Unearthing New Cancer Treatments From Fungi News / July 8, 2026 Penn Engineers led by Xue ‘Sherry’ Gao have developed a gene-editing tool built specifically for fungi, unlocking a hidden library of molecules — including some with early anti-cancer promise — from one of biology’s most overlooked kingdoms. Researchers have spent decades — and billions of dollars — sequencing animal and... Read More
How Sea Stars Build Materials That Can See News / July 6, 2026 When engineers think about protective materials, like those used in packaging and support, they usually think about strength, stiffness and durability. But what if those same materials could also sense their external environment? That question emerged unexpectedly for Ling Li, Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, when his lab... Read More
Penn Engineers Study Asthma on Human Lung-on-a-Chip Technology News / June 22, 2026 Researchers at Penn Engineering have developed an asthma-on-a-chip that recreates the physical forces of airway constriction during an asthma attack. The study reveals how mechanical stress can drive tissue stiffening and abnormal blood vessel growth, opening new pathways for understanding asthma and developing future treatments. Read More
From Lab to Launch: How Vanessa Chan Is Training Ph.D. Engineers for Real-World Impact News / June 4, 2026 EAS5500: Applying Your Thesis to the Real World is helping Penn Engineering Ph.D. students bridge the gap between research and impact. Through industry mentorship, commercialization training, and real-world networking, students learn how to turn breakthrough technologies into solutions that reach the market. Read More
When Design Meets Engineering, Students Solve the Right Problems News / June 3, 2026 For Sarah Rottenberg, Executive Director of the Integrated Product Design Program (IPD) at Penn Engineering and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Weitzman School of Design, innovation does not begin with solutions, it begins with asking better questions. IPD is a Penn Engineering master’s program that brings together design, business and... Read More
Innovation & Impact Podcast Episode 12: Driving the Future with Benedetto Vigna News / May 26, 2026 Episode 12 of the Innovation & Impact podcast features Benedetto Vigna, CEO of Ferrari, whose career spans from engaging in cutting-edge semiconductor research to leading one of the world’s most iconic brands. In this episode, host Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering and Professor in Mechanical Engineering and... Read More
AI in the Physical World: Helping Robotic Arms Solve Problems Using Tools News / May 12, 2026 When Tianyu Li, a doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics (MEAM), and George Jiayuan Gao, former master’s student in Robotics and current research engineer at Dyna, set out to study how robots might better interact with the physical world, they weren’t just thinking about smarter machines, they were... Read More
Penn FoQuS 2026 Advances Quantum Connections News / May 7, 2026 The third annual Penn Forum on Quantum Systems (Penn FoQuS 2026), hosted by Penn Engineering’s Center for Quantum Information, Engineering, Science and Technology (QUIEST), drew nearly 200 researchers, students and industry leaders to the Singh Center for Nanotechnology on April 20, 2026, marking the event’s largest and most institutionally diverse... Read More
Fengrui Tian Named 2026 Apple Ph.D. Scholar in AIML News / April 28, 2026 Fengrui Tian, a Ph.D. student in Computer and Information Science, has been named a 2026 Apple Ph.D. Scholar in AIML. Selected by the Computer Vision committee, he is recognized for his contributions to advancing computer vision and 3D scene understanding. Read More
Tiny, Knotted Robots Jump, Fly and Plant Seeds News / April 23, 2026 A knotted fiber that snaps itself open can launch like a spring. By combining Kevlar and liquid crystal elastomers, researchers created tiny soft robots that jump, spin and even plant seeds. Their motion is programmed through knot design and triggered by heat, offering a new approach to autonomous systems. Read More
