utm_campaign=4d2e97865f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_09_26_04_19_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3777f2ca8f-4d2e97865f-44369825

Twelve Penn Researchers Selected for 2020 LDI Pilot Research Grants Caption The grants go to LDI Senior and Associate Fellows from across Penn Schools. The University of Pennsylvania's Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI) has announced the award of twelve 2020 small grants to teams led by twelve LDI Senior and Associate Fellows engaged in work across a....

While the use of social media to help track outbreaks is still maturing as an epidemiological tool, there is something that Twitter, Facebook, and other user-input information from the internet adds above and beyond helping to simply identify cases: hints about the mindsets of those affected by a given disease. Social media’s unique ability to capture information not just concerning where diseases are popping up, but how people are responding to them, may prove invaluable to public health.

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/can-social-media-inform-public-health-efforts--66891?utm_campaign=TS_DAILY%20NEWSLETTER_2020&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=81633057&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--mFxBbE8hOzwZkiXBbnz4WUvkykU1dgcQMvNAg53tSR9ADid_88DcQaLdM6-d4bwFTblhlORfXUivZKdLdk_rs__6vR-iVd7i-Vm3nyHm5WXuiF00&_hsmi=81633057

Can Social Media Inform Public Health Efforts? Scientists are using social media to track diseases and understand how people respond to them.

Canines treated with an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector showed evidence that the therapeutic DNA held within the virus can integrate into the host genome, risking the activation of oncogenes.

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/dog-study-revives-concerns-about-virus-used-for-gene-therapy-66915?utm_campaign=TS_DAILY%20NEWSLETTER_2020&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=81577303&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_fcjts-eyOmdkHyNdjTqWjb8LInrfYEi75la-Udkva-BoAXXjnDSCar_a4BlYQs8MP22C3UdNr3skAzSHDs4lJPhAwKRhR8V4zE8ikyvUm9NOKhgk&_hsmi=81577303

Dog Study Revives Concerns About Virus Used for Gene Therapy Canines treated with an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector showed evidence that the therapeutic DNA held within the virus can integrate into the host genome, risking the activation of oncogenes.

Prosecutors say two other researchers from the same cancer lab at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center successfully stole material and brought it to China.

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/grad-student-arrested-trying-to-smuggle-specimens-to-china-66889?utm_campaign=TS_DAILY%20NEWSLETTER_2019&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=81448968&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_tFW2Jpdsi9RAkSpd3sh1QfQJNPdZPvY5UX-cVbyWuZl65gJEVUawRLUlzMGXHYp8iSJNldnpuIlFIi8iNokRART8E9wOc-vCAplma9itdhNgjEPM&_hsmi=81448968

Grad Student Arrested Trying to Smuggle Specimens to China

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Virginia Man-Yee Lee of the Perelman School of Medicine is the 2020 recipient of a Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, earning $3 million for her innovative, inspiring work that could one day cure various neurodegenerative diseases. “I am really optimistic that maybe some treatment for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s will become available in the next, let’s say, one or two decades,” Lee says.

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/alzheimers-research-pioneer-right-here-penn?utm_source=Primary&utm_campaign=c6e48ed71d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_09_26_04_19_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3777f2ca8f-c6e48ed71d-44369825

An Alzheimer’s research pioneer, right here at Penn | Penn Today Virginia Man-Yee Lee, a professor and researcher at the Perelman School of Medicine, is the 2020 recipient of a Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, earning $3 million for her innovative, inspiring work that could one day cure various neurodegenerative diseases.

Scientists have composed DNA to carry the instructions for 3-D printing a plastic rabbit. It’s an impressive feat on its own, but they have taken the idea of DNA storage a step further by embedding silica beads with that genetic blueprint into the bunny. The researchers then recreated five generations of the rabbit by using a sample of DNA from each iteration to print a new rabbit with high fidelity.

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/object-engineered-to-carry-a-dna-code-for-its-own-replication-66831?utm_campaign=TS_DAILY%20NEWSLETTER_2019&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=80567085&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--LSEBVjkMAV0I-0v6BBsKK8EDrv77KkVTWDQfTVvlBCWdd1Xx2lG2LA3UGCoJIbBL6jx1aev7PCa_WAc5ThY26Z44bnETi0AAOWxvLFH_AG0iaBa4&_hsmi=80567085

Object Engineered to Carry a DNA Code for its Own Replication A 3-D printed rabbit is made from a blueprint stored in DNA, which itself is stored in a printed rabbit.

President Amy Gutmann was awarded the Pennsylvania Society Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement, a coveted honor she said Saturday at the group’s annual dinner she was humbled to receive. The $50,000 philanthropic gift on Gutmann’s behalf was matched by Penn, totaling $100,000 to support West Philadelphia’s Henry C. Lea Elementary School. “We must always, always hold true to our commitment to quality education and opportunity for all Pennsylvanians,” she said to the crowd. “Indeed, for all people everywhere.”

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/president-amy-gutmann-receives-top-honor-pennsylvania-society-dinner?utm_source=Primary&utm_campaign=4b1e107143-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_09_26_04_19_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3777f2ca8f-4b1e107143-44369825

Penn President receives top honor from Pennsylvania Society | Penn Today The $50,000 philanthropic gift on Amy Gutmann’s behalf was matched by Penn, totaling $100,000 to support West Philadelphia’s Henry C. Lea Elementary School.

Lab impressions: liquid nitrogen tank.

Lab impressions: samples warming to 37oC in the "water" bath.

In the spring of 1996, it finally started to become clear how HIV enters the CD4-positive cells it infects. The key role of CD4 as a virus receptor had been known for over a decade, but it was well understood that another key factor must be involved, a co-receptor. At a Keystone meeting, the NIH’s Ed Berger announced that a cell surface protein he called “Fusin” (now known as CXCR4) fulfilled that role. But Fusin was not the whole story, as only a minor subset of HIV strains could use it for cell entry; another factor was sitting out there, waiting to be found...

https://naturemicrobiologycommunity.nature.com/channels/2314-after-the-paper/posts/56543-how-hiv-enters-cells-it-was-the-best-of-times-it-was-the-worst-of-times-by-john-p-moore

How HIV enters cells: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” Contributor Nature World AIDS Day 2019, After the Paper How HIV enters cells: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” John Moore Nov 21, 2019 3 0 Like 3 Comment Share Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Copy the link Read the paper In the spring of 1996, it finally started to become cl...

When collaborators of customers send mycoplasma contaminated cells but don't say anything... Sometimes what antibiotics they use gives them away.
Always test for mycoplasma contamination, especially when receiving new cells into the lab.

Antibiotic resistance is becoming a dangerous problem, both in the United States and worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year in the U.S., at least 2.8 million people get infections that antibiotics can’t help, and more than 35,000 die from those infections. Around the world, common ailments like pneumonia and food-borne illness are getting harder to treat. In the lab of synthetic biologist César de la Fuente of the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, concepts like computer-generated antibiotics and biosensor bandages aren’t some far-off ideal. They’re projects already in progress with huge real-world implications should they succeed.

https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/computer-generated-antibiotics-biosensor-band-aids-and-quest-beat-antibiotic-resistance?utm_source=Primary&utm_campaign=c725644a2d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_09_26_04_19_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3777f2ca8f-c725644a2d-44369825

Computer-generated antibiotics, biosensor Band-Aids, and the quest to beat antibiotic resistance | Penn Today For Penn synthetic biologist César de la Fuente and his team, these concepts aren’t some far-off ideal. They’re projects already in progress, and they have huge real-world implications should they succeed.