AI Helps Penn Engineers Improve a Gene-Editing Tool, Even with Limited Data News / September 3, 2026 Penn Engineers used AI to help transform a compact gene-editing protein into a more powerful tool—despite having limited experimental data. Their work also reveals why the best gene editor isn't necessarily the most powerful one. Read More
How the Environment Around Collagen Shapes Its Growth News / September 2, 2026 Collagen helps form the scaffolding of the body’s tissues, but new research shows it doesn’t build those structures alone. Penn Engineers found that the physical properties of the surrounding environment can influence how collagen assembles, with implications for disease and biomaterials. Read More
Soluble Signals Released by Neighboring Cells Direct How the Human Kidney is Built News / August 25, 2026 A new spatial map of the developing human kidney reveals how neighboring cells communicate to guide organ development. Penn Medicine researchers identified IGF2 as a key signal that sustains kidney stem-like cells, offering new insight into how the organ forms and how it might one day be built in the... Read More
Scientists Use Force to ‘Write’ Atomically Thin Superconductors News / August 20, 2026 Penn Engineers and researchers at Princeton develop new mechanochemical technique that transforms an atomic force microscope into a nanoscale manufacturing tool for next-generation electronics. Read More
The Hidden Waves at the Beach News / August 17, 2026 At the beach, waves are everywhere — even the ones we can’t see. Penn Engineering’s Nader Engheta explains how electromagnetic waves shape what we see, feel and how marine animals navigate, revealing world of polarization, scattering and light beyond human vision. Read More
How a Soft Robotics Breakthrough is Revealing Stroke’s Earliest Moments News / August 13, 2026 By the time most stroke patients arrive at a hospital, the earliest biological changes are already underway, making these first moments elusive and hard to investigate. In the laboratory, researchers work with mouse models to study strokes, but existing techniques don’t allow them to continuously observe those first critical moments... Read More
Geomimicry Offers a New Framework for Engineering Sustainable Materials News / August 12, 2026 What if the key to designing more sustainable materials is already beneath our feet? Penn Engineers introduce “geomimicry,” a framework inspired by how soils and sediments evolve over thousands of years, offering new principles for engineering resilient, adaptive materials. Read More
A New Kind of Light Sail Brings Interstellar Travel One Step Closer News / July 30, 2026 What if spacecraft could travel to nearby stars not with rockets, but by riding beams of light? Penn Engineers have developed an ultralight, highly reflective "light sail" that overcomes major engineering hurdles, bringing laser-powered interstellar travel one step closer to reality. Read More
Penn Electric Racing’s Comeback News / July 29, 2026 Penn Electric Racing turned years of rebuilding into a standout performance at Formula SAE Electric, finishing 15th out of 108 teams while earning three first-place awards and a top-six design finish. The results reflect not only technical excellence, but the resilience and teamwork behind the team's comeback. Read More
How AI Could Make Autism Screening More Accessible News / July 28, 2026 Researchers at Penn Engineering and the Kennedy Krieger Institute developed an AI system that measures motor imitation using ordinary video, bringing autism screening one step closer to real-world clinical use. The technology could make objective, accessible assessments available in more clinics, schools and homes. Read More
